Hospitality
For a Benedictine, hospitality is to be a hallmark of one’s life. In the Rule of Benedict, one finds the following admonitions, “All guests who present themselves are to be welcomed as Christ…” (RB 53:1) and “…regard all utensils and goods…as sacred vessels of the altar” (RB 31:10). What we have come to appreciate is that hospitality encompasses the way we welcome God into our lives, the way we welcome others and the way we care for our common home. In all these instances, hospitality requires us to be attentive, other-centered and caring about all those who come into our lives and all those things we need to live life fully. Hospitality reminds us that all is gift. With open hands and a grateful heart, we are to receive these gifts from God, both people and things, tending to them lovingly. By doing this we welcome Christ into our lives and share the love of Christ with all.