His Holiness Pope Shenouda III emphasizes the virtue of hospitality to strangers as a biblical commandment and a deep ecclesiastical teaching, clarifying that hospitality is not merely food or shelter but a practical love offered to the needy, the poor, travelers, the sick, students, tourists, and even to those who feel like strangers within their own homes. He presents biblical, patristic, and historical examples, then moves to broad practical applications for the Church today.

First: Biblical and spiritual foundation

• Scripture presents Abraham as an example of generous hospitality and joyful service to strangers.

• Christ considered hosting a stranger as a service offered to Him personally: “I was a stranger and you took Me in.”

• Hospitality appears in both Testaments as a mark of holiness, a condition for a bishop, and a sign of the Church’s love for the poor and the stranger.

Second: Examples from history and the Fathers

• Stories from Arab and Coptic heritage highlight generosity, such as Hatim al-Ta’i, Awlos the stonecutter, and Ibrahim El-Gohary.

• Examples of saints who cared for strangers and the poor, such as St. Serapamon the Veiled and St. Abram of Fayoum.

Third: Practical applications within the Church

• Hosting students coming to big cities, with spiritual, organizational, and behavioral care.

• Caring for homeless children and protecting them from exploitation.

• Hosting tourists and foreigners and giving them an honorable image of the Coptic Church and its history.

• Proposing hospitality houses, guides for strangers, educational programs, and church gifts.

Fourth: Hosting the sick

• The Church hosts patients coming for treatment, but the burden is large and requires participation from local churches to cover needs.

• Emphasis on awareness and not overwhelming the Church beyond its ability.

Fifth: The meaning of estrangement within the home

• Some may feel like strangers within their families because of poor treatment or lack of love; they too need care and embrace.

General spiritual message

The virtue of hosting strangers is not only a social act but a meeting with Christ Himself in the person of the needy and the stranger. It is a call to wide hearts, a serving Church, and a loving family. The Church is called to offer hospitality with wisdom, organization, and shared responsibility, so it becomes a living testimony of genuine Christian love.

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