Whoever welcomes you welcomes me,O welcoming God,
and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.
you invite me
to come to your feast
and I arrive surprised
by the crowd who has gathered.
Rich and poor,
young and old,
a multitude of languages, races, nationalities...
No one is forgotten; no one is alone.
Today I was invited to such a meal.
You came looking like a couple
who were hungry and looking for work.
They asked if I could give them something to eat,
but really it was an invitation to a meal, a banquet of sorts.
So we sat at table together.
We prayed, we ate,
we talked, we share our humanity.
There were so many differences evident at that table,
and yet we were so alike
-- in need of grace, in need of encouragement,
in need of hope, in need of nourishment...
Thank you for inviting me to lunch.
Open me to share your welcome with others,
especially those who are different than me.
May I be open to be surprised by your grace.
Amen.