Holy Rule for April 4
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St. Mary's Monastery
Apr 3, 2026, 5:54:55 PM (17 hours ago) Apr 3
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Br. Jerome Leo’s Daily Reflection on the Holy Rule
April 4, August 4, December 4
Chapter 53: On the Reception of Guests (1-15)
Let all guests who arrive be received like Christ, for He is going to say, "I came as a guest, and you received Me" (Matt. 25:35). And to all let due honor be shown, especially to the domestics of the faith and to pilgrims. As soon as a guest is announced, therefore, let the Superior or the brethren meet him with all charitable service. And first of all let them pray together, and then exchange the kiss of peace. For the kiss of peace should not be offered until after the prayers have been said, on account of the devil's deceptions. In the salutation of all guests, whether arriving or departing, let all humility be shown. Let the head be bowed or the whole body prostrated on the ground in adoration of Christ, who indeed is received in their persons.
After the guests have been received and taken to prayer, let the Superior or someone appointed by him sit with them. Let the divine law be read before the guest for his edification, and then let all kindness be shown him. The Superior shall break his fast for the sake of a guest, unless it happens to be a principal fast day which may not be violated. The brethren, however, shall observe the customary fasts. Let the Abbot give the guests water for their hands; and let both Abbot and community wash the feet of all guests. After the washing of the feet let them say this verse: "We have received Your mercy, O God, in the midst of Your temple" (Ps.47:10).
In the reception of the poor and of pilgrims the greatest care and solicitude should be shown, because it is especially in them that Christ is received; for as far as the rich are concerned, the very fear which they inspire wins respect for them.
REFLECTION
It is embarrassing for me, as a former guestmaster, to write about this chapter. My own failures jump out at me all over the place. As some might say, it "convicts" me again and again. But that is the way with much of the Holy Rule, for all of us. If we can read a chapter with smugness, it probably means something is wrong with us!
St. Benedict goes out of his way to make sure that the poor and pilgrims get a specially focused reception. The point of that special care is to guarantee that the reverence he insists upon for all might come their way. That's the key, in his recurrent use of the inclusive "all" in speaking of hospitality. He wants all to be shown honor, without respect to class.
In the Middle Ages, benefactions could come from relatively minor noblemen that far exceed anything we might know today: lands, endowments, all kinds of things. Whole monasteries were often founded and initially supported by one feudal lord. In that age, as in our own, there was little danger of a wealthy benefactor being snubbed. In fact, sometimes the honor shown a benefactor can even provoke an opposite response in some.
The idea here is that even such inverse classism is wrong. The whole thrust is that due honor be shown to everyone, not only that the poor be treated as well as the rich, but that the rich be no less warmly received because of their wealth. The poor and pilgrims come to the door with zero clout. St. Benedict wants to make certain that will not matter.
Having been guestmaster in an age of postal service, telephone and email, I look back on earlier times and marvel at the holiness it must have taken to do hospitality in those times. Yes, the very great could send a courier to warn of their approach, but they often had HUGE entourages, all of whom expected to be kept more or less in style.
The poor and pilgrims, on the other hand, had no way whatever to call ahead and reserve. They arrived at the door vulnerable and in great need, with no way of knowing whether or not the Duke of Burgundy had just occupied 70 beds or so, to say nothing of stables and fodder for his horses!
Looking at the trials of being gracious in such a perennially unpredictable situation, I have come to the conclusion that there must be a LOT of guestmaster saints to whom I should be praying for improvement in my monastic life. The occasional annoyances of my own job paled in comparison to theirs!
Br. Jerome Leo Hughes, OSB (RIP)
Br. Jerome Leo’s Daily Reflection on the Holy Rule
April 4, August 4, December 4
Chapter 53: On the Reception of Guests (1-15)
Let all guests who arrive be received like Christ, for He is going to say, "I came as a guest, and you received Me" (Matt. 25:35). And to all let due honor be shown, especially to the domestics of the faith and to pilgrims. As soon as a guest is announced, therefore, let the Superior or the brethren meet him with all charitable service. And first of all let them pray together, and then exchange the kiss of peace. For the kiss of peace should not be offered until after the prayers have been said, on account of the devil's deceptions. In the salutation of all guests, whether arriving or departing, let all humility be shown. Let the head be bowed or the whole body prostrated on the ground in adoration of Christ, who indeed is received in their persons.
After the guests have been received and taken to prayer, let the Superior or someone appointed by him sit with them. Let the divine law be read before the guest for his edification, and then let all kindness be shown him. The Superior shall break his fast for the sake of a guest, unless it happens to be a principal fast day which may not be violated. The brethren, however, shall observe the customary fasts. Let the Abbot give the guests water for their hands; and let both Abbot and community wash the feet of all guests. After the washing of the feet let them say this verse: "We have received Your mercy, O God, in the midst of Your temple" (Ps.47:10).
In the reception of the poor and of pilgrims the greatest care and solicitude should be shown, because it is especially in them that Christ is received; for as far as the rich are concerned, the very fear which they inspire wins respect for them.
REFLECTION
It is embarrassing for me, as a former guestmaster, to write about this chapter. My own failures jump out at me all over the place. As some might say, it "convicts" me again and again. But that is the way with much of the Holy Rule, for all of us. If we can read a chapter with smugness, it probably means something is wrong with us!
St. Benedict goes out of his way to make sure that the poor and pilgrims get a specially focused reception. The point of that special care is to guarantee that the reverence he insists upon for all might come their way. That's the key, in his recurrent use of the inclusive "all" in speaking of hospitality. He wants all to be shown honor, without respect to class.
In the Middle Ages, benefactions could come from relatively minor noblemen that far exceed anything we might know today: lands, endowments, all kinds of things. Whole monasteries were often founded and initially supported by one feudal lord. In that age, as in our own, there was little danger of a wealthy benefactor being snubbed. In fact, sometimes the honor shown a benefactor can even provoke an opposite response in some.
The idea here is that even such inverse classism is wrong. The whole thrust is that due honor be shown to everyone, not only that the poor be treated as well as the rich, but that the rich be no less warmly received because of their wealth. The poor and pilgrims come to the door with zero clout. St. Benedict wants to make certain that will not matter.
Having been guestmaster in an age of postal service, telephone and email, I look back on earlier times and marvel at the holiness it must have taken to do hospitality in those times. Yes, the very great could send a courier to warn of their approach, but they often had HUGE entourages, all of whom expected to be kept more or less in style.
The poor and pilgrims, on the other hand, had no way whatever to call ahead and reserve. They arrived at the door vulnerable and in great need, with no way of knowing whether or not the Duke of Burgundy had just occupied 70 beds or so, to say nothing of stables and fodder for his horses!
Looking at the trials of being gracious in such a perennially unpredictable situation, I have come to the conclusion that there must be a LOT of guestmaster saints to whom I should be praying for improvement in my monastic life. The occasional annoyances of my own job paled in comparison to theirs!
Br. Jerome Leo Hughes, OSB (RIP)
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