“Let all guests who arrive be received like Christ,
for He is going to say, ‘I came as a guest, and you received Me.”
(St. Benedict’s Rule for Monasteries, Chapter 53)

The Abbey Guesthouse at Saint John’s is a beautiful place.  In truth, it is the most beautiful place I have ever stayed and allowed myself to consider it a “spiritual retreat.”

First of all, what’s not to love about a room that looks like this?

abbey guestroom

Or a view that looks like this?

view from abbey guestroom

Stained glass that looks like this?

What’s not to love about trails that look like this….

path to stella maris

or this…

bridge to stella maris

leading to chapels that look like this?

stella maris chapel

The intentional practice of hospitality is a fundamental value of Benedictine communities, practiced for 1500 years.  It’s more than a way of welcoming visitors.  It’s a deep conviction that in welcoming the stranger, we are always welcoming Christ himself.