Do you think becoming a Christian monk is in any way an escape from real life?

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Thinking mainly of the cloisters here. Ones who stay in a monastery like the Benedictines. Spend all day in prayer observing the Liturgy of the Hours.
Have any of you tried it? Or are doing it right now? Would be interesting to hear from you?
It would have been a viable option for me say 30 years ago. I was single and searching for a suitable occupation.
I love music and prayer so that does seem like an attractive point. I suffer shyness and social anxiety even at my age now. I was worse 30 years ago. Do you think that is a good reason to become a monk? I fear you are going to say “No.” 🙂
I wonder if there is any harassment or bullying going on in monasteries? That would come as a shock but I imagine it is possible. You know, get any group of people together and expect them to live harmoniously 7 days a week, is expecting a lot.
I imagine there are many illusions about the monastic life, that would be broken after spending a year there.
Still cant help but be impressed by a doco I saw about monastic life in a UK. (a Benedictine monastery). It looked very attractive to me.
 
Be wary of your expectations is all I can say. If you think it is going to be easy in a monastery, you would be in for a shock. Remember it is 7 days a week. No days off to my knowledge.
 
Some get a couple weeks off to visit their family and stuff once a year. I’m not sure about some of the more extreme ones.
 
Living in a monastery might alleviate any shyness you have. You live in community with brethren, and there will be new vocations and family members to meet. Whichever way they serve the Church, along with a quiet life of prayer and solitude, the Lord will compel you in interesting ways you might never expect.

Monasticism isn’t a way to escape from real life. It is the fuel which real life runs off of, and in return you will gain through prayer and grace a deeper knowledge of the “whys” and “ways” of real life. Actually, you might be living the truest “real” life in a monastery, as one grows in understanding the souls of each other.
 
This is why people spend a long time on discernment beforehand. A lot of us don’t really have full self-knowledge. In order to understand our own motives, lots of soul searching and prayer.
But like any job we might be fooled by the “imagery” of it rather than knowing the reality of it. Getting up at at 5.00am every morning may not always be a pleasant experience.
 
I don’t think one needs to live in a monastery to faithfully follow/pray the liturgy of the hours. I’ve been able to keep up with them since before November (although sometimes I have to play catch up). Honestly, I think if we had more people trying to integrate the liturgy of the hours or other prayers throughout their days, most of us in secular world would be much better off. I know I’ve been better for it.

But yeah, I kind of see, at least for me, becoming a monk as escaping. I know that doesn’t apply to others, but it would for me if I became one.
 
You are living with yourself, whether in a monastery or out of it, so you can never escape real life.

I spent time in a Benedictine contemplative monastery.
Plenty of real life along with community prayer, hours of adoration, silence except for a community hour.
As I was allotted to assist with kitchen tasks, floor-sweeping, preparing meals and setting tables, taking food scraps to the compost, washing and drying dishes, washing my personal clothes in a bucket, except for bedding and towels which were washed in the laundry by nuns whose allocated tasks this task…
Very little difference to my tasks as a mother.

As regards, community, and the community hour. well, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty years with more or less the same people…this has challenges as each person has their particular natures, and you remain subject to authority that you will never escape…like some marriages!
So really, no, you can’t escape real life in a monastery as a monk or contemplative nun.

You have an intense way to God, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t go through many stages, some painful, and that you will ever really escape that most difficult person of our real lives, ourselves.
 
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To live in the secular world and keep up with the Office is an admirable feat. Good on you. God knows, you’re doing a better job than I. I’m only consistent with Compline about twice a week.
 
I would love to join this monastery. ( Despite the description in the video, they are now in full communion with Rome)

 
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Depends what we mean by “life”.

Household chores, taxes, bills, raising a family, routine activities of social life, sexualit, earning a living.

Yes, it can be an escape. But then if one has no interest in these worldly matters maybe escape is to pejorative a word. Simply making choices according to ones nature is not escape.

The main thing is to be docile to God.
 
Yes, we need wisdom and discernment to know the difference.
 
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I’m not afraid of God. Just afraid of meeting God in the desert, where there are no modern conveniences and lack of a fridge with all my fave snacks. 🙂
 
I admit to you right now what happened last night. I left Mass early, two thirds way through. I felt sick and my back was giving me Hell. It was an opportunity to “tough it out” and show my level of faith, but I gave in. I didn’t handle the challenge God gave me.
 
I know you walk the talk Cajun, so I will always respect your pov.
 
So let me tell a little of my story. I am an introvert and maybe I didn’t have such a good self image, not a lot of self confidence. When I had a conversion of heart ( I was baptized catholic as an infant and went to Catholic school but no conversion of heart until college) all I wanted to do was become a Trappist monk. Work, study and pray: perfect for me. i went through the discernment process and nearly entered. But I went with Franciscans instead. God lead me to become much more out going, or should I say outreaching. I eventually left them and got married. Now that I am 63 I see that my desire to be a Trappist, while holy and good, was also tinged by my desire to escape what I saw as the average 21st century life.

I think much of the Trappist life would have been easy for me once I got used to getting up at 2:30 am. But I see that this alternate path challenged me to grow in so many ways, I think for me it took more courage to go this way. Follow the heart. Listen to advice from trusted others.

That is another thing. There are plenty of people to “offer advice”. It will be contradictory. Who’s wisdom do you value?
 
This is not for us to decide. It is between you, God and the Prior of the monastery you choose. Also talk with your confessor you need his blessing if you are to enter monastic life.
May God guide you into what He wants from you.
 
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