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X-WR-CALDESC:<i>The table of the prioress or abbot must always be with gues
 ts and travelers. Whenever there are no guests\, it is within their right 
 to invite anyone of the community they wish. However\, for the sake of mai
 ntaining discipline\, one or two seniors must always be left with the othe
 rs.</i>\n\nThis tiny chapter introduces a major question into Benedictine 
 history and interpretation: Did the abbot eat in a separate dining room aw
 ay from the monastics or did the abbot and guests eat at a special table i
 n the midst of the community? And\, whatever the case\, what was the impli
 cation of this separate table for the rest of community life? If the monas
 tic meal was a central symbol of community life\, then the presence or abs
 ence of an abbot or prioress is of serious import\, to say nothing of the 
 notion that the ideas of cloister may then have been flexible enough to ma
 ke guests\, too\, part of the monastery meal. There have been cogent argum
 ents brought to bear on both interpretations that are both interesting and
  historically important. It seems\, however\, that the greater point of th
 e chapter for us today is not the geography of the table but the fact that
  the leader of the community was expected to model the gift of self with s
 trangers. It was the abbot and prioress themselves who showed the communit
 y the price and the process of availability and hospitality and presence t
 o the other. Hospitality was not a warm meal and a safe haven. Hospitality
  in the Benedictine community was attention and presence to the needs of t
 he other. Hospitality was a public ministry designed to nourish the other 
 in body and in soul\, in spirit and in psyche.\n\nWelfare agencies give cl
 othes\; parishes collect food for the poor\; flea markets provide rare goo
 ds at cheap prices. The problem is that too many of the handouts come with
  hardly a look and never a personal moment for the people they set out to 
 serve. Benedictine spirituality sets a standard of comfort and care\, conv
 ersation and respect--the things that make a human being human--as well as
  bed and board. And\, the presence of the abbot and prioress prove\, none 
 of us can afford to be too busy or too important to do the same.
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DTSTAMP:20260405T113350Z
DESCRIPTION:<i>The table of the prioress or abbot must always be with guest
 s and travelers. Whenever there are no guests\, it is within their right t
 o invite anyone of the community they wish. However\, for the sake of main
 taining discipline\, one or two seniors must always be left with the other
 s.</i>\n\nThis tiny chapter introduces a major question into Benedictine h
 istory and interpretation: Did the abbot eat in a separate dining room awa
 y from the monastics or did the abbot and guests eat at a special table in
  the midst of the community? And\, whatever the case\, what was the implic
 ation of this separate table for the rest of community life? If the monast
 ic meal was a central symbol of community life\, then the presence or abse
 nce of an abbot or prioress is of serious import\, to say nothing of the n
 otion that the ideas of cloister may then have been flexible enough to mak
 e guests\, too\, part of the monastery meal. There have been cogent argume
 nts brought to bear on both interpretations that are both interesting and 
 historically important. It seems\, however\, that the greater point of the
  chapter for us today is not the geography of the table but the fact that 
 the leader of the community was expected to model the gift of self with st
 rangers. It was the abbot and prioress themselves who showed the community
  the price and the process of availability and hospitality and presence to
  the other. Hospitality was not a warm meal and a safe haven. Hospitality 
 in the Benedictine community was attention and presence to the needs of th
 e other. Hospitality was a public ministry designed to nourish the other i
 n body and in soul\, in spirit and in psyche.\n\nWelfare agencies give clo
 thes\; parishes collect food for the poor\; flea markets provide rare good
 s at cheap prices. The problem is that too many of the handouts come with 
 hardly a look and never a personal moment for the people they set out to s
 erve. Benedictine spirituality sets a standard of comfort and care\, conve
 rsation and respect--the things that make a human being human--as well as 
 bed and board. And\, the presence of the abbot and prioress prove\, none o
 f us can afford to be too busy or too important to do the same.
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260409T000000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260409T235900
LOCATION:Chapter 56
SUMMARY:The Prioress's or Abbot's Table
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