Everyday Hospitality: Simple Steps to Cultivating a Welcoming Heart

By Thea Jarvis

Everyday Hospitality highlights hospitality as a Christian virtue, revealing its deep ties to our spiritual lives and our connection to others as members of the human family. Catholic journalist Thea... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1594710708
• ISBN13: 9781594710704
• Release Date: January 2007
• Publisher: Ave Maria Press
• Length: 126 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.1" x 7.0"

Customer Reviews

An Accessible Virtue

Thea Jarvis is a mom, grandmother, and professional writer known widely for her family life column carried by more than a dozen diocesan newspapers. In her latest book, Jarvis addresses hospitality through scriptural references and stories and quotations from the likes of Henri Nouwen, Mother Teresa, and Fred ("Mr.") Rogers. At the same time, she shares an impressive array of examples of hospitality practiced by her family and friends over the years. The book is organized in four story-filled chapters: a definition of hospitality, common everyday practices, growing in hospitality, and hospitality as part of the Catholic tradition. In "growing in hospitality," Jarvis lays out a plan with real-life examples for each of its five steps: (1) cultivate a hospitable heart, (2) emulate hospitality in others, (3) embrace the hospitable moment, (4) enjoy solitude, (5) seek the grace of hospitality. Each chapter closes with a short summarizing reflection, as, "Hospitality is an accessible virtue, meant to be studied and practiced in the school of real people and everyday events." These elements and the straightforward style make Every Day Hospitality an ideal resource for individuals, families, and small groups.