Hey, I believe that my vocation is to be a Benedictine or Trappist Monk. What books or articles should I read about them? Also, I have considered being a dominican and I thought my previous vocation would be priesthood (Later discounted that after I read To Save a Thousand Souls as I do not have all of the qualifications and requirements for being a Priest) I am trying to get deeper in to the Faith and trying to get out of Mortal Sin constantly.
As others have told you, both the Benedictines and the Trappists are sons and daughters of Saint Benedict.
Yes, it is good to read the Rule, which is freely available on-line, but I would caution that what you will read is going to be different from what is lived in the 21st century.
It’s important to understand that each community has its own personality. They are unique. You would need to think about – and experience – the different communities in the concrete in order to discover what you are attracted to.
You write that you are in Virginia.
There is the Abbey of the Holy Cross in Berryville, Virginia, which is Trappist. They live a life focused on the monastic observance without external apostolate. As far as the Trappist observance, I would assume that this is physically the closest to you. They are a small community and different from, for example, Gethsemane Abbey in Trappist, Kentucky.
On the Benedictine side…I would assume the abbeys closest to you are Mother of the Church in Richmond, Virginia, and Saint Anselm’s in Washington, DC. Both run preparatory schools. Saint Anselm is unique in that is one of three abbeys in the United States that is of the English Congregation – the monasteries in their “family” are principally in the United Kingdom. They both are small communities and their apostolic work is focused on what the Americans call “High School Education”. If you have no attraction to working in education at that age level…that would be problematic.
A bit further afield would be Belmont Abbey in North Carolina or Saint Vincent’s Archabbey in Pennsylvania. They run colleges. Saint Meinrad Archabbey in Indiana runs an inter-diocesan seminary. Prince of Peace Abbey in California, on the other hand, has no outside apostolate but lives a more contemplative life.
Your discernment would have to focus on the type of life you are seeking and the type of work you are potentially drawn to and whether you would be more attracted to a large community or a small one.
The only way to really decide is to visit the communities and live with them for a time. As others have said, monasteries offer or arrange for a “Come and see” experience. You would live some aspect of the community life and have a chance to see what the community is like – and they get to see and meet you. What you think you may like may be, in fact, not what you thought it was at all.
Also, it has to be said, it is not only a matter of what you discern but also what the community discerns about you and whether or not you fit into their community or have a vocation to their life/community.
I assure you of my prayers.
