The word 'hospitality' occurs in the Bible five times, all in the New Testament, and 'hostility' is there 15 times, mostly in the Old Testament. But hospitality is one of the marks of the church; we are called to a ministry of hospitality, of welcoming, of providing a place of safety, of refuge, of hope. The mission statement of the Chapel of the Cross calls upon us to love one another, to care for those in need, and to share our many blessings. Another church lists four parts of its mission: worship, education, hospitality, and outreach. In some religious orders, hospitality, along with poverty, chastity, and obedience, is one of the vows taken.

In the celebration for a home in the Book of Occasional Services, the antiphon for the blessing of a guest room is "Do not neglect to show hospitality, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares," taken from the final admonitions in the letter to the Hebrews.  The reference is, at least in part, to the visit paid to Abraham and Sarah described in Genesis.  Three men appear at Abraham's tent in the heat of the day.  They don't knock on his door asking for anything, but Abraham rushes out to meet them and bows low to the ground.  He brings water to wash their feet, and bread, and milk, and prepares a meal, and implores them to rest, and refresh themselves, and eat.  He does not know, as the account reveals, that it is the Lord who is visiting - tradition says that the three may together represent the Lord, or the Lord and two angels, or the Trinity.  But he welcomes them, he puts himself and his resources at their disposal, he sends them on their way refreshed.

"Love ye therefore the stranger, for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt", from Deuteronomy, is also a verse used in the blessing of homes.  Though it was used to remind the people of Israel of their time in Egypt, it reminds us also of the journey of the Holy Family into Egypt, and of our own travels as strangers to places where we are not known.