Monks

[rymichael]

I dont get it… the rest of the world would say… “why do we need monks?” “what do they do for the world?” Why does the world need monks? Especially Benedictine monks? Please help… Urgent.

 

[TK421]

I think, as far as vocations go, that’s one of the hardest questions to answer to a secular person or even many believers, but it rests on the belief that prayer does have a real, tangible effect on the world and in strengthening the body of believers. That is the primary vocation of their life.

Secondarily, a Benedictine monk is a living testament for each generation of what we do or don’t need in life. It isn’t enough for just one generation to have such people and then rely on their memory for future generations. It wouldn’t be the same.

Hopefully other posters can build on what I have said, but the most powerful thing that a religious can offer is their prayers, which is contradictory to modern understandings.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

I dont get it…the rest of the world would say…“why do we need monks?” “what do they do for the world?” Why does the world need monks? Especially Benedictine monks? Please help…Urgent

Why do you think a monastic needs to justify his or her existence any more than anyone else does in the living of their life in society? What do you know about monastics and monastic life as you ask this question?

I find most people have little clue as to what monastics do let alone what are their lives, actually

A monastic community, by virtue of the vow of stability, has many of the qualities of being a family; an intense aspect that transcends how family is lived outside a monastery. You’re part of a family, living together under the same roof for decades a way of life whose tradition goes back centuries. You’re part of something unique and entirely special. To ask “what is the value of your family life?” is bizarre

• Monasteries span centuries as Religious enter, acquire the charism of the institute, live their consecrated life in community, pass it to successive generations, and die…across the span of a lifetime. Subiaco and Monte Cassino go back to the beginning of the 6th century and have existed for 15 centuries
• The members of these monastic chapters experience fraternitas and the structure of the Holy Rule which informs the living of their discipleship
• They pray, work, grow, support and encourage each other throughout their pilgrimages of life in which they journey alongside each other, and then support each other in turn as they pass from this life and are succeeded by those who take up monastic life in the next generation

Monastics are certainly people who give much more in gift to others than they take. The Congregation of Solesmes, for example, have particularly entrustments from the Universal Church for the liturgy, as one example. Their monasteries are living repositories of a living tradition of the Christian experience

For those who live beyond the monastic cloister, anyone who has made a pilgrimage or retreat at a monastery knows the value and enrichment all can derive from accessing these very special places and those who live there. Does everyone avail themselves of this? No. Does everyone avail themselves of the ballet or opera? No

For dioceses, a monastery is a great treasure – not only because of the prayer and witness of the charism of contemplative life but the presence of monastic life and spirituality that displays its own unique facets of lived discipleship. It’s also exemplified by different ways in the married life, in family life, in the diocesan priesthood, and in those who dedicate their single lives to forms of service they could not do if they bore the obligations of marriage and children. Each enriches the other

The monasteries offer an aspect of liturgical life that cannot be realised in other settings…parishes and cathedrals can’t match their liturgical observance for lack of the resources to achieve it

The witness of spousal love, albeit expressed on a spiritual and mystical level, is realised in monastic life as is family life…and family and marriages are enriched by the unique witness that monastics give, their living of discipleship and the enrichment that is offered in their work in spirituality, in spiritual direction, in retreat work and so forth. The Church is enriched by each expression as well as by interacting with the others

Benedictine communities are marked by apostolic work often as much as their contemplative life, especially today…whether preparatory schools, colleges, universities, seminaries, or other institutes of higher learning. They also preserve the distinctive gift that was and remains the monastery in the Church from the time of St Benedict: a place to preserve learning, culture, and knowledge

Monasteries of monks and nuns of the Benedictine tradition are noted for their intellectual work in a great many fields as well as fine art, decorative art, music, culinary endeavors, to name a few

Each member of the monastery will have a contribution to make to upbuilding the entire community, in one way or another. For some, it’s a livelihood that may make the monastery viable while for others, it may involve those things which make the community livable…be it the ones who cook or maintain or nurse the sick

The Trappists are more noted for their manual labour than intellectual pursuits but they, in their own ways, make contributions as they form self-sustaining communities of disciples. And, relative to the Trappists, why would subsistence farmers or those who choose as individuals to live their life close to the Earth be more valued than monks who similarly provide for themselves by the work of their hands, albeit on a larger scale that the typical family farm?

Some monasteries sustain themselves by their baking, their soap-making, or other endeavors that reflect on a different scale how families run restaurants or other culinary endeavours or craft based businesses

Why does the world need monastics? Why does the world need poets or sculptors or painters or ballet dancers? Why does the world need a gourmet chef instead of simple cooks? Or a perfume manufacturer? How is the world better for having couturiers instead of just clothing manufacturers?

One can say the world and people are enriched by art…but that is different from asking how the world is enriched by the fact that Jane Smith became a ballet dancer or theatrical set designer instead of a peace corps worker in Tonga

Civilised people do not live in societies where Jane Smith is compelled to become a hospice nurse because society determined that doing so makes her a productive member of society in a way another quantifies “productive” in opposition to another vocational choice deemed “inadequate.” Jane Smith chooses what is meaningful to her, her life and her work

 

[Jesus_123]

+:compcoff:For centuries upon centuries of time . . . ***over 2000 years plus *. . . all during this . . . Holy Christian Age of Grace . . . monks, nuns, priests, ministers, abbotts, abbesses, teachers, evangelists, catechists, deacons, mothers, fathers, etc., etc., etc. . . . have received clear . . . ** Sacred Heart to heart . . . calls upon their lives of the **Sweet Spirit of God **. . . deep within the interior heart of their souls . . . and have responded even as the Blessed Virgin Mary responded to God’s Holy Call upon her life . . .
+

And Mary said:
Behold the handmaid of the
LORD;
be it done to me according to thy word.
- Luke 1:38
+
Below is a marvelous statement from a Benedictine Solesme Monastery clarifying such a call . . .

. . . :coffeeread: . . .

Seeking God

The grace of baptism makes us sons of God, in imitation of Christ. And by the action of the Holy Spirit who dwells in each baptised person, **faith and **love progressively transform our natural life. Our view of **God **and the world are renewed and gradually resemble that of Christ, the only Son of God.

:bible1:
“The **kingdom of heaven **
is also like a
merchant of beautiful pearls.
He finds a **priceless pearl **
and he goes off to sell all he has
and he buys it”.
- Matthew 13:45-46

He whom God calls to the monastic life feels attracted by this mysterious discovery of God, and he understands the supreme value of the priceless pearl. To acquire it, everything else must be subordinated to it because only it gives him the plenitude of life and wisdom.

Saint Benedict resumes this program with the expression, “seeking God”, and he wants us to verify carefully if this is indeed the intention of a candidate to the monastic life. This is what he writes in the Prologue of his Rule:

«The voice of God calls out to us each day: ‘Run as long as you have the light of life, for fear that darkness cover you over!’ And the LORD, seeking his worker in the crowd whom he speaks to, says, ‘Who is the man who wants life and desires to see blessed days?’ If, having heard him, you answer, ‘Me!’ God answers you,‘Do you want true life, eternal life? Then keep your tongue from evil and do good, seek peace and keep to it.’ See with what tenderness the LORD shows us the way of life!»

«God seeks man, comments Dom Delatte, and in turn man must seek God. We do nothing else in the monastic life.»

​

+ Benedictine Abbey of Solesmes*​

*​

:compcoff: Link: solesmes.com/GB/priere/chercher.php?js=1​

The Blessed Holy St. Benedict is the Patron Saint of Western Monasticism . . . and the Patron Saint of Europe . . . his monks and nuns following the extraordinary and wonderful Holy Rule of St. Benedict for Monasteries are credited with evangelizing Europe . . . and to this day comprise by far the largest group of consecrated religious in the Holy Roman Catholic Church . . .

The extraordinary first chapter of the Old Baltimore Catechism . . . teaches us . . . over and over . . . the profound truth . . . that the real and absolute purpose of life here on earth is . . . to put it very simply . . . to come . . . to know . . . to love . . . and . . . to serve . . . God . . . and the surrendered consecrated religious among us are simply God’s helpers here on earth . . . helping all of us . . . *all along the way of life *. . . rather like a heavenly “power plant” here on earth . . . and in heaven above . . . supplying heavenly power and graces for all of God’s children to partake of . . . and be blessed by . . . wherever they are in their life journeys . . .

. . . all for Jesus+
. . . thank You Sweet Spirit of our Holy God+​

​

 

[Widlast]

I dont get it… the rest of the world would say… “why do we need monks?” “what do they do for the world?” Why does the world need monks? Especially Benedictine monks? Please help… Urgent.

It is an irrational question, because it contains a host of unfounded assumptions.

I can point to folks that would claim that “we don’t need”: men, white people, cars, industry,
money, religion, government, pets…

Monks exist because THEY feel that their existence serves God, which is their desire.
How anyone other than the monks themselves feel about it does not matter one whit.

 

[puzzledtoo]

Maybe the greatest benefit for society or the world of monks, nuns, etc… of any religion is that they offer themselves as positive role models for the rest of us whether we are religious or not, whether we are believers or not. Even non-believers can see that a life of prayer and meditation is more helpful for society than a life of violence in any form. Even if we don’t believe prayer works we can see that people that pray are transformed for the better(in most cases?), and carry this throughout their day hopefully helping others in ways that can be seen, experienced, etc… If more of us followed the modeling of monks etc… of praying and meditating daily there might be less road rage, gang violence, war etc…Just a thought.

 

[Techno2000]

I dont get it… the rest of the world would say… “why do we need monks?” “what do they do for the world?” Why does the world need monks? Especially Benedictine monks? Please help… Urgent.

The Monks and Nuns pray for the world so we can have Peace .

 

[fred_conty]

I believe the question is based on something very fundamental … what we think is important.

If a person things that wealth and power is what is important then it would be like talking to the air to explain monks.

Jesus said, “where your treasure is, there is your heart.” What our treasure is is what we find is important. And of course monks do not fit in where only power, wealth, position, is important. The virtues and prayer does not exactly belong to this idea.

This is why Jesus said, “don’t throw pearls to swine lest they trample them underfoot.” Talk to a worldly person about monks, and they will trample the idea underfoot.

However if you are talking to someone who is sincerely a good person merely wanting to know, then that would be different. Then they would understand that they are in love with God and follow him as did the 12 apostles. And we know how much good the 12 did.

 

[Bookcat]

Catechism:

scborromeo.org/ccc/p123a9p4.htm#III

 

[MtnDwellar]

@ Don Ruggero Truly a thoughtful and beautiful reply.

 

[Bill_Martin]

I assume that the people who ask that are imagining cloistered orders doing nothing but praying in their monasteries. Let’s pretend that the asker’s assumption is correct (though it probably isn’t).

The problem with the question is that it assumes that prayer is a worthless pastime. This strips God out of the Catholic life and leaves Catholicism as nothing but a large social activity that serves the poor. This same person might have a high opinion of the Missionaries of Charity, but can’t see the point of an order that doesn’t appear to “do anything”. This is a pretty common view from secular people, but I have observed it from Catholics too. It’s absurd for someone to believe in God and simultaenously think that listening and speaking to Him is a waste of time.

We should never, ever underestimate the power of prayer. Someone who remains deep in prayer to the God “who can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine” accomplishes more for the world than someone who sends some money to charity here and there but otherwise is mentally and spiritually absent.

It would be very hard to explain the value of it to someone who doesn’t believe in God though.

 

[Rosebud77]

I dont get it… the rest of the world would say… “why do we need monks?” “what do they do for the world?” Why does the world need monks? Especially Benedictine monks? Please help… Urgent.

Why judge ? Why urgent? Not your decisions to make,re what the world needs.

 

[drforjc]

Why do you think a monastic needs to justify his or her existence any more than anyone else does in the living of their life in society? What do you know about monastics and monastic life as you ask this question?

My guess is that the OP is in dialogue with someone who is pressing him/her with the stale old canard about monastics and/or contemplatives being “useless” to the Church and he/she would like some good responses, which you have provided quite nicely.

 

[Robert_Sock]

I believe that monks are preserving a special spiritual wisdom that will greatly benefit our world some day. If I had my life to live over, even though I cannot sing Gregorian chant, I would want to be a part of them.

 

[RosyAnne]

A big reason why the world is careening on down to crazy town right now is because our religious aren’t doing the same work as before (both nuns/monks), both spiritual and temporal. I mean we do still have some strong religious orders, but the amount participating at the intense levels they have up to the recent past just can’t be matched atm.

Think of what we lost:

–all those nuns teaching and running schools
–all those nuns working and running hospitals and shelters
–all those nuns tending Churches and sacristies…mainly done by paid (and some volunteer) employees

Monks are more removed from the secular world but their works were just as important…just in different ways. They tend to have more menial or labor work such as gardening, breweries, etc. Anyone who does their duty faithfully on a day to day basis has great value and merit to help strengthen Holy Mother Church. The lay people are called to participate in that (faithfully performing our duties throughout the day), but monks excel at it.

If you want to think of Abraham pleading with God, interceding for Sodom & Gomorrah…that’s kinda what monks do in their work & prayer. They stand between us and God, offering their work & prayer for us.