Hospitality transcending language and faith: Celebrating the Easter Feast at Abbaye Sainte Marie de la Résurrection, Abu Ghosh, Israel
By: Kyle Desrosiers, Tel Aviv, Israel Setting up for Mass. (or playing with candles?, I am not sure.) Roman Catholic Easter Feast at Abbaye Sainte Marie de la Résurrection, Abu Gosh, 2022. I have had the privilege of spending the two Easters I have lived in the Holy Land at the French Benedictine monastery at Abu Gosh, Israel. During both visits, I felt a spirit of community and celebration as the sisters and brothers running the monastery made the Easter feast day extraordinarily special. The monastery is situated in the Judean Hills in the small, mostly Arab Muslim village of Abu Ghosh. It is a community of monks and nuns who follow the Benedictine rule, which calls for the special pursuit of peace (pax) and centers on the motto "pray and work" ( ora et labora ). Benedictines emphasize tightly bonded communities and a contemplative life. As such, they have a special charism for peace-making in the world. Since this particular community is situated in the Holy Land, the Bene
