{"id":96834,"date":"2025-09-26T10:30:16","date_gmt":"2025-09-26T09:30:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spaziospadoni.org\/?p=96834"},"modified":"2026-10-09T09:24:47","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T08:24:47","slug":"a-work-of-mercy-each-week-with-carlo-miglietta-4-welcoming-strangers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spaziospadoni.org\/en\/a-work-of-mercy-each-week-with-carlo-miglietta-4-welcoming-strangers\/","title":{"rendered":"A work of mercy each week with\u2026 Carlo Miglietta | 4. WELCOMING STRANGERS"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There are at least three fundamental terms in the Hebrew Bible to indicate the \u201cstranger\u201d or \u201cforeigner.\u201d Three terms that help us understand Israel\u2019s progressive maturation regarding welcome:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. The Hebrew word zar indicates the foreigner who lives outside the borders of Israel. Toward this figure, a sense of fear arises. There is a wordplay in Hebrew that allows zar (\u201cforeigner\u201d) to be confused with sar (the \u201cenemy\u201d against whom one must defend oneself). The fear of the stranger therefore has very deep roots in the human heart and is documented by Scripture. This negative consideration of foreign peoples evolves toward more positive tones, especially from the time of the Babylonian exile (around the 6th century BC), when the perception dawns that God entrusts Israel with a mission of salvation for all nations (Is 42:6; 49:6).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    1. The second term, nokri, is used for the foreigner passing through, who is temporarily among the people for reasons of travel or trade (a sort of \u201ceconomic migrant\u201d). Toward the nokri there are certain distinctions that still denote distance, but no longer fear (Dt 14:21). Nevertheless, the basic rule is hospitality, typical of Eastern tradition, an hospitality that entails respect and a warm welcome.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. \u201cThe third term is gher or toshav and is used for the resident alien living in Israel. This figure enjoys true legal protection, as seen from the earliest legislative texts (Ex 22:20)\u201d (C. M. Martini).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      The ceremonial of hospitality<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Precise rules existed for hospitality. It had to be generous and extend to travel companions and livestock as well (Gen 24). The greeting was vital: the host prostrated himself with his face to the ground (Gen 19). Washing the feet was not merely a hygienic practice, but served to relieve the guest’s fatigue and refresh them (Gen 24:32).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      A guest room had to be provided (2 Kings 4:9-10). The host offered the finest food available (1 Sam 9:22-24). The meal of fellowship created bonds of brotherhood between host and guest, to the point that, in the event of the guest\u2019s murder, the duty of retribution fell upon the host (Gen 19:1-16).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The protection of the foreigner<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Denying hospitality is a grave insult (1 Sam 25). The Law given by God to Israel protects the foreigner: woe to anyone who defrauds them of their wages (Dt 24:14)! They enjoy the same Sabbath rest as the Israelites (Ex 20:10). When dedicating the temple, Solomon even prayed that God would answer the prayers of foreigners coming to worship in that very sanctuary (1 Kings 8:41-43).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Reasons for welcoming the foreigner<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
        \n
      1. The Lord loves the foreigner: the God of the Bible possesses a defining trait: a predilection for the poor. And the foreigner is undeniably \u201cpoor,\u201d in a land not their own and lacking legal standing. Israel must protect foreigners because they are loved in a unique way by God: \u201cThe Lord\u2026 loves the foreigner\u201d (Dt 10:18). And God calls us to love them as He does: \u201cYou shall love the foreigner\u201d (Dt 10:19)!<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      2. We are all foreigners: Israel must protect the foreigner because it must never forget having lived as strangers in Egypt. For this reason, God commands that no oppression be inflicted on them: \u201cYou shall not wrong a foreigner or oppress him, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt\u201d (Ex 22:20).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      3. We are all guests of God: Israel knows it is a guest even in the Promised Land: \u201cfor the land is mine, and you reside with me as foreigners and tenants\u201d (Lev 25:23). Christians too are \u201cp\u00e0roikoi ka\u00ec parep\u00ecdemoi\u201d, \u201cstrangers and pilgrims\u201d (1 Pet 2:11) dwelling temporarily in this world: \u201cparoik\u00eca\u201d (1 Pet 1:17), from which our word \u201cParish\u201d derives, comes from \u201cpar\u00e0 oik\u00eca\u201d, \u201cbeside the houses\u201d, nomadic travelers passing through.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      4. The Christological reason: the example of Jesus, who made Himself a guest of humanity and invites all people to be guests in the Father\u2019s house, makes hospitality one of the cardinal virtues of Christian life. The command is unequivocal: \u201cWelcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you\u201d (Rom 15:7). During His life, Jesus experienced being rejected: \u201cMary\u2026 gave birth to her firstborn son\u2026, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn\u201d (Lk 2:7); He had to flee as a refugee to Egypt persecuted by Herod (Mt 2:13); and throughout His mission He was frequently turned away (Lk 9:52-56).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        The momentous revelation is that Jesus explicitly identifies with anyone in need of shelter: \u201cWhoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me\u201d (Mt 10:40). \u201cI was a stranger and you welcomed me\u201d (Mt 25:35): \u201cto express hospitality, Jesus uses here a verb (sunago) whose primary meaning is to gather, to bring together scattered elements. Hence the meaning of gathering those who are lost, welcoming them into the same home, and uniting them with the fellowship of brothers and sisters. This richly evocative verb is recalled three times in Matthew 25. It denotes not just assistance, but genuine welcome\u201d (B. Maggioni). The poor are the living sacrament of Christ: it is in the poor that we encounter Jesus on the roads of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Hospitality is a sacred duty for all Christians, commended by all writings of the early Church. Peter in his first letter exhorts to philoxen\u00eca, hospitality, literally \u201clove of strangers\u201d (1 Pet 4:9). Paul invites us to be \u201ceager to practice hospitality\u201d (Rom 12:13). The Letter to the Hebrews reminds us that welcoming a brother is welcoming God: \u201cDo not neglect to show hospitality; for by doing so, some have entertained angels without knowing it\u201d (Heb 13:2; cf. Gen 18:3; 19:2).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        1. The eschatological reason: the poor and foreigners will be our gatekeepers to Paradise, those who will receive us into celestial dwellings: \u201cMake friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth, so that when it runs out, they may welcome you into the eternal homes\u201d (Lk 16:9).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

          \u201cIn \u00abforeigners\u00bb the Church sees Christ who \u00abpitches his tent among us\u00bb (Jn 1:14) and who \u00abknocks at our door\u00bb (Rev 3:20). This encounter \u2013 made of care, welcome, sharing, and solidarity, of safeguarding migrants\u2019 rights and of evangelizing commitment \u2013 reveals the constant solicitude of the Church, which discovers authentic values in them and considers them a tremendous human resource\u201d (Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          If we fail to offer hospitality to foreigners, we will have failed to welcome Jesus. And we too will enter into the sorrowful company described in John\u2019s Prologue, when it notes with bitterness: \u201cHe came to his own, and his own people did not accept him\u201d (Jn 1:11).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Image created digitally by spazio + spadoni<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Browse Carlo Miglietta\u2019s book<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          There are at least three fundamental terms in the Hebrew Bible to indicate the \u201cstranger\u201d or \u201cforeigner.\u201d Three terms that help us understand Israel\u2019s progressive maturation regarding welcome: The ceremonial of hospitality Precise rules existed for hospitality. It had to be generous and extend to travel companions and livestock as well (Gen 24). The greeting … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":96833,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","ss_featured_image_title":"","ss_featured_image_alt":"Carlo Miglietta\u2019s commentary on the fourth corporal work of mercy","ss_featured_image_caption":"The commentary by biblical scholar Carlo Miglietta on the fourth corporal work of mercy: \u201cWelcome the stranger\u201d","footnotes":""},"categories":[2387],"tags":[10923],"class_list":["post-96834","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commentaries-on-the-works-of-mercy","tag-admonish-sinners","infinite-scroll-item","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50"],"yoast_head":"\nFrom hostility to hospitality: welcome in the Bible<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"From fear of the stranger to the sacred duty of welcome: discover how the Bible transforms hostility into loving hospitality toward every foreigner.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/spaziospadoni.org\/en\/a-work-of-mercy-each-week-with-carlo-miglietta-4-welcoming-strangers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"From hostility to hospitality: welcome in the Bible\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"From fear of the stranger to the sacred duty of welcome: discover how the Bible transforms hostility into loving hospitality toward every foreigner.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/spaziospadoni.org\/en\/a-work-of-mercy-each-week-with-carlo-miglietta-4-welcoming-strangers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"spazio + spadoni\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SpazioSpadoni\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-09-26T09:30:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-10-09T08:24:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/spaziospadoni.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/alloggiare-i-pellegrini-operemisericordia_miglietta_spaziospadoni.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Carlo Miglietta\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Carlo Miglietta\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/spaziospadoni.org\\\/en\\\/a-work-of-mercy-each-week-with-carlo-miglietta-4-welcoming-strangers\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/spaziospadoni.org\\\/en\\\/a-work-of-mercy-each-week-with-carlo-miglietta-4-welcoming-strangers\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Carlo Miglietta\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/spaziospadoni.org\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/956b3718a39fa14915da9186e20fff25\"},\"headline\":\"A work of mercy each week with\u2026 Carlo Miglietta | 4. 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He first worked as a hospital doctor at Martini Hospital in Turin, and then as a family doctor at ASL 01 in Turin. In 1970, together with some friends, he founded the GMG \u201cGruppo Missionario Giovanile\u201d, while in 2000 he founded CO.RO ONLUS \u201cComitato Roraima di solidariet\u00e0 con i popoli indigeni del Brasile\u201d, of which he is currently Secretary. In 1971 he began his path as a biblical scholar with a Bible Course on the Gospel of Matthew. His passion for Scripture and exegetical methodology were initially given to him through his attendance at the Ecumenical Community of Bose and, later, were deepened at the Theological Faculty of Turin and through daily personal study. Every year, in the Diocese of Turin and in other Italian Dioceses, he holds numerous Bible courses, conferences and retreats, always on scriptural topics, where he seeks to provide the interpretative keys to the chosen biblical subject, with historical, literary, exegetical and spiritual references, with the sole aim of leading participants to a personal encounter with the Sacred Text, coming to engage with it and above all to pray the Word. He writes books on biblical topics and collaborates with print and online periodicals for the biblical page. He curates the meditations on the Sunday Gospel for the Misericordie on spaziospadoni.org under the heading \u201cBuona misericordia a tutti!\u201d.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/spaziospadoni.org\\\/en\\\/author\\\/mission_damy\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"From hostility to hospitality: welcome in the Bible","description":"From fear of the stranger to the sacred duty of welcome: discover how the Bible transforms hostility into loving hospitality toward every foreigner.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/spaziospadoni.org\/en\/a-work-of-mercy-each-week-with-carlo-miglietta-4-welcoming-strangers\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"From hostility to hospitality: welcome in the Bible","og_description":"From fear of the stranger to the sacred duty of welcome: discover how the Bible transforms hostility into loving hospitality toward every foreigner.","og_url":"https:\/\/spaziospadoni.org\/en\/a-work-of-mercy-each-week-with-carlo-miglietta-4-welcoming-strangers\/","og_site_name":"spazio + spadoni","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SpazioSpadoni\/","article_published_time":"2025-09-26T09:30:16+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-10-09T08:24:47+00:00","og_image":[{"width":800,"height":800,"url":"https:\/\/spaziospadoni.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/alloggiare-i-pellegrini-operemisericordia_miglietta_spaziospadoni.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Carlo Miglietta","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Carlo Miglietta","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/spaziospadoni.org\/en\/a-work-of-mercy-each-week-with-carlo-miglietta-4-welcoming-strangers\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/spaziospadoni.org\/en\/a-work-of-mercy-each-week-with-carlo-miglietta-4-welcoming-strangers\/"},"author":{"name":"Carlo Miglietta","@id":"https:\/\/spaziospadoni.org\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/956b3718a39fa14915da9186e20fff25"},"headline":"A work of mercy each week with\u2026 Carlo Miglietta | 4. 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WELCOMING STRANGERS"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/spaziospadoni.org\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/spaziospadoni.org\/en\/","name":"spazio + spadoni","description":"Generazione di misericordia e missione nel mondo","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/spaziospadoni.org\/en\/#organization"},"alternateName":"spaziospadoni.org","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/spaziospadoni.org\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/spaziospadoni.org\/en\/#organization","name":"spazio + spadoni","alternateName":"spaziospadoni.org","url":"https:\/\/spaziospadoni.org\/en\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/spaziospadoni.org\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/spaziospadoni.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/spazio-spadoni-logo-100x100-1.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/spaziospadoni.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/spazio-spadoni-logo-100x100-1.webp","width":100,"height":100,"caption":"spazio + spadoni"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/spaziospadoni.org\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SpazioSpadoni\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/spaziospadoni\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@spaziospadoni\/playlists"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/spaziospadoni.org\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/956b3718a39fa14915da9186e20fff25","name":"Carlo Miglietta","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/334cfe7a21947c2dd299cf7c978eb391cb9dee7d24140bd42a48ffac4f9bc0bb?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/334cfe7a21947c2dd299cf7c978eb391cb9dee7d24140bd42a48ffac4f9bc0bb?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/334cfe7a21947c2dd299cf7c978eb391cb9dee7d24140bd42a48ffac4f9bc0bb?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Carlo Miglietta"},"description":"Carlo Miglietta is a physician specialized in Internal Medicine and in Geriatrics and Gerontology. He first worked as a hospital doctor at Martini Hospital in Turin, and then as a family doctor at ASL 01 in Turin. In 1970, together with some friends, he founded the GMG \u201cGruppo Missionario Giovanile\u201d, while in 2000 he founded CO.RO ONLUS \u201cComitato Roraima di solidariet\u00e0 con i popoli indigeni del Brasile\u201d, of which he is currently Secretary. In 1971 he began his path as a biblical scholar with a Bible Course on the Gospel of Matthew. His passion for Scripture and exegetical methodology were initially given to him through his attendance at the Ecumenical Community of Bose and, later, were deepened at the Theological Faculty of Turin and through daily personal study. Every year, in the Diocese of Turin and in other Italian Dioceses, he holds numerous Bible courses, conferences and retreats, always on scriptural topics, where he seeks to provide the interpretative keys to the chosen biblical subject, with historical, literary, exegetical and spiritual references, with the sole aim of leading participants to a personal encounter with the Sacred Text, coming to engage with it and above all to pray the Word. He writes books on biblical topics and collaborates with print and online periodicals for the biblical page. 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