Hospitality at the Heart of Spirituality
Being an Open Door to the Stranger
Hospitality at the Heart of Spirituality: Being an Open Door to the Stranger, newly published in English by Paulist Press.
Drawing on Christian tradition and his experience accompanying refugees and migrants on four continents, Ares explores how hospitality can bridge divisions, foster social reconciliation and inspire us to walk alongside displaced people.
Hospitality at the Heart of Spirituality guides us on a journey that connects the biblical and spiritual roots of welcoming with contemporary challenges. From ancient Greek xenia to Pope Francis’s call to be a Church that goes forth, we discover how hospitality can heal wounds, break down barriers, and weave bonds between strangers.
Presenting hospitality as a transformative encounter, the book offers practical tools for accompaniment, connecting Christian tradition with current migration
realities, and proposes “welcoming” as a path to social reconciliation. We are invited to open the door and to recognize in every face the face of Jesus —to welcome the stranger in a world that builds walls.
Authors
Alberto Ares Mateos, SJ , holds a doctorate in international migration and has spent a significant portion of his life living alongside migrant communities in various corners of the world. He is the author of several books and teaches at Comillas and the UCA El Salvador, among other institutions. Currently, he serves as the regional director of the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Europe, based in Brussels.
Jennifer Gómez Torres , a theologian with a doctorate in international migration, has shared part of her life with various cultural traditions around the world. She has taught at the Higher Institute of Pastoral Studies in Madrid. Currently, she serves as a member of the Inclusion/Human Mobility Team at Caritas, Spain.
María del Carmen de la Fuente Pérez , a graduate in Sociology, has worked in various third -sector organizations. She coordinated the Jesuit Migrant Service in Spain and currently leads Jesuïtes Social, which brings together the social works of the Society of Jesus in Catalonia
