When people ask me if the Benedict Option is a call to hospitality or to hunker down, I tell them it's both, at different times. As one friend of mine said in a Bible study:
If fishing is a metaphor for the Church's work (“I will make you fishers of men”), it's noteworthy that we see the Apostles not only “casting a net” (Matt. 4:18) but also “mending their nets” (4:21). If casting represents preaching, spreading the gospel, suffering martyrdom, etc., what does mending represent? In any case, it alerts us to the fact that spreading the gospel is going to be rough: There will be damages.
We gather together in small groups, focused on our faith, in order to remind ourselves of our baptismal promises and turn to God more ardently in prayer. Then, strengthened by His grace, we turn outward, ready to offer what we receive.
