Monasticism:
Ancient and Contemporary Value for a Timeless Tradition
Monastic life is an enigma to the modern world. Oftentimes, even those in the Church are led to
wonder what such a life as monasticism is “worth.” What does it do? What kind of product does it have
to give to the world? However, understanding monasticism is intimately linked with understanding the
essence of Christianity. If we do not really believe with all our heart and soul that Jesus Christ is the
Eternal Word of God Who for the salvation of mankind took flesh and destroying death, raised human
nature to the very throne of God and if this is something that we seriously questions and are even
disdainful of we will likely be led to a similar view of monasticism...for the monastic life is nothing
else that 100% Christianity 100% of the time and is the epitome of the Gospel message lived to its
fullest extent1.
We know that this life of prayer and ascetical life in monasticism is as old as Christianity itself.
We see a few in the Old Testament prefiguring the monastic state of life, such as Elijah. The beginning
of New Testament monasticism is epitomized of course by St. John the Baptist. Living in solitary
seclusion on whatever the wilderness provided, St. John the Baptist provides an image and model for
all those who would follow after him in his prophetic-charismatic lifestyle. St. Paul even speaks at
length in his Epistles of this radically different way of life, but also reveals its deeply Christian
character: “It is good for a man not to touch a woman, nevertheless to avoid fornication, let every man
have his own wife and every woman her own husband...to the unmarried and widows, it is good for
them to abide even as I but if they cannot contain themselves, let them marry...for I would that all men
were even as I myself (single)....for He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord,
and how he may please the Lord...but he that is married careth for the things that are of the world and
how he may please his wife.”(I Cor. 7.)
In St. Paul's time, their were also many who consecrated themselves to a life of virginity and
abstaining from marriage such as the house of widows that were spoken of by St. Paul in his Epistles
and by others as well as those who stayed praying and serving in the temple such as Anna the
Prophetess who met the Lord in the Temple with Symeon when he was brought as a babe for the 40
day prayers of purification in the Temple as the Law commanded similar to what we still practice in the
Church today.
So, even early in the history of the New Testament, we have many examples of monastic life
and of course most of these early Christians faced the constant peril of martyrdom during the first few
centuries of the Church which meant that their level of commitment was unique: it was total and
complete. 100% Gospel 100% of the time. Monasticism would have not seemed foreign to the early
Christian communities but rather very much a part of the day to day existence that they had such as the
Church in Jerusalem in the book of Acts: having all things in common, continuing steadfast daily in the
apostolic doctrine and the breaking of the Bread (Eucharist.)(Acts 2:42.)
1 Upon meeting someone for the first time, we often hear the question “what do you do?” In our society, one tends to
equate the profession of a person with what amount of respect they deserve and what kind of person they are...important
or not as important. Upon hearing that someone is a doctor, we tend to look with awe and respect, often contemplating
what kind of car they must drive or what kind of house they have and where it is. When we here that someone is a
garbage collector or collects and studies bugs, we might have a distorted understanding of that person, who they are and
what is inside of them. The fact of the matter is that all to often we equate what people do with who they are....Instead of
contemplating the fact that every human is a unique unrepeatable person, created in the image of God, containing an
infinite worth and truly is an infinite mystery. A saint once even said that a single human person is more valuable than
the entire the universe. And yet, how is it that we miss this? Why do we not value people as living icons of God and as
the created image of God whom we should unconditionally love and value instead of constantly analyzing and weighing
their worth? (We must remember God doesn't command us to like people...He commands us to love them.)
By the time of St. Constantine the Great, Christians such as St. Anthony (251-356) the Great,
St. Pachomius, and others continued to desire to follow this way of radical and total commitment to the
Gospel of Christ and thus sought to seclude themselves from the less intense form of Christianity which
was inevitable when Christianity became a “legal” religion for the general populous. The struggles of
perils and temptations of the first centuries of the Church were the crucible which enabled Christianity
to be what it always was: a Life Christian maximialism, of total and uncompromising commitment to
Christ, and to the narrow way of the Cross. Those who first went out into the desert and became the
first clearly defined monks and nuns were none other than those who wanted this same life of Gospel
maximialism.
The Cross itself is the best example of this maximialism that Christianity evokes: either you are
crucified with Christ or you are not. It is not possible to half-crucified or kind of sort of crucified. And
this of course is our constant struggle today, whether we are married or monastic. Each day, we have to
re-commit to follow Christ. Each moment we are offered choices which test us as to our disposition:
will we follow Christ or ourselves or the world? The level of commitment that is required of monastics
is no different for those who are married. The state one finds oneself in is not the issue. Rather the
concern for us is what is the disposition of our hearts and the willingness that we have to follow the
Lord even down into hell itself.
Monasticism is often distasteful to many in the modern world because essentially it is reminder
and an icon of another world, of another life, and of another form of existence that is in God, revealed
and yet to be consummated. A strict form of monasticism convicts us all, monks, nuns, priests, Bishops
and laity if we are not living the life that we should live, in obedience to God and His
commandments...and therefore love the world more than God. Sadly, it is all to apparent that the
monastic life is deeply antithetical to the American ethos which can be boiled down to the classic
Burger King slogan “we do it your way” and the Frank Sinatra song “I did it my way.”
Monasticism is not the way of fallen self-will but rather an attempt to abandon one's own will so
that God's will and providence (that is, whatever He sends) makes a plan for us. The fall of mankind
away from God is essentially a corruption of the will of man which makes it harder to choose what is
right and pleasing in Gods sight. The monastic strives to harmonize their will with God's will so that
they might re-enter the Kingdom of God even while still in this world. This connection between the
Kingdom and God's will is revealed in the Lord's prayer: “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done...”
(God's Kingdom comes through His will in us.)
The enigma of understanding the real importance of monasticism in our society today is only
further hampered when we realize that our country is very Protestant at its foundation and in it world
view. Add to this a society that scorns virginity as being “prudish” and an abberation and it is no
wonder why monasticism has a difficult time explaining its value with a two thousand year old
existence in the Church2.
Essentially, monasticism is none other than a search by man to return to the pre-fallen state of
the first created man in paradise. When St. Anthony the Great's biographer, St. Athansius, related St.
Anthony's state after his spiritual battles of many years, he explained that St. Anthony had returned to
a state of an original nature, like that of the first created man before he fell away from God. St.
Anthony was at deep peace, like many Saints, with himself and even the animals, like Adam in
Paradise. The demons submitted to him, he healed the sick, he reconciled those at enmity, the material
2 Monasticism is not a commandment or an injunction but rather a evangelic recommendation which is voluntary. It was
said to the man who told the Lord that he had done everything possible in the service of God: “If you are willing to be
perfect, go and sell all that you have... and follow me and you will have treasure in heaven.” (Matt 19:21.) Further, the
proscription to abstain from marriage was only said to the Lord “to whom it has been given.” (Matt 19.) Monasticism is
clearly a calling from God that is as unique and unrepeatable for each person that is called to that life. Certainly their
will be monastics that perish in eternity. However, it was given to them the calling and opportunity to become beacons
for the world and lights to men.
creation was subject to his command. Those who came into contact with him felt like they were in the
presence of God. St. Anthony, along with countless monks and nuns, reached a state known as
dispassion, or passionlessness, a state where the passions are no longer the master of man and one is
free to act in accordance with God's will at all times, not being dominated by sin and death.
A spirit bearing clairvoyant monk such as St. Anthony and the countless others of those who
reached the perfection which is attained by relatively few in humanity and are extremely necessary
icons for us in the Church and for the world. Of critical importance for us, they reveal that man in his
current fallen condition is profoundly “un-natural” and that man was originally created sinless and
passionless (according to St. Symeon the New Theologian) and by God's grace man has the potential to
become as he was created at the beginning: holy, good, dispassionate, living without sin, and in
ceaseless communion with God like the first created man. The monastic reveals the Kingdom of God
present among us which Christ inaugurated, and that there is more to life that birth and death. The
monastic shows that life is actually to be found in death: death to the passions, death to sins and lusts
that attempt to possess fallen mankind, death to the fallen will of man so that God's life giving will
might be implanted in its place. This is revealed by the Cross of Christ, that death for the sake of God's
will and His commandments brings life, showing that our suffering is not pointless but can and is
redemptive if it is voluntarily accepted with faith in God's unsleeping providential care.
Since monasticism seems highly impractical to the world and doesn't fit the criteria of
“productivity” it is easy to discount when taken at a surface level. In fact, the main work of monasteries
is not jam, jelly and candles but rather unceasing prayer for all mankind, living and departed. This kind
of prayer for mankind is of inestimable worth. However, this worth is not usually seen or is even
quantifiable. However, we ourselves can only wonder today if we are not in this very Church right now
because some monks or nuns somewhere were praying for us.
“The prophet Moses prayed and delivered the people of Israel from destruction. St. Anthony the
great aided the world by his prayers and not his handicraft or money. St. Sergius fasted and prayed and
helped to liberate the Russian people from the yoke of the Tartars. St. Seraphim prayed silently and the
Holy Spirit descended on his long time friend and helper Motovilov... This is the task of the
monastic.3”
St. Silouan explained that this kind of prayer keeps the world going and when real prayer fails
the world will perish. He reiterated that when there are no more men of prayer on earth the world will
come to an end. He explains further that a single saint is an extraordinarily precious phenomenon for all
mankind. By the mere fact of there existence...they draw down on the world a incomprehensible
benediction from God [and] 'Because of these people, God preserves the world...and all of us are all
right because of their prayers'4.
The monastic is an icon of the kingdom which is present among us and yet is to come, and
reveals the commitment that everyone everywhere should be making to God, no matter what their
vocation and work: serving Him with their whole hearts and seeking their life's fulfillment in and with
God. Monastics are the 'proof of things hoped for, and substance of things unseen,' (Hebrews 11)
reminding that we all of us as Christians have no continuing city here but await the one which is to
come. Monasticism is the proof that Christianity is not only real but that it really works...that it is the
new creation and that mankind can find true peace in Christ only when he whole heartedly submits to
God's will and forsakes his own.
The model for monastics is none other than our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ. The
monastic aims to imitate Christ, whose way of life was altogether monastic. He was not married, was
free from earthly bonds, He had no roof over His head, traveled from place to place, lived in poverty,
3 I believe this is taken from, The Mystery of the Faith, Archbishop Hilarion.
4 St. Silouan the Athonite pg. 223.
fasted, and spent nights in prayer5.” He was perfect man and perfect God, not two persons but one in
two natures and He Himself is the archetype for every person everywhere, revealing God's eternal
design for creating man in the beginning...showing us not the exception or an aberration but rather
revealing everything that we have the potential to become by grace. What Christ is by nature, mankind
can share in by grace. In Christ, the fullness of the Godhead dwelt bodily by nature and in every human
being the Life of the Holy Trinity can come to dwell by grace...so that man might share God's own life.
Consequently, we must categorically affirm that monasticism is not a reject of the material
world but rather a rejection of the passions and lusts that corrupt it. This injunction of rejection of “the
world” in this sense is given to all Christians everywhere in St. John's Epistle: “Love not the world...for
all that is in the world, [i.e.,] the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of
the Father...The world will pass away and the lusts thereof but he that does the will of God abides
forever...(I John 2:17.)
We know and understand that at the creation of the world, God looked upon it all and that it was
“good.” Thus it is not the creation that is to be rejected but the misuse of it. It is not food that is bad but
gluttony. It is not money that is evil but greed for it. This applies equal for all people and yet is
epitomized by monasticism which becomes a constant reminder to the world of it abuses.
This ascetical life is one of the central keys to understanding the deep mystery of the Orthodox
Christian faith. It is the heart of all of the Church, for monks, nuns and married people everywhere. To
reject asceticism is to reject Christ who commands us all to carry our Cross on the narrow ascetic way,
following Him. Ascetism is the door to life with God and this was revealed from the beginning in
paradise. The first man was commanded to fast from the tree of good and evil...to abstain. And yet,
because of his intemperance, he lost communion with God and became infected with sin and death.
When Moses went up upon the mountain, he fasted for forty days...Elijah fasted for forty days before
God spoke to him in the still small voice on the mountain...and when the Lord Himself began His
earthly ministry in commenced with a forty day fast.
The Church requires us to fast on Wednesdays and Fridays as well as during the four fasting
periods of the year. This is not because there is something wrong with the world and with food and
drink. However, there is something wrong with us which needs to be healed within our hearts. Wise
and temperate fasting not only heals the passions of our souls and brings the forgiveness of our sins but
it also helps us to appreciate what we have and enables us to give thanks to the Giver, God, thereby
restoring the connection of the this world back to the Creator, which of course was severed by the fall
of mankind away from God. (Consequently, we become communicants and not consumers.)
The monastic constantly reminds us all of this need for fasting as a way of life. That we must
not and cannot, if we are to make spiritual progress, constantly give in to what “we want when we
want.” Monastics who fast to the greatest degree possible show us that man is not dependent only on
bread but really on God, the Creator and give of the bread. It reveals that it is God's power that sustains
us which is vested within the created world and is not the creation by itself. The monastic goes to the
source revealing the reality of the world that is upheld and sustained by the power and energy of
God.(Thus reproving the modern secular tendencies of our society to disconnect this world from God
and to see the world as something autonomous from God.)
This ascetical ethos of the Orthodox Church is precisely what has been removed from Western
Chistianity which has forgotten that this the critical key in the equation of living the new Life in Christ.
The ascetical ethos, exhibited par excellance by monasticism, restores our own personal world,
reconnecting it with God and placing it in its proper perspective. This effort is a tireless one which will
be fought until our last breath. However, through it (because of it), when we leave this world, our
heart's desire will not be for that which perishes and which we cannot possess after our death, which
will only leave us eternally dissatisfied, but rather, our desire for goodness, love, and the Lord Himself,
5 The Mystery of Faith, Archbishop Alfeyev, pg. 158.
if we carry these things in our hearts and if they become the content of our life we will most certainly
be in eternal rest in the Kingdom of God at the end of our life, which is, according to St. Paul, not food
and drink, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
The monk or nun as a part of this restorative renunciation of the world takes a vow of virginity
not for the perversion of human nature but rather so that all of that desire, energy, and power within can
be directed towards love for God and the Kingdom of heaven. A monk or nun is not married to an
earthly spouse but rather a Heavenly One. The relationship is not physical but spiritual, revealing a
transcendental depth to human love that is possible for all and yet not often reached in normal marriage
due to the war of conflicting passions that often possess us.
Those who reject marriage are condemned by the Church's canons and are canonically
forbidden to become monks or nuns. Monasticism is not a disdain of the body and its energies and
powers but rather a redirection of them so that with God's help, man can become, as we said before, as
man was before the fall in paradise. And, if man is with Christ and has reached a measure of
dispassion, then no matter where he is physically, he is in paradise again, even this side of the grave,
with all the rights and privileges that this entails, like the miraculous lives of the saints which we often
hear of.
A monk or nun seeks something greater than just celibacy: They embrace chastity which in
Greek is called sophrosyne which literally means wisdom and integrity. And thus, “chastity is not
synonymous with celibacy. In monasticism, the latter is only an element of the former. Chastity as
wisdom and integrity is a life that is accordance with the Gospel and is one that abstains from passions
and lusts. This is also something that is imperative in marriage. “To live in chastity means to have one's
entire life oriented to God, to check every word, deed and thought against the Gospel's standards.”
Chastity is an imperative for marriage which essentially in this context means to remain monogamous
and faithful to one's spouse, to attempt to refrain from sexual relations during the fasting periods and to
even refrain from looking with lust upon another, even in thought or intention.
Therefore, a monastic is not lonely but alone. They remain separate from all and yet through
this by prayer and communion with God they become united with all. Monasticism is not the opposite
of marriage but rather a different kind of martial union, one that is between a human person and God
Himself. “Love is at the very heart of both marriage and monasticism, but the object of the love is
different. A person cannot become a monk unless his love for God is so deep and ardent that he does
not want to direct towards anyone but him6.” And thus eros is transmuted and focused towards God in
the way that human beings were in their primordial first created “natural” state.
Some then might think that monastics are consequently just self-centered and self-serving
individuals. However, this is normally far from the truth. Monks and nuns still live in community life
and for them it is a family. By accepting obedience to the Abbot or Abbess and by attempting to cut off
one's will in community life, a monastic learns to accept within himself the will and the life of his
monastic family. In his prayers, he bears in his heart the entire community and through this he begins to
ascend from the I of self to the “we” of humanity. He begins to experience humanity's pain and its
eternal destiny as a matter of burning personal concern. And thus monasticism becomes the place
where one can be introduced into the very life of Christ, one which embraces the totality of all
humanity in time, space, and eternity7.
In this light, the monastic reminds everyone of us that the passions are not to be repressed but
rather transformed. When ever we encounter a temptation or a sinful passion it is time to pray and call
on the Lord to transform our energies, to channel them into positive and life-giving alternatives.
Temptation is always an opportunity that reminds us and calls us to prayer. It is amazing that the short
prayer, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me” has the power to destroy the nets of the
6 Bishop Alfeyev, The Mystery of Faith, pg. 160.
7 Christ our Way and Our Life, pg. 130.
evil one and to subdue and change our passions8.
In fact, one of the foundations of a sinful life is forgetfulness of God. When we remember God,
it is this remembrance that breaks sins power and strength in our life. Monasteries are abodes of this
constant remembrance of God...they are places of ceaseless prayer. Just by visiting them for a day our
sinful tendencies can be curtailed and even rooted out. Prayer itself is life, while sin itself is death. To
visit a monastery is to visit a healing oasis of life, one which is permeated with God's healing grace and
power. Monasteries flood an otherwise arid and barren world with this grace and cause a profound
change in the spiritual atmosphere of the entire world. Without them, the world would dry up in a God
forgetting death. Those within the world are sometimes so busy running around in it that they either
forget to pray or do not have the time to do so, while monasteries make it their main task, no matter
what else they might produce to make a living.
However, this does not have to be the case with us, whether we are monastic or married. The
key that is revealed by the the life of the monasteries is a call for everyone to have unceasing prayer in
our hearts. No matter what we may do, even if this prayer is wordless, it essentially means that our
heart is always turned and directed towards God. Short prayers help us in this process and are most
effective for us in the modern world. “Lord have mercy.” “Lord, help me and save me.” “Lord forgive
me.” These and other such prayers can bring real life and grace into our hearts and cause the arid desert
of our souls to become fruitful in the virtues the more often we have recourse to them.
Monasticism and marriage as we stated are not to be seen in opposition to each other but rather
are the two sides of the same Cross. Not all are called to marriage and family life and not all are called
to live as monks and nuns. However, we are all called to live 100% percent for the Lord Jesus Christ
100% of the time. Anything less than this is not pleasing to the Lord and is referred to in the Book of
Revelations: “I wish that you were either hot or cold...but because you are lukewarm I will vomit you
out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:15-16.)
St. John Chrysostom reveals the true transcedental character of monasticim as a model for all
Christians when explains: “You certainly deceive yourself and are greatly mistaken if you think that
there is one set of requirements for the person in the world and another for the monastic. The difference
between them is that one is married and the other is not; in all other respects they will have to render
the same account...for all people are called to reach the same point [the full measure of Christ, to
become perfect as the Father in heaven is perfect]. And this is what throws everything into disorder: the
idea that only the monk is required to show greater perfection while the rest are allowed to live in
laxity. But this is not true!” (Against the Opponents of the Monastic Life.) The Lord's own injunction in
many places of the Scriptures are clear: “Be ye holy as I am Holy.”
As Christians were are all called to the follow commandments, to a life of sacrifice and to a
willingness to be crucified and so that we can be with Christ. In both states, married or monastic, we
are called to sacrifice and die to ourselves. In both cases, we endure a form of martyrdom. Both are
roads that lead to the Kingdom and salvation. Both can be holy states. What is the key, as with
everything in life, is our disposition. Do we wish to please ourselves or the Lord and therefore (love)
others for the Lord's sake? In marriage, we die to ourselves and our passions for the sake of our
spouse...This martyrdom is even seen in the marriage service as we sing the hymn to the “Holy Martyrs
who fought the good fight and have received their crowns.” In monasticism, we know that the monk or
nun takes vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. We have already spoken about how chastity is to
be attained and maintained in either the married or monastic state. Poverty in the married state is
exhibited through freely giving of our time, our talents, and our resources (this includes not only money
and a lot of other things) to the Church and to those who are in need and are less fortunate 9. Obedience
8
9
The causes of spiritual sterility are many but it is obvious that one of our greatest enemies that prevents us
from whole heartedly following the Lord is that of comfort. The Cross is not comfortable. God does not have a chance
is lived out in the married life through obedience to the Church's teachings and to Her way of life, as
well as obedience to the Bishop, the Priest and to one's spouse.
It is obvious that indeed, monastic and married life are very different, and yet, there is only one
model for all: our Lord Jesus Christ. Those who are married cannot pretend to be monastic and those
who are in the monastery can not be live like those who are married. However, both of them can and
must commit themselves to be 100% like Christ 100% of the time. Many are called to the married life
by God: to live a godly, holy life, raising godly, god-fearing children to be good Orthodox Christians.
This calling is from God and it is immensely important in the world in which we live today.
Likewise, some will be called to the monastic life, in imitation of the angels, and they will live a
life, with the help of God's grace, which is an image of the world which is to come. In either case, we
must be faithful to what God has called us to, which ever it is. The state that is the highest one is the
state that we are called by God to live in with all our strength, striving to always remember the Lord
and His commandments.
It is often heard that monasticism is the barometer of the Church, and that the state of the
Church's monastic life reveals it health and maturity. Sadly, in America, monasteries are few, small,
and sometimes receive little support. In many Orthodox countries, the monastery was seen as a center
for the Church, a front line in the spiritual battle, forging the spiritual way for the greater Church
community in area, bringing God's blessing, protection and constant help to its inhabitants.
Today, the monasteries are seen as something extra, and not central, and worse, even as an
aberration or something that is to be marginalized. Unfortunately, our society does little to help with
this problem but only promotes freedom of choice and freedom to be free from everyone including
God. However, this is precisely why monasteries are important in America. Valuing and supporting the
local monasteries with our time, talents and resources shows that we value the growth of our Church in
America, because personal and corporate growth in the parish and support of monasteries are
intertwined and inseparably bound. The growth in parishes occurs when the spiritual currents have
been plowed by the monasteries and the Parish community rides in this wake, being pulled along by the
spiritual current that is created by the prayerful sacrifice of the hearts, souls and bodies of the monastics
whose main task is to continually draw down God's mercy and grace upon the world.
It is only by taking responsibility for everything that we have been dealt in life are we then able
to change it. Monasticism is nothing else that taking complete responsibility not only for my own sins,
whether they are indirectly or directly my fault or not, but also, in imitation of Christ, the monastic
takes responsibility for the sins of all, beseeching God for forgiveness for those who are ignorant,
unborn, or even in hell itself. Love cannot bear knowing that even one soul has perished or is, as we
speak right now, suffering the foretaste of eternal torment. The dedicated monastic knows first hand the
reality of hell and heaven, what it means to be with the Lord and what it means to be forsaken by the
Lord. The monastic, in following Christ, descends through his or her own personal Cross down into the
depths of hell in imitation of the Lord who first descended before He ascended. The monastic must
come to know first hand the breadth of human existence, becoming truly a universal man to whom no
experience is foreign and he himself embraces everything, overcoming sin and death by his own death,
being resurrected daily through his own voluntary death.
It is only when the monastic goes down to the depth of hell that he can then in turn lead those
who are there living in hell already in this world out of the pit to be with Christ. Through his own
death, the monastic actually brings life to the world, in imitation of Christ and enables God to work His
to prove Himself as the Great Comforting Spirit if He must compete with our high standard of living. It is a great
challenge for us a modern people to leave aside at the appointed times some of our modern comforts to follow the
God Who is a consuming fire. Repentance is a mystery which begins but never ends...and to really see oneself as it
really is we must be willing and ready to discard and leave everything that is extraneous. Yet to do so is a death which
brings life.
will whole heartedly in the monastic who has dedicated himself to making God's will his own.
There can be no arguing of the success of monasticism. They fill our Church calendars, they
line the walls of the Church and have formulated and preserved not only the Church's doctrine but also
the treasury of the Church's liturgical life. Monastics were even the first to bring Orthodox Christianity
to the new world of America in 1794. St. Herman, St. Juvenaly and several other monks were the first
to arrive in America on the shores of Alaska from the Valaam monastery to began the work of
spreading the Orthodox Faith. It was this first group of monks, that through prayer and fasting and total
commitment to Christ, converted thousands and paved the way for St. Innocent to come to America in
the 1840's to continue working the fields which had been planted and were ripe for the harvest.
We as members of Christ's body can and must support the building and growth of monasteries
and monastic vocations. By so doing, we invest in the well being and preservation of the Church as
well as the “Churching” of America. Through the monasteries, organic Orthodox Life will grow and
flourish, acting like a catalyst which will empower and inspire local parishioners to give more of there
own hearts and lives to God and to prayer. The power that emanates from a monastery is not only
extremely real and intensely powerful but is life-creating and life-changing.
The monastery sanctifies not only the monastics and those who visit but even the trees, the
rocks, and the ground itself. How often have we heard the expression “holy ground.” And this
statement is not unfounded, for we know that the material world, when it comes into contact with
Christ's body, which is the Church, is illumined with grace like Christ's garments during the
Transfiguration. It is said that this kind of sanctification effects the whole universe, and when Saints
emerge from these habitations, in an unfathomable and yet real way, they become a catalyst for the
salvation of nations and the entire material universe in which they live. May we strive by God's grace
no matter what state we live in to do the same. Amen.
Fr. Sergius has traveled across America directing St. Tikhon's Mission Choir for Liturgical
services and performance and gives lectures and retreats to Orthodox Churches from many
jurisdictions. He is currently the Acting Superior of St. Tikhon's Monastery and teaches at St.
Tikhon's Seminary. He is also available for parish visitation and retreats and is the founder of
Orthodox Two Part Music. Org. Visit the website for free sheet music and downloads at
Orthodoxtwopartmusic.org! For those interested in Monastic life or St. Tikhon's Monastery
contact St. Tikhon's Monastery at 570-937-4067 or visit their website at
Sttikhonsmonastery.org.