Why aren't there as many of this calling

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Madaglan

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Why is it that the majority of people “who think they might be called,” immediately think of the secular priesthood? Why aren’t there as many people here who are thinking, “God doesn’t want me to be a priest. God wants me to become a monk!”

I’m probably looking at it the wrong way, but the way I think: if I truly have a vocation to celibate, if God is truly forcing me away from marriage, then why not go all the way (spiritually speaking) and become a monk? Monks are typically ranked higher in the spiritual life than secular priests and even missionaries. Not to be selfish, but if you are concerned with your salvation, being a monk seems to me the best route to go. Priests are still in the world, to some extent. But monks: they pray all day! Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me! Orthros/Matins, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers, Compline–can’t beat that. And all the incense and chanting. Lots more enertaining than doing parish work. 😃

Just think: when was the last time someone asked you: “Have you ever thought about becoming a monk?” No, of course not. Does this mean that the Church no longer needs monks? There’s likely just as much a monk shortage as a priest shortage, but people don’t (from their own practical standpoint) need monks. Monks don’t christen, don’t wed, don’t offer the Sunday Mass in most cases. Many strong Christian families hope at least one of their sons becomes a priest. Why not a monk? 🤷 Is it a matter of pride that some want their sons to become priests? I know that’s the case in my family situation.

Maybe I’m just being pessimistic. 😊

I know that if I don’t get married by the time I’m 35 or 40, I’d much rather become a monk living on some cliff on bread and water than a parish priest. 😛
 
All are concerned with their own salvation… and the salvation of the world. The secular and religious priest just go about this in different ways. The secular priest is entrusted with the souls of his parish, and perhaps, as a bishop, with a diocese. The religious priest is concerned with the souls according to his charism. Of course, some of the friars are very much inbetween the secular and religious world-- I personally admire the Dominican life, but it’s the same with the Franciscans as well. Why not look into the life of the various friars? They have a community life, albeit not as strong as a purely cloistered order.

Different callings to different vocations to serve the Body of Christ as God wills!

And by all means, become a monk if God is calling you to that. 🙂

-Rob
 
Madaglan said:
Monks are typically ranked higher in the spiritual life than secular priests and even missionaries. Not to be selfish, but if you are concerned with your salvation, being a monk seems to me the best route to go.

I
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don’t know about the ranking system, I’d have to see some authority. Monk is only the best way to go if that is truly your vocation. If your vocation is marriage, that is the best way for you to work out your salvation. If it is the priesthood, you then discern with the help of spiritual direction and much prayer, if that is to be lived as a diocesan priest, in an order, as a missionary, as a monk etc. A life of contemplative prayer is attractive to those for whom it is a true vocation, and that is not every priest, or every nun. It is a mistake to seek what may be a “higher calling” if it is not your calling.
 
The higher you climb the further you can fall. So stick with your capabilities and calling.
 
Madaglan said:
“God doesn’t want me to be a priest. God wants me to become a monk!”
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That’s what happened in my brain 😃 (although some monks are called to be priests in order to better serve their community) Now it’s just a matter of waiting four years or so, before i can actually join up as a novitiate. (Lot’s of prayer and more discernment until then :gopray: )
 
… possibly the same reason I didn’t consider university an option when I was a child - I didn’t know anyone that had been to university (other than my teachers, and I didn’t want to be a teacher).

So perhaps people don’t become monks often because they don’t know any monks they can ask ‘SO, what’s it like, then, this monk business?’

No flippancy intended! 🙂
 
I would think that fewer people are called to cloistered life. There have always been far fewer contemplative monks/nuns than active brothers/sisters. I also think that many men who are called to religious life are probably drawn to being ability to confect the Eucharist, so would tend towards the Priesthood.

God Bless
 
Madaglan said:
I know that if I don’t get married by the time I’m 35 or 40, I’d much rather become a monk living on some cliff on bread and water than a parish priest. 😛
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Why wait? If you have a true calling to be a monk, go for it now! If not, perhaps it is just second string to being married in your mind.
 
Madaglan said:
Monks are typically ranked higher in the spiritual life than secular priests and even missionaries. Not to be selfish, but if you are concerned with your salvation, being a monk seems to me the best route to go. Priests are still in the world, to some extent. But monks: they pray all day! Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me! Orthros/Matins, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers, Compline–can’t beat that. And all the incense and chanting. Lots more enertaining than doing parish work. 😃
…
I know that if I don’t get married by the time I’m 35 or 40, I’d much rather become a monk living on some cliff on bread and water than a parish priest. 😛
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Well, I don’t think God “forces” anyone away from marriage, people make up their own minds and choices.

As far as being ranked higher, that just seems a bit ego or pride centered. It’s a good thing Jesus did not teach that Christ centered marriage is detrimental to our salvation. It’s even interesting how similar wording can be interpreted differently whether one is talking about Roman Catholic priests, Marionite rite priests, or deacons. Notice the different interpretation of “husband of one wife” within the same chapter of 1 Tim 3: one interpretation for priestly celibacy, and another interpretation for married deacons:

1 Tim 3:2-4 "An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity "

1 Tim 3:12 “Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households.”

Must not think or question, must not think or question, must not think or question, else someone will tell me they think me not Catholic. Oh holy celibacy, renounce marriage, oh holy celibacy, renounce marriage, ignore the fruits of the scandal, oh holy celibacy… ops, what does Paul say?. 2 Tim 4:4-5 "For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer."

Michael
 
I believe what monks and cloistered nuns do are great. However, Jesus was a man of this world. He balanced secluded prayer with his ministry. IMO, it takes much more graces to be a holy person in the world than to be withdrawn from it. If we are to follow Christs’ example, then our priests must be men in the world.
 
May I ask what order you are looking in to? To me it seems you’re more attracted to the Benedictine, or Cisterician, or maybe even the Carthusians.
I guess that many people just have very vague notions of what a monk is about, and their presumptions are made off those notions. My view of the monastic life was completely changed once I actually visited a monastery.
I do believe your presumption is correct that the monk shortage is just as serious as the priest shortage. Many monasteries have had to scale back, and almost become retirement homes since so many of their members are of old age. It makes we wonder if it will take another St. Bernard or St. Francis to save many many of the existing monasteries.
 
The vocations shortage in the monastic life isn’t as dire as it used to be. We at Cloister Outreach have been praying for monastic vocations for almost 20 years, and we’ve seen an increase in not only interest, but retention of candidates, as well.

We’ll soon be establishing a new religious community, the Reparatrix Society of Our Lady of the Cloister, (Cloisterites), to be the prayer support of our apostolate, and they will offer discerners many services. The RSOLC is also going to be a renewal of the Society of Mary Reparatrix charism.

Here is the website for the Cloisterites:

cloisters.tripod.com/cloisterites/

Blessings,
Cloisters
 
CatholicMC said:
I believe what monks and cloistered nuns do are great. However, Jesus was a man of this world. He balanced secluded prayer with his ministry. IMO, it takes much more graces to be a holy person in the world than to be withdrawn from it. If we are to follow Christs’ example, then our priests must be men in the world.
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I like your thought. What about a person with every potential to be an ideal cloister nun but choses to be a contemplative in the world, more like a hermit. What would you think the pros and cons for that is and is it an ideal approach/decision?

🙂
 
Note that Mary is praised for taking the better part by sitting at Jesus’ feet. However, He got his dinner from Martha.
 
I think part of it might be who a person that feels a call first speaks to.

A diocesan vocations director is going to steer a candidate to the secular priesthood most of the time because of the need. Also men who feel they might be called see this need so they respond to it.

I felt a call to community life (yes and active community life but first and foremost community life) first so I never spoke to a diocesan vocations director.

When I was about to enter Carmel I spoke to the new pastor at my first parish and he also happens to be the vocations director of the diocese. He told me that I am need in the diocese not in an order.
 
Madaglan said:
Monks are typically ranked higher in the spiritual life than secular priests and even missionaries. Not to be selfish, but if you are concerned with your salvation, being a monk seems to me the best route to go. Priests are still in the world, to some extent.
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We need priests to be in the world. “In the world” and “of the world” are two completely different things.

“A man named John was sent from God. He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him.” -John 1:6-10

“In the same way we also, when we were not of age, were enslaved to the elemental powers of the world.” -Galatians 4:3
 
Madaglan said:
Why is it that the majority of people “who think they might be called,” immediately think of the secular priesthood? Why aren’t there as many people here who are thinking, “God doesn’t want me to be a priest. God wants me to become a monk!”

I’m probably looking at it the wrong way, but the way I think: if I truly have a vocation to celibate, if God is truly forcing me away from marriage, then why not go all the way (spiritually speaking) and become a monk? Monks are typically ranked higher in the spiritual life than secular priests and even missionaries. Not to be selfish, but if you are concerned with your salvation, being a monk seems to me the best route to go. Priests are still in the world, to some extent. But monks: they pray all day! Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me! Orthros/Matins, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers, Compline–can’t beat that. And all the incense and chanting. Lots more enertaining than doing parish work. 😃

Just think: when was the last time someone asked you: “Have you ever thought about becoming a monk?” No, of course not. Does this mean that the Church no longer needs monks? There’s likely just as much a monk shortage as a priest shortage, but people don’t (from their own practical standpoint) need monks. Monks don’t christen, don’t wed, don’t offer the Sunday Mass in most cases. Many strong Christian families hope at least one of their sons becomes a priest. Why not a monk? 🤷 Is it a matter of pride that some want their sons to become priests? I know that’s the case in my family situation.

Maybe I’m just being pessimistic. 😊

I know that if I don’t get married by the time I’m 35 or 40, I’d much rather become a monk living on some cliff on bread and water than a parish priest. 😛
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If you try to go to the extreme when God has not called you to do so, you will most likely fail at it.
 
Why is it that the majority of people “who think they might be called,” immediately think of the secular priesthood? Why aren’t there as many people here who are thinking, “God doesn’t want me to be a priest. God wants me to become a monk!”
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Oh Madaglan I have wondered this many times in recent years.
I can only assume sadly that it is because most people have little exposure to monks, nuns, friars, sisters and prelaturists (the Opus Dei numeraries that wont admit to being an order, ejeje)

It makes sense to me that most people would view the other religious as mysterious if they have little exposure to them.

Luckily by God’s grace I have always been around a signficant amount of religious people who are not priests. Such as dominican sisters in my school and ocassional vists by a dominican friar.

And my best friend is a Melkite Monk from Egypt.

One of the things that would help the Western half of the Church and to some degree even the East is that there should be more people who casually visit monasteries, abbeys, convents and piories to understand this aspect of fraternal prayerful life.

If more young men and women could temporarily live among hermits and religious people (monks etc) without feeling a compulsion or pressure that they absolutely must dedicate themselves to it for the rest of their life, the Churches and societies would be much Holier.

This is a lesson we could all learn from the Buddhist monasteries of Southeast Asia. In Thailand nearly half of all young men enter them temporarily. THis is exactly what Christians need.

Also in the west I believe more monks should be appointed as bishops, as they are in the East. In England before around 966-1066 A.D. 70% of all bishops were Bendictine monks!

History is important to learn lessons from.
 
Many strong Christian families hope at least one of their sons becomes a priest. Why not a monk?
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the way the Greek Orthodox family of Alexander Kontos, of eternal memory, who founded the recently opening Monastery in my town always hoped many in their family would become monks and nuns. The photographs on there wall prove that many did become them.
 
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