Welcoming the Stranger
Generosity and Hospitality
Reflection By Scott Stoner
I was a stranger and you welcomed me.
- Matthew 25:35
St. Benedict, the Patron Saint of Europe who lived in the sixth century, was one of the first to prioritize monks living in community. Before Benedict, most monks lived solitary lives in the desert.
To provide guidance for monks living in community, he wrote the Rule of St. Benedict, guidelines still used by Benedictine monasteries. In Chapter 53 of the Rule, Benedict writes, “Let all guests who arrive be received as Christ.”
This instruction was more than guidance on practicing hospitality in a monastery. It was a reminder to see the divine presence in everyone, especially the vulnerable. Just as Christ welcomed all, including those marginalized in his time, we are called to do the same.
Benedictines, along with many other Christian groups, have founded hospitals and health care centers focused on providing care for those who couldn’t afford it. This tradition is a powerful witness of Christian hospitality, offering welcome and care for all. Knowing this history, it becomes clear how hospital and hospitality are related.
Welcoming the stranger requires us to move beyond our comfort zones and familiar circles. It asks us to see the divine image in people who look different, speak different languages, or hold different beliefs. This hospitality can be challenging, but is also deeply rewarding and transformative. It takes courage and resilience to reach beyond our comfort zones, and requires us to care for our own well-being so we have energy to extend to others.
Making it Personal: How might you offer hospitality to a “stranger” this week, welcoming this person as you would welcome Jesus? Today, intentionally engage with someone you don’t know well and practice seeing Christ in them.