Join us for 3 weeks in the book of Luke in a series on Generous Hospitality
- 10th July, On the Road – Luke 10:25-37
- 17th July, In the Household – Luke 10:38-42
- 24th July Teach Us To Pray – Luke 11:1-13
Benedict and the tradition after him struggled with treating all people fairly. Noble guests and bishops received one sort of hospitality, paupers and pilgrims another. Yet everyone knew that if Christ came to visit, he would be found among the paupers. So the ideal remained: treat all as though they were Christ.
All guests who arrive should be received as Christ …
When guests are announced, let them be met by the superior or some members of the community with every mark of love. Let them first pray together, and so socialise in peace … All arriving or departing guests should be greeted with profound humility … One must adore Christ in them, for he is in fact the one who is received.
Rule of Benedict
Today, the great enemies of any such universal hospitality are busyness, fear, and professionalism. If I don’t have time to talk to the person calling for help, hospitality is out of the question. The advent of a guest, like the unanticipated needs of fellow monks, is a gauge of our use of time. If we have no time for the guest, our day is too full. However, busyness can be an independent sin against the stranger, or it can be an excuse concocted because we don’t want to say we are afraid or prefer to remain uninvolved.
Monastic Wisdom
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