Receive every guest as Christ

Omnes supervenientes hospites tamquam Christus suscipiantur, quia ipse dicturus est: ‘Hospis fui, et suscepistis me’; et omnibus congruus honor exhibeatur, maxime domesticis fidei et peregrinis. Ut ergo nuntiatus fuerit hospis, occurratur ei a priore vel a fratribus cum omni officio caritatis; et primitus orent pariter et sic sibi socientur in pace.

Let all guests arriving be received as Christ, because he himself is going to say: ‘I was a guest, and you received me’; and let fitting honor be shown to all, most of all to the household of the faith and to pilgrims. When therefore a guest has been announced, let him be met by the prior or by the brothers with every service of love; and first let them pray together, and so be joined to each other in peace.

All guests who arrive should be received as Christ, for he will say, “I was a guest, and you took me in.”1 Show fitting honor to all of them, most of all to fellow believers2 and to pilgrims. So when a guest is announced, the prior3 or the brothers should go out to meet him with every loving service. First they should pray together, and in this way be joined in peace.

1. Matthew 25:35, words of Jesus about the Last Judgment. The edition prints hospis, a late spelling of hospes, “guest” or “stranger.”
2. Literally “the household of the faith,” a phrase from Galatians 6:10, meaning fellow Christians.
3. Here the monk in charge of the house: the abbot, or whoever stands in for him.

Quod pacis osculum non prius offeratur nisi oratione praemissa propter inlusiones diabolicas. In ipsa autem salutatione omnis exhibeatur humilitas omnibus venientibus sive discedentibus hospitibus: inclinato capite vel prostrato omni corpore in terra Christus in eis adoretur qui et suscipitur.

Which kiss of peace let it not be offered before, unless prayer has been sent ahead, on account of the deceptions of the devil. In the greeting itself, moreover, let all humility be shown to all guests coming or departing: with head bowed or with the whole body laid down [on the ground] let Christ be adored in them, who also is received.

The kiss of peace should not be given until they have prayed first, because of the tricks of the devil.4 In the greeting itself, show every kind of humility to all guests, whether they are coming or going. With head bowed, or with the whole body stretched out on the ground, worship Christ in them, for it is he who is received.

4. Benedict’s monks believed the devil could deceive them through false appearances. Praying together before the kiss of peace was a safeguard.

Suscepti autem hospites ducantur ad orationem, et postea sedeat cum eis prior aut cui iusserit ipse. Legatur coram hospite lex divina, ut aedificetur, et post haec omnis ei exhibeatur humanitas. Ieiunium a priore frangatur propter hospitem, nisi forte praecipuus sit dies ieiunii qui non possit violari; fratres autem consuetudines ieiuniorum prosequantur.

The guests, moreover, having been received, let them be led to prayer, and afterward let the prior sit with them, or the one whom he himself has ordered. Let the divine law be read in the presence of the guest, so that he may be built up, and after these things let all kindness be shown [to him]. Let the fast be broken by the prior on account of the guest, unless perhaps it is a principal day of fasting which cannot be violated; but let the brothers follow the customs of the fasts.

Once the guests are received, they should be led to prayer. Afterward the prior, or someone he chooses, should sit with them. The divine law5 should be read to the guest, to strengthen his faith. After this, show him every kindness. The prior should break his fast for the guest’s sake, unless it is a special fast day that must not be broken. But the brothers should keep their usual fasts.

5. Holy Scripture.

Aquam in manibus abbas hospitibus det; pedes hospitibus omnibus tam abbas quam cuncta congregatio lavet; quibus lotis hunc versum dicant: ‘Suscipimus Deus misericordiam tuam in medio templi tui.’

Let the abbot give water on the hands to the guests; let both the abbot and the whole community wash the feet of all the guests; these having been washed, let them say this verse: ‘We receive, O God, your mercy in the midst of your temple.’

The abbot should pour water over the guests’ hands. The abbot and the whole community should wash the feet of every guest. When the feet are washed, they should say this verse: “We receive your mercy, O God, in the middle of your temple.”6

6. Psalm 47:10 in the Latin Bible of Benedict’s day (48:9 in most modern Bibles). The edition prints suscipimus, “we receive”; other manuscripts have suscepimus, “we have received.”

Pauperum et peregrinorum maxime susceptioni cura sollicite exhibeatur, quia in ipsis magis Christus suscipitur; Nam divitum terror ipse sibi exigit honorem.

For the receiving of the poor and of pilgrims let care be shown [most of all] anxiously, because in them Christ is received more; for the awe of the rich itself demands honor for itself.

Take the greatest care in receiving the poor and pilgrims, because in them Christ is received all the more. As for the rich, the awe they inspire wins them honor all by itself.

Coquina abbatis et hospitum super se sit, ut incertis horis supervenientes hospites qui numquam desunt monasterio, non inquietentur fratres. In qua coquina ad annum ingrediantur duo fratres qui ipsud officium bene impleant. Quibus ut indigent solacia ministrentur, ut absque murmuratione serviant; et iterum, quando occupationem minorem habent, exeant ubi eis imperatur in opera. Et non solum ipsis sed et in omnibus officiis monasterii ista sit consideratio, ut quando indigent solacia accomodentur eis, et iterum quando vacant, oboediant imperatis.

Let the kitchen of the abbot and of the guests be by itself, so that guests arriving at uncertain hours, who are never lacking to a monastery, may not disturb the brothers. Into which kitchen let two brothers enter for a year who may fulfil that office well. To whom, as they need, let helps be supplied, so that they may serve without grumbling; and again, when they have less occupation, let them go out where they are ordered, to work. And not only for them, but also in all the offices of the monastery, let this be the consideration: that when they need helps, they be given to them, and again when they are free, they obey what is ordered.

The abbot and the guests should have a kitchen of their own. Then the guests, who arrive at all hours and are never lacking in a monastery, will not disturb the brothers. Two brothers who can do the job well should take charge of this kitchen for a year at a time. They should be given helpers when they need them, so that they can serve without grumbling. And when they have less to do, they should go out to whatever work they are told to do. This should be the rule not only for them but for every job in the monastery. When the brothers need help, they should get it. And when they are free, they should do as they are told.

Item et cellam hospitum habeat adsignatam frater cuius animam timor Dei possidet; ubi sint lecti strati sufficienter, et domus Dei a sapientibus et sapienter administretur.

Likewise also let a brother whose soul the fear of God possesses have the room of the guests assigned to him; where let there be beds made up sufficiently; and let the house of God be administered by the wise [and] wisely.

In the same way, the guest quarters should be given into the care of a brother whose soul is filled with the fear of God. There should be enough beds made up there. And the house of God should be run by wise people, and wisely.

Hospitibus autem cui non praecipitur nullatenus societur neque conloquatur; sed si obviaverit aut viderit, salutatis humiliter, ut diximus, et petita benedictione pertranseat dicens sibi non licere conloqui cum hospite.

With the guests, moreover, let him to whom it is not commanded in no way associate or speak together; but if he meets or sees them, having greeted them humbly, as we have said, and having asked for a blessing, let him pass on, saying that it is not permitted to him to speak with a guest.

No brother should mix with the guests or talk with them at all unless he has been told to. If he meets or sees them, he should greet them humbly, as we have said, and ask for a blessing. Then he should go on his way, saying that he is not allowed to talk with a guest.