Mark 9:37

Do not receive without prayer one who enters your house, especially if that one is a stranger, lest he turn out to be an angelic messenger. Do not offer your earthly refreshments prior to receiving heavenly refreshment.

"Have you seen," says Scripture, "a brother? you have seen your Lord; " -especially "a stranger," lest perhaps he be "an angel."

(Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc. Sed v. Chrys. Hom. in Matt. 58) By the very sight, persuading them to humility and simplicity; for this little one was pure from envy and vain glory, and from a desire of superiority. But He does not only say, If ye become such, ye shall receive a great reward, but also, if ye will honour others, who are such for my sake. Wherefore there follows: And when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them, Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me.

"And whoever receives me, does not receive me, but him who sent me." Wanting himself to be believed as such and as great as the Father is. "So much so," he said, "is there no difference between me and him that whoever receives me, also receives him who sent me."

(ubi sup.) By which, He either simply shows, that those who would become greater must receive the poor of Christ in honour of Him, or He would persuade them to be in malice children, to keep simplicity without arrogance, charity without envy, devotedness without anger. Again, by taking the child into His arms, He implies that the lowly are worthy of His embrace and love. He adds also, In my name, that they might, with the fixed purpose of reason, follow for His name's sake that mould of virtue to which the child keeps, with nature for his guide. And because He taught that He Himself was received in children, lest it should be thought that there was nothing in Him but what was seen, he added, And whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but Him that sent me; thus wishing, that we should believe Him to be of the same nature and of equal greatness with His Father.

Thus He placed a child in the midst of the disciples and teaches us to be like it. A child neither seeks glory, nor envies, nor remembers wrongs. And not only then, Jesus says, will you receive a great reward, when you yourselves are like a child, but if you also receive others like this child for My sake, for this too you will receive the Kingdom of Heaven, since you will be receiving Me; and by receiving Me, you will receive Him who sent Me. Do you see what power humility and a simple and guileless character possess? This causes the Son and the Father, and consequently the Holy Spirit as well, to dwell within us.

He next admonishes them by the example of a child's innocence; wherefore there follows: And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them.

See, how great is humility, for it wins for itself the indwelling of the Father, and of the Son, and also of the Holy Ghost.