After my father's death and a few years of living all on her  own, my mother chose to find herself a senior retirement complex in which to live. When she found one she liked, she sold her home and, never looking back, moved in with all new clothing and furniture.

"Why do I even bother?!?" A lot of what people do in the realm of the home is futile. They do the laundry, and in a week there's another big pile to be done. They buy the groceries, and in short order the cupboards are bare once again.

A recent series of commercials promotes good banking practices by highlighting bad ones. In one spot a little girl is asked by a banker if she would like a pony. When she says yes, she is handed a toy pony. As she plays with her gift, another little girl sitting next to her is asked the same question and also replies yes.

A young man I was on a retreat with once told this  story of prayer: "I was so angry at God because I had asked and asked him to help me stop doing drugs. And then before long I was getting high again. "I was angry at God and I was angry at my parents who told me that God would help me if I asked.

I like this weekend's reading from Genesis almost as much as any in scripture. It is so simply human and yet carries such a great message about God's mercy and forgiveness. But I must confess that I like it most of all because I truly enjoy that kind of bargaining immensely.

The Image of God as the harsh judge is consistently debunked in Hebrew and Christian scripture, so why does it persist? 

Abraham extended enormous hospitality to the three mysterious visitors who appeared at his tent in the heat of the day. He suspected there was more to these travelers than met the eye, and he made them feel at home.

A few years ago my wife and I added a new routine to  our preparations for family parties that we host. It's made a world of difference. We host relatives and friends at Thanksgiving every year.

One of my favorite stories about Dorothy Day was the time she was being interviewed by a young reporter at a Catholic Worker House. It seemed that every few minutes into the interview the doorbell would ring. Dorothy would politely excuse herself and give a sandwich or a pair of gloves or a token to the street person at the door.

Hospitality: Ireland is called the land of a thousand welcomes. People won't hesitate to offer you a friendly smile or go out of their way to set you on the right road during your travels