Why are certain monastic orders so hard?

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jwinch2 said:
Some good books which serve to highlight the development of monasticism, the role it played in the spread of Christendom and Western Civilization, and its applicability to today’s world.
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Cool, been meaning to learn more about that. In college, I learnt that monasteries saved western civilisation but I never really understood how.

Maybe for Lent I’ll learn about how Carthusians do it, then after I’ll learn more about monastic history afterward.

Have you happened to have read all of these? In addition to the historical info, is it good for spiritual exercises?
 
PazzoGrande said:
Have you happened to have read all of these? In addition to the historical info, is it good for spiritual exercises?
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There is spiritual teaching in some of them, but it is not focused in that direction, with the exception of the writings of the Desert Fathers book. I would be happy to share some books on Monastic Spirituality if you are interested. Just let me know.

Peace,
 
PazzoGrande said:
In addition to the historical info, is it good for spiritual exercises?
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I decided to go ahead and share some books for Monastic Spirituality that you may find helpful in case you are still interested. I hope this is helpful.
  • Reading with God: Lectio Divina
    Dom David Foster, OSB
  • Earthen Vessels: The Practice of Personal Prayer According to the Patristic Tradition
    Gabriel Bunge, OSB
  • The Path of Life
    Cyprian Smith, OSB
  • An Unexciting Life: Reflections on Benedictine Spirituality
    Michael Casey, OSCO
  • Toward God: The Ancient Wisdom of Western Prayer
    Michael Casey, OCSO
  • Christ, the Ideal of the Monk: Spiritual Conferences on the Monastic and Religious Life
    Dom Columba Marmion, OSB
  • On Loving God
    Bernard of Clairvaux, O Cist.
  • The Rule of Saint Benedict: A Doctrinal and Spiritual Commentary
    Adalbert De Vogue (Author), John Baptist Hasbrouck (Translator)
  • Spiritual Life and Prayer: According to Holy Scripture and Monastic Tradition
    Cecile Bruyere, OSB
  • Holy Wisdom, Or Directions for the Prayer of Contemplation
    Augustine Baker, OSB
  • The Syriac Fathers on Prayer and the Spiritual Life (Cistercian Studies)
    Sebastian P. Brock
Peace of Christ,
 
That sounds exactly what I’m looking for! 🙂 Have you read it? Is it a good tool for Lent? I’ve been looking into what I could look into to have a good Lent, and maybe it’s fate that you and I crossed paths!

I haven’t read it yet. I only found it when looking to see if there was anything else out there for you. So thanks for your question! I plan to get it in the near future and look forward to reading it, and the other books named.

It looks like the Carthusian Order is finally ready to share the riches of their spirituality with the rest of us. Perhaps it was the tremendously positive reception to Into Great Silence that persuaded them. If so, my thanks to the filmmaker!

As to how I got into the Carthusians, I was working my way through the offerings in Spirituality in our local library and came across Halfway to Heaven. Prior to reading that book, my knowledge of the Carthusians was pretty much limited to the fact that there was an Order of that name and they were strict. I was so impressed with what I read that I started to seek out information on them and read what I could find - which wasn’t much.

Thanks also to the other posters who shared titles that they had found of value. It is always good to learn of other resources, especially from someone of similar interests and outlook. My list of “books I need to find” has grown from this interchange, and that is always a good thing. 🙂

Via con Dios!
Clare
 
jwinch2 said:
I decided to go ahead and share some books for Monastic Spirituality that you may find helpful in case you are still interested. I hope this is helpful.
  • Reading with God: Lectio Divina
    Dom David Foster, OSB
  • Earthen Vessels: The Practice of Personal Prayer According to the Patristic Tradition
    Gabriel Bunge, OSB
  • The Path of Life
    Cyprian Smith, OSB
  • An Unexciting Life: Reflections on Benedictine Spirituality
    Michael Casey, OSCO
  • Toward God: The Ancient Wisdom of Western Prayer
    Michael Casey, OCSO
  • Christ, the Ideal of the Monk: Spiritual Conferences on the Monastic and Religious Life
    Dom Columba Marmion, OSB
  • On Loving God
    Bernard of Clairvaux, O Cist.
  • The Rule of Saint Benedict: A Doctrinal and Spiritual Commentary
    Adalbert De Vogue (Author), John Baptist Hasbrouck (Translator)
  • Spiritual Life and Prayer: According to Holy Scripture and Monastic Tradition
    Cecile Bruyere, OSB
  • Holy Wisdom, Or Directions for the Prayer of Contemplation
    Augustine Baker, OSB
  • The Syriac Fathers on Prayer and the Spiritual Life (Cistercian Studies)
    Sebastian P. Brock
Peace of Christ,
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Many thanks for the reading list. All of these titles are new to me and I look forward to making their acquaintance.

Via con Dios!
Clare
 
Monastic life is not so much hard as it is relentless. it is the same schedule, with minor variations day after day after day. There are some austerities as well, with varying degrees of severity. Not only that, the hardest thing about any form of monastic life is that you live and work with the same people 24X7. Not only that, when you are alone with God you are also alone with yourself, and you need the psychological and social maturity to handle that. Monasticism in some form or other goes back at least to the late 200’s but may go back to Apostolic times. Admittedly this is a debated point among church historians. Sorrry this is so disjointed but it is 3:12 am and I have been up since about 9AM yesterday!
 
PazzoGrande said:
While we’re on the topic, does anyone know what orders like these do to members who took final profession but wish to leave? If I remember right, An Infinity of Little Hours had something about there being a dungeon for those people that was used before. I’m sure they don’t do that anymore. But what do they do if a choir monk wants to leave later?

I’d imagine that if you want to quit, they’d just let you quit, just like being a regular priest, with the normal laicisation restrictions.
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There is a procedure for that. Within the Benedictines, if I recall correctly, each congregation will have a Curia, usually in Rome, that will receive petitions to leave monastic life. With the Subiaco Congregation, it is located at Sant Ambrogio’s. Their judgement is then passed on to the Congregation for Religious, a department of the vatican beaurocracy, who then rubberstamps their decision. It can take 3 or 4 months or maybe more but it is possible.

I have been out of the congregation for too long now and cant remember all the details. but it is or at least should be spelled out in the constitutions of the congregation or religious order in question
 
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