This Sunday we continue our study of the biblical concept of hospitality, the purpose of which, we hope to discover, is a far cry from our contemporary notions of the same concept. This week we will explore a passage that sets the foundation of this biblical virtue for the rest of the Bible, the story being Abraham's welcome of the three guests who visited him unannounced in Genesis 18. There is, of course, a surface reading of the passage, and then there is the ancient rabbinical reading of this passage, the latter being far more provocative and instructive than the former. Let's therefore take seriously what our Scriptures and our Tradition have to say about hospitality, why it matters, and why we need to recover it. (And as preparatory exercise, consider reading Genesis 17 and 19, which time and space will prohibit us from hearing on Sunday. The placement of our story in Genesis 18 is as instructive as the story itself).