Friends, Hospitality, and the Future of Guests at the Abbey
Last week our friend, Brianna, and our new friend, Stephen, came to visit us at the Abbey. We prayed Vespers together and shared supper, and the following morning we had a chance to visit, talk about things like the Church, politics, coffee shops, art, and strumming guitars (including some clarification about strumming related to Black Sabbath).
It was a blessing to us for many reasons—not least because they are thoughtful, joyful, and loving people. But among the unexpected gifts they brought was the chance it gave us to see the Community and the Abbey through the eyes of others. Because the way we live—they rhythms of worship, meals, personal prayer, work, and all the rest—comes at us constantly, it can almost become less an intentional way of life than just the life we’re swept up in. But their coming and sharing time with us gave us a chance to see ourselves and our community life afresh.
Their visit also reminded us of how important it is that the Abbey become a place of hospitality. We were able to invite them to worship (all Abbey worship is open to the public), and to supper, but we aspire to more than that. We want to be a place where guests may come on retreat and where people who need a space of refuge are welcome.
The Rule of the Community of Mary, Mother of the Redeemer says, “A Community House without guests is like a chapel without the Reserved Sacrament.” (Chapter 17)
It has always been our intention to have guest space and to offer retreats. Brianna and Stephen reminded us of that and stirred up an urgency about it in us. We are still at work establishing a lot of the infrastructure necessary to make a monastery work, but we have spaces designated for guest rooms, and we are beginning now to look at what it necessary to make them ready so that we can receive guests at the Abbey.
As soon as we are able, we look forward to hosting guests here. Please pray that we are able to make that happen soon. And, if God so inspires you, please consider contributing financially to CMMR so that we may more easily establish guest space here.
