Hospitality That Honors Commitments

Chapter 61 reminds me that hospitality isn’t just about welcoming someone warmly—it’s also about respecting the life they’re already living. Benedict receives visiting monks with kindness, but he’s attentive to the fact that they belong somewhere else. Their commitments, their rule, their obedience don’t disappear just because they’re guests. There’s a humility in that kind of hospitality: it doesn’t try to absorb, impress, or keep someone longer than they should be kept. For oblates and those of us living outside a monastery, this feels very close to home. True hospitality makes room for others without asking them to set aside their responsibilities or their calling.