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Boston College School of Theology and Ministry Continuing Education

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Called to Greater Love:  Ignatian Spirituality for Today

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Presenter: John R. Sachs, S.J. This video is part of the BCSTM Continuing Education Encore Events Archive. Visit http://www.bc.edu/encore to view this video and others like it. November 6, 2014 Description: Ignatius's experience of God's love changed his life: the way he viewed God, the way he viewed himself, and the way he viewed the world.

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"Jesuits Revealed!" - Fr. Greg Boyle, SJ - "What is Jesuit Spirituality"

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http://www.Jesuit.org "What is Jesuit Spirituality?" -- "What is Ignatian Spirituality?" In this episode of "Jesuits Revealed!" we hear Fr. Greg Boyle, SJ talk about his experience of Ignatian Spirituality and what it has meant in his life and formation as a Jesuit. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Fr.

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Jesuit, member of the Society of Jesus, a Roman Catholic order of religious men founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola and noted for its educational, missionary, and charitable works. Once regarded by many as the principal agent of the Counter-Reformation, the Jesuits were later a leading force in modern…

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CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: The Jesuits (The Society of Jesus)

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Comprehensive information about the past of the Jesuit order

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Ignatian Spirituality Finding God in All Things

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There are a number of outstanding resources devoted to Ignatian spirituality. Sacred Space is a popular prayer site run by the Irish Jesuits, and Jesuitprayer.org was created by the Midwest Province of the Society of Jesus to provide daily online prayers and facilitate prayer requests.

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Dating God: Intimacy, Prayer, and Franciscan Spirituality

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Fr. Dan brings the Franciscan tradition to life by imagining our faith journeys in terms of "dating" as a dynamic, creative, and renewing spiritual thread for twenty-first century Christians.

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When people ask us "What is a monk", we often have to decide on the short, medium or long answer.

SHORT: We are 40 Benedictine monks of the Roman Catholic Church living in Subiaco, Arkansas, USA. We follow the 1,500 year old Rule as written by our holy father Saint Benedict who lived in Italy (you can learn more about that Rule by clicking HERE). This Rule and monastic way of life flow from the ancient biblical model of radical Christian discipleship as found in Acts 2:42-47 and Acts 4:32-35. Those men and women who lived out this radical way of life (most often alone in the desert) were referred to as "monks" or "monastics". Our balanced life of prayer and work (known in Latin as "Ora et Labora") has existed in Arkansas since our founding in 1878 by monks from St. Meinrad Archabbey in Indiana.

MEDIUM: The life of a monk is concerned with the one thing necessary: quaerere Deum (to seek God). He lives in the Monastery, submits to the authority of the Abbot, and follows the Rule of Our Holy Father Benedict. Monasticism is the most ancient manifestation of the religious state in the Church, which itself has always been held to be the highest and most privileged means to the universal end of the Christian religion.

Through the three vows of Obedience, Stability, and Conversatio Morum a monk pursues the perfect fulfillment of the Gospel precepts. He sacrifices the lesser goods of this world in order to make room for Christ above all and before all, who is Goodness Itself. The monk accepts Christ's words to the rich young man: "If you wish to be perfect, go and sell your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." (Matthew 19.21). This Rule and monastic way of life flow from the ancient biblical model of radical Christian discipleship as found in Acts 2:42-47 and Acts 4:32-35.

The monk seeks here and now that union that Jesus Christ shares with the Father. Like the prophet Elijah in the Old Testament, or St. Paul in the New Testament, the monk leads a celibate life as a means to this union. This is an eschatological sign of his exclusive dedication to God, the infinite Good. This union grows through prayer and charity, and the daily joys and sufferings of life in this valley of tears. In prayer the monk spends time with the one he loves. In as much as the neighbor is made in the image of God and redeemed by Christ's Precious Blood, the monk practices Christian charity towards his brethren for the sake of God and in God. A similar dynamic occurs in marriage.

The monk seeks God exclusively. Detached from all creatures, he gives himself totally to the Creator. For the sake of Our Lord, he renounces the highest natural goods: marriage, children, and free will. The monk makes an oblation of his whole being to God, intellect and will, body and soul.

As monks called to such a vocation, unworthy though we be, we hope in the words of Our Holy Father Benedict to "persevere in fidelity to God's teaching in the monastery until death so that through our patience we may be granted a share in the sufferings of Christ, and so receive a share in His Kingdom." ( Rule of St. Benedict, Prologue).

LONG: Because of the long and varied history of Benedictine Monasticism over the past 1,500 years, it would take volumes of books to do justice to the subject. We will, though, show you one really cool papyrus and direct you to one nicely written LONG article.

First, we know that monks exhisted in the Church from its earliest days. In fact, the presence of those Christians that we now call monks were attested by scholars well before the end of the first century. These were men and women who were called by God to live out the radical Christian discipleship that was lived by the early church found in Acts 2:42-47 and Acts 4:32-35. Some of these men and women lived alone in the desert ("monochos"), others lived in cities, and even others lived this way of life as a group in a single monastic community (sometimes referred to as "coenobitic monasticism"--St. Augustine was a monk and liked to quote Psalm 133:1 in this regard--"Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!") The earliest "written" use of the word "monk" ("monachos") can be found in a petition that was written in Greek by Arsinoites of Karanis (south of Cairo), Egypt, sometime around 324 AD. The writer was suing his neighbor (and seeking justice) because the neighbor's cow kept getting loose and trampling the writer's garden. The writer was able to grab the cow out of the garden, when the owner and friends with clubs started beating him. Luckily, a Deacon named Antonius was traveling on the road with a MONK named Isaac. They came to the aid of Arsinoites so he was not killed (If you would like to see a copy of this actual papyrus, then click HERE. You can also click the link on this page to see the Greek with it's English translation). The existence of Christian monks certainly pre-dated this, but this is the first instance we have of where the actual word MONACHOS was used in writing. We also know from the ancient Pilgrimage Diary of Egeria that a diverse group of monks (coenobitic and anchorites/hermits) were present in vast numbers throughout Egypt and the Holy Land when she made her pilgrimage in 381-384 AD.

Next, the history of monasticism (and in particular where St. Benedict enters the story) is so extensive that a former Abbot Primate, Jerome Theisen, took the time to provide a brief introduction for the general public. This introduction has numerous links which you can use to further explore this fascinating subject. You can find this introduction by clicking HERE

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When people ask us "What is a monk", we often have to decide on the short, medium or long answer. SHORT: We are 40 Benedictine monks of the Roman Catholic Church living in Subiaco, Arkansas, USA.

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The Benedictines: An Introduction by Abbot Primate Jerome Theisen OSB. Liturgical Press.

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Abbot Primate Jerome Theisen OSB writes about the Benedictines for the New Catholic Encyclopedia published by Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN 56321, Saint John's Abbey.

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Monks of Mount Angel Abbey talk about why the Rule of St. Benedict has lasted over 1500 years. http://www.mountangelabbey.org Mount Angel Abbey and Seminary 1 Abbey Drive St. Benedict, Oregon 97373 USA Abbey Telephone: 503-845-3030

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Meditation Retreats and Monastic Lifestyles

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Benedictine Monasticism - Mount Michael Abbey

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Part one of Mount Michael Abbey's Promotion Video

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Franciscan Spirituality includes as a fundamental component obedience and loyalty to the Church and Magisterium. Franciscan Spirituality has an engaging, inviting stance toward the world encouraging dialogue along with a healthy and prophetic critique of modern secular culture and its values.

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francis franciscan sister sisters little falls minnesota community serve gospel peace donate clare women prayer music mission earth franciscan sisters little falls francis music music center  jesus christ roman catholic  francis music center
st francis

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The Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, Minnesota, is a community of Roman Catholic women religious who follow the Gospel of Jesus Christ, walking in the footsteps of Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi.

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Happy Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel - Patron of the Order of Carmelites! The Sacred Scriptures speak of the beauty of Mount Carmel in Palestine where the Prophet Elijah defended the faith

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In order to foster and facilitate relationship with God, through prayer and contemplation, Carmelite spirituality proposes certain means, both personal and communal, namely meditation on the word of God, liturgy, silence and solitude, and asceticism. The Rule of St.

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Benedictine Abbey of Christ in the Desert

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In Frisia, in 754, St. Boniface, bishop and martyr, the apostle of Germany. He was born in Devon, and educated in a local monastery and then at the abbey of Nursling, where he was a very effective teacher. When he was he forty, following in the footsteps of Sts. Wilfrid (October 12) and Willibrord (November 7), he left England to do missionary work in Frisia and Germany. With a mandate from Pope Gregory II, he evangelized and organized the German church. He founded many monasteries, and... read more

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Benedictine Abbey of Christ in the Desert

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In Frisia, in 754, St. Boniface, bishop and martyr, the apostle of Germany. He was born in Devon, and educated in a local monastery and then at the abbey of Nursling, where he was a very effective teacher. When he was he forty, following in the footsteps of Sts.

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"[Christian] Monasticism began in the Eastern empire in the fourth century. In the early stages it was not linked with the church. It was Athanasius who took the first steps that finally brought the monastic movement under Church domination. The excessive austerities practiced by the Eastern monks were not to Benedict's liking. Their traditions had taken a very literal notice of the Christian view that the flesh was sinful. Accordingly they vied with each other who could achieve the rankest state of bodily neglect. To these unwholesome eccentricities the Benedictine rule put a determined stop. Authority and power was placed in the hands of the abbot who was appointed for life."...Early Christianity in Wisdom of the West...by Bertrand Russell

"So who were the Desert Fathers? A majority were native Egyptians, mostly from the poorer classes, but others, from all parts of the Roman world, included men of high rank and high intelligence.Arsenius, for example, had been tutor to the sons of Emperor Theodosius; Evagrius was a subtle theologian; John Cassian, a well-travelled Rumanian, carried the desert traditions to southern France. One at least was black; Moses, first a slave, then leader of a gang of bandits, finally one of the holiest men in Scetis.

"Differences of rank or profession ceased to exist in the desert. There were, however, two levels, based on experience: Brother, a neophyte who needed to spend a few years as a disciple of some more seasoned hermit, and Father, or Old Man - not necessarily old in years - a hermit grown wise and virtuous enough to live alone and give guidance to others.

"A hermit's day typically began before dawn; sleep, though necessary, was an enemy stealing time from devotions. A father would meet with his disciples to recite psalms; all would then return to their individual cells and spend most of the day in solitary work and prayer ("Your cell will teach you everything," Moses said.) Work consisted mostly of weaving reeds or palm-fronds into ropes, mats and baskets which would subsequently be sold in the Delta villages; most hermits prided themselves on their independence and scorned charity. Sometimes hermits would hire out as laborers at harvest time, but this was frowned on, since it involved too much contact with the secular world.

"Around the ninth hour (3pm our time), father and brothers would gather again for the day's only meal, usually consisting of bread (one loaf per person was a normal week's ration) and vegetables such as beans and lentils. After the meal, hermits would visit with one another or ask more experienced elders for 'a word' - some nugget of wisdom, specially designed to apply to the individual concerned, on which one could subsequently meditate. Then they would return to their cells, rigorously examine their conduct over the preceding day, recognise and seek to eradicate their shortcomings, and finally, by the feeble light of an oil-lamp, continue working and praying until sleep overwhelmed them."...History and Hermits - The Desert Fathers of Egypt

Struggling with logismoi
We have learnt, after much observation, to recognize the difference between angelic thoughts, human thoughts, and thoughts that come from demons...Evagrius Ponticus...Texts on Discrimination in respect of Passions and Thoughts

Primacy of Love For All Living Things
What can we gain by sailing off to the moon if we are not able to cross the abyss that separates us from ourselves? This is the most important of all voyages of discovery, and without it all the rest are not only useless but disastrous. Proof: the great travellers and colonizers of the Renaissance were, for the most part, men who perhaps were capable of the things they did precisely because they were alienated from themselves. In subjugating primitive worlds they only imposed on them, with the force of cannons, their own confusion and their own alienation....Thomas Merton...The Wisdom of the Desert

Asceticism
"...the Roman Empire between the fourth and fifth centuries experienced the development of a new form of Christian piety--the rise of asceticism. Both the Provinces of Egypt and Syria were home to the ascetic discipline; yet, the outward expression of the askesis [discipline, exercise, training] differed between the two areas. The geographical constraints and harsh desert climate severely limited the Egyptian ascetics, confining them to cells, where they practiced the ascetic discipline of fasting, prayer and meditation. Their modes of life differed from the ascetics in Syria, a province with a wide-range of geographical terrain, such as deserts, steppe-lands and mountainous areas, as well as more favorable climatic conditions. This allowed the Syrian ascetics to develop a more rigorous expression of the askesis, emphasizing bodily mortification. Although Egyptian ascetics were occasionally found to self-inflict harm upon their bodies, it was nevertheless mild in contrast to the Syrians, and an exception rather than a rule. The Syrians also aspired to live life as angels in the flesh, emulating the bodiless creatures that live in heaven. Although there was a marked contrast between ascetics in Egypt and Syria, ascetics in both provinces served as spiritual martyrs, as an out-growth of martyrdom that had ceased to play a role in Christianity after the official Imperial adoption of the religion, putting an end to the once frequent and wide-spread persecutions that claimed so many Christians in first few centuries A.D. Asceticism was truly a higher life, and an extreme expression of Christian piety, attested to by the countless men in Egypt and Syria who suffered for Christ."...source: Egyptian and Syrian Asceticism in Late Antiquity: A Comparative Study of the Ascetic Idea in the Late Roman Empire during the Fourth and Fifth Centuries...by Jeffrey Conrad

Hesychasm and Nepsis
Hesychasm is a mystical tradition of experiential prayer in the Orthodox Church. It is described in great detail in the Philokalia, a compilation of what various saints wrote about prayer and the spiritual life. In practice, the Hesychastic prayer bears some superficial resemblance to mystical prayer or meditation in Eastern religions (e.g., Buddhism and Hinduism, especially Yoga)...source: Wikipedia

Contemplative Prayer
"The Desert Fathers...practiced a form of prayer which could be described as meditation. In Buddhist terms, this ancient Christian meditation practice included both mantra meditation and non conceptual meditation. They would take a word, sentence or phrase from the Bible and repeat it over and over again. St. John Cassian, the Roman was based at a monastery in Bethlehem. He made a great contribution to world literature by producing two sets or collections of writings. These were the Institutes which recounted the practices of the monks of Egypt and adapted them for use in the colder, Western regions. Then later, Conferences given by various great Fathers of the Desert."...source: Christian Meditation by Brian Ruhe

Recitation of scripture
The lives of the desert fathers were filled with recitation of the scriptures-during the week they chanted psalms while performing manual labor and during the weekends they held liturgies and group services. The monk's experience in the cell occurred in a variety of ways, but the role of meditation on scripture was central. For them meditation was the oral recitation of scripture. The group practices were particularly prominent in the more organized communities formed byPachomius. The purpose of these practices were explained by John Cassian, a Desert Father, who described the goal of psalmody (the outward recitation of scripture) and asceticism as the ascent to deep mystical prayer and mystical contemplation...source: Wikipedia

Withdrawal from society
The legalization of Christianity by the Roman Empire in 313 actually gaveAnthony a greater resolve to go out into the desert. Anthony, who was nostalgic for the tradition of martyrdom, saw withdrawal and asceticism as an alternative. When members of the Church began finding ways to work with the Roman state, the Desert Fathers also saw that as a compromise between "the things of God and the things of Caesar." The monastic communities were essentially an alternate Christian society. The hermits doubted that religion and politics could ever produce a truly Christian society. For them, the only Christian society was spiritual and not mundane...source: Wikipedia

Panentheism
"A charming story recounts Anthony's relationship with the animals in an era when bearbaiting and torturing of animals was a widespread form of entertainment:

At first wild animals in the desert coming for water often would damage the beds in his garden. But he caught one of the animals, held it gently, and said to them all: "Why do you harm me when I harm none of you? Go away, and in the Lord's name do not come near these things again." And ever afterwards, as though awed by his orders, they did not come near the place.

Such tales of monks' encounters with animals were numerous: an aging monk fed a starving lion with dates, another shared his evening meal regularly with a she-wolf, still another taught an ibex, a desert antelope, which plants to eat and which to avoid."...source: Dictionary of African Christian Biography

Controversy and Banishment in Paradise: Promuglating on the Nature of God and the Afterlife.
"Scholars have seen two monastic camps: "Hellenic or Hellenized monks whose theology was more intellectual and more speculative than the naïve and literal beliefs of their Egyptian brethren."...source: COPTIC PALLADIANA I: THE LIFE OF PAMBO (LAUSIAC HISTORY 9-10)

Visions and Special Awareness

The Hermit Life and Mental Health

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Teachings and Practices of the Desert Fathers

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"[Christian] Monasticism began in the Eastern empire in the fourth century. In the early stages it was not linked with the church. It was Athanasius who took the first steps that finally brought the monastic movement under Church domination. The excessive austerities practiced by the Eastern monks were not to Benedict's liking.

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In this transcript of a retreat talk, Trevor Miller offers an outline for Understanding Desert Monasticism.

DESERT FATHERS

In the early centuries of the Church's history, spreading as it did along the trade routes of the Middle East and the Mediterranean and Aegean coastlands, places of worship were the homes of believers or the open air, wherever they could meet unseen because there was much persecution of the followers of Christ.

This all changed early in the 4th Century, when the Roman Emperor Constantine embraced Christianity, elevating it to the state religion through the Edict of Milan in 313 AD and by doing so ushered in a major cultural shift. After 3 centuries of 'being homeless in the world' Christians began to find themselves in favour, rather than persecuted. The result was confusion and bewilderment in those who had accepted themselves as aliens and strangers in this world. Many accepted Constantine's edict of toleration but it resulted in the cutting edge of the Church's life being blunted as for the first time nominalism took root (believers in name only) further resulting in mediocrity, accommodation and compromise as social standing became the reason for faith and not love of Jesus Christ.

It was at this point, when Christians began to find themselves at home in the world, where those who had previously persecuted the Christians were putting out the welcome mat and sitting in the 'same pew', that the response to the 'call of the desert' began to gain momentum, beginning at first with a few, and then a multitude.

Thomas Merton wrote "It should seem to us much stranger than it does, that this paradoxical flight from the world attained its greatest dimensions (I almost said frenzy) when the 'world' officially became Christian."

Was this Christian withdrawal into the desert purely a negative move? Was it a retreat from all the complications and compromise in those attempting to Christianise society? Was it a judgmental act, motivated to shame those Christians who had decided to stay and work out their salvation in the city? Which group of Christians made the right response to this new and 'favourable' situation, those who stayed in the 'city' or those who withdrew to the desert? In the mystery of God the answer has to be - BOTH.

One of my favourite stories, which I think will illustrate this point, comes from Elizabeth Goudges' book on the life of St Francis of Assisi. There is a moment when St Francis meets with Cardinal John, and the two embrace. You can imagine the scene, Francis in his robes of poverty and the cardinal dressed elegantly. Yet as they embrace they realise they share the same heart and devotion for the Lord. Yet, one is called to the temptations of poverty, and the other to the temptations of riches or, to put it another way, one is called to the temptations of the desert, and the other to the temptations of the city.

The moral of the story is that we each have to follow our vocation; to be who we are. Our Hild liturgy puts it well as we each pray, 'Lord, show me the right seat; Find me the fitting task; Give me the willing heart.'

The Desert Fathers and Mothers retreated to the outskirts of the cities and into the Deserts of Egypt, Syria and Palestine to think through the meaning of such change and to find a different way of being a Christian in the world.

Paradoxically so many people came to them for spiritual guidance, help and instruction so that within 50 years eyewitness accounts reported that the population of the desert equalled that of the towns. Some of the pilgrims stayed and this became the beginnings of Community. However, the Desert Fathers again sought solitude and withdrew from the new Community expression but the cycle repeated itself, resulting in many Communities springing up all over. Much of what was taught was in the form of pithy sayings and observations of wisdom. Here is a good example:

A brother came to visit Abba Sylvanus at Mount Sinai. When he saw the brothers working hard, he said to the old man, "Do not work for food that perishes, for Mary has chosen the good part." Then the old man called his disciple, "Zachary, give this brother a book and put him in an empty cell." Now when it was three o'clock the brother kept looking out of the door to see if someone would call him for the meal. But nobody called him, so he got up, went to see the old man, and asked: "Abba, didn't the brothers eat today?" The old man said, "Of course we did." "Then why didn't you call me?" he said. The old man replied, "You are a spiritual person, and do not need that kind of food, but since we are earthly, we want to eat and that's why we work. Indeed you have chosen the good part, reading all day long, and not wanting to eat earthly food." When the brother heard this he repented and said, "Forgive me, Abba." Then the old man said to him: "Mary certainly needed Martha, and it is really by Martha's help that Mary is praised'.

MONASTICISM

Antony of Egypt is generally regarded as the original desert father. He exemplified the Anchorites, those who were largely hermits, living in isolation. His life became the first written account of the monastic expression becoming widely read and revered.

Community life in a monastic sense first appeared with Pachomius in the 4 th Century. These were Cenobites, paradoxically described by Pachomius as 'a community of hermits', each living alone in their own cells yet together in work and worship.

The term Monasticism helps us to answer the question, what is a monk? The root word Monachos means 'alone, solitary'. In the beginning it stood for the ascetic who was not married and lived alone. Cenobites did not use this word in the beginning preferring 'brother'. However it quickly acquired a deeper meaning: a person who is 'one' in his inmost being. It means a person united within himself, a person with a single gaze, a single desire. Monos = monk, one, single minded; and this 'one thing necessary' was seeking God in repentance because it was a continual confrontation with the Cross, with self, with sin, with the wrong of the world.

The link between Celtic spirituality and desert spirituality is monasticism and Celtic spirituality embraced the meaning of the desert symbolically and metaphorically. Jesus used the term 'desert' in this way - a good example is Mark 6:31 where Jesus using the word for desert says 'Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest' Not a reference to desert dryness, uninhabited waste but a picture of solitude, stillness, the heart alone with God. Same word used in Luke 4:42 'At daybreak Jesus went to a solitary place.' Also Luke 6:12, 9:18, 11:1 - a place of privacy, aloneness, often whole nights in close company with his Father, expressive of his single minded devotion to the Father's will. Latin = solitudo. Russian = Poustinia, Greek = Eremos - stillness, desert, lonely place. A further understanding was seen in the example of the Temptations of Jesus. The desert for Jesus was a period of testing and discovery and just as He was 'led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted of the devil' so it would be for those who sought to follow Him. There is a strong tradition that Jesus (like his cousin John the Baptist before him) spent many of the so called hidden years in the desert regions. Jesus spent 18 years hidden; and only 3 years in public ministry.

So putting these together the desert was not just a place, a physical location but a type of Christian experience. It was a journey - an inner journey of the heart. The Bible begins in a Garden and ends in a City but much of the terrain in between is a desert. This was the ethos of what became monasticism - the inner journey of abandonment, stripping away, a place of encounter and discovery, of identity and vocation, of testing and preparation of heart for the life God has for us.

NORTHUMBRIA COMMUNITY

As a Community we are following on in our own generation this tradition. Our core vision is to respond to the call of God to seek Him in and through the embracing, exploring and expressing of a new monastic spirituality as a different way of living in and relating to, today's world.

This is our heart, our reason to be, the constant theme of Psalm 27. 'One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. To behold the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.' It is the daily renewal of our vows encapsulated in our morning office 'Who is it that you seek?'

It is the continual commitment to 'the one thing necessary.' Single minded focus on the mystery of God in Christ, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life, not only in the narrow 'evangelical' interpretation of doctrinal exclusiveness but in the deeper awareness that all things come together in and through Christ. Then to offer the fruit of our life in incarnational ordinariness with all who come our way, cross our path in the everydayness of our roles, responsibilities and relationships, asking with them 'How then shall we live? How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?'

BACKGROUND

As a Community we have been and are united in this quest for 'a new monasticism' a Northumbrian spirituality. Not as an escapist, nostalgic quest for a golden era that didn't exist or to replicate the past but informed by the Celtic monastic tradition which is our heritage, we are 'looking with them to Him who inspires us both' in order to find a way to engage with the paradox and complexities of real life as it is, by drawing from the well of faith and love for the Lord expressed in that period of our history, and applying it to our contemporary situation.

Two of the more significant milestones in the journey of seeking to understand ourselves was a] the discovery of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and in particular his belief that 'The renewal of the church will come from a new type of monasticism which only has in common with the old an uncompromising allegiance to the Sermon on the Mount. It is high time men and women banded together to do this'

And b] strongly identifying with those believers described by William Stringfellow in his book 'An ethic for Christians and other aliens in a strange land' as the hidden future of the Church 'Dynamic and erratic, spontaneous and radical, audacious and immature, committed if not altogether coherent. Ecumenically open and often experimental, visible here and there, now and then but unsettled institutionally. Almost monastic in nature but most of all enacting a fearful hope for society.'

All this resonated with us as we firmly believed (and still believe) that we are experiencing as a Community, (along with many, many others) a 'holy restlessness' and a 'divine concern' regarding the nature of faith, which for us has only begun to make sense of the nonsense within us and around us through an embracing of monastic values and disciplines. Why is this? Because these distinct values enable us to 'marry' the inner journey, the landscape of the heart - a call to repentance, a call to self denial, and a call to recognise and to resist evil - with the outer journey, the landscape of the land, which has given us a platform to 'find a different way' of being a Christian in the society that we live in.

The whole purpose of the Nether Springs was to have a place, a residential centre, rooted in the spirituality of Northumbria, where we could explore and research this call of God, where we could be ourselves, no pretence or having to behave, while seeking God for Himself and getting to know our own hearts and at the same time, provide a facility for others to join us in their individual search for God.

MONASTICISM OLD AND NEW

In order for us to understand about 'a new monasticism' we needed to understand a little about 'old' monasticism because it was from that tradition that we drew so much. In this we were influenced by the way of life expressed in the monastic Community's at Roslin in Scotland and at Clonfert in Ireland, where Roland Walls and Michael Cullen respectively gave significant example.

We discovered that monasticism is 'a way of life with a spiritual goal which transcends the objectives of this earthly life. The attainment of this goal is considered the 'one thing necessary.' Christian monasticism i.e. that which is centred in and consecrated to Christ being informed, inspired and illumined by His Love) has three essential elements namely, Separation from the world, Ascetical practices, Mystical Aspiration.

A] Separation from the world - the physical separation of the enclosure; a tonsure, a distinctive habit etc. all of which marked the separateness.

B] Ascetical Practices - Poverty, chastity, obedience, regularity of life in a Community under a Rule, stability, self denial, silence, solitude, cultivation of lectio divina, public prayer of the Church e.g. the story in Exodus 17 where the continuous prayer of the liturgical offices is likened to the holding up the hands of Moses, and engaging in spiritual warfare.

C] Mystical Aspiration - Searching for God in his Absolute Mystery and Beyondness. God is both concealed and revealed. Contemplation of Christ the Living Word and of Christ in the written Word, allowing self to be caught up in the movement of repentance, of returning to God. Giving oneself to His action in us thro Availability and Vulnerability, surrender, abandonment, and prayer.

A new monasticism which is 'An interior monasticism of the heart' seeks to draw from these truths and attempts to live a contemporary expression of 'contemplation in a world of action.' So the differences are in emphases

A] Separation - not separatism, isolationist but withdrawal as strategic retreat. An awareness of the importance of the inner journey, poustinia, cloister of the heart, solitude, hiddenness, alone yet together.

B] Ascetical practises - a way for living that incorporates the spiritual disciplines to encourage this interior vigilence. Ascesis = training, living. It is training for life needing a Rule of life, a rhythm of prayer, a reason to be. Seeking God, knowing self so as to better live with others. So we have both solitude and Community, both Alone and Together as spiritual disciplines. This is seeking "truth in the inward parts" Ps 51, a life of repentance, humility and teachableness with a willingness to embrace the spiritual disciplines that bring life.

C] Mystical aspiration - awareness of God as Mystery, seeking God, longing, monasticism of the heart, compunction, a contemplative approach to life and prayer where an awareness of the cell, Desert, dark night, inner life, logismoi, monsters is needed. This is where God is concealed from us yet revealed to us in the paradoxical 'ever-present absence of God'..

All the spiritual disciplines and monastic values are there not as ends in themselves but as aids, tools, signposts to the heart of it all which is Christ. Thus we have many of our daily meditations (e.g. Day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 17, 21 etc ) pointing to the inner journey as paramount and foundational.

This is our ethos, our heart, that which gives us identity. It is something we can only do alone but we are Together in our Aloneness. We have many Companions sharing our journey. It is the 'single minded search for God' given coherence by desert and Celtic spirituality which was essentially monastic and any expression of Monasticism stands in the wisdom tradition which is not an accumulation of knowledge for its own sake, but a constant application to life actually lived 'A wise person does not gather and dispense insights, but rather has the heart to live those insights'

1] MONASTIC DISCERNMENT - Relationship with God, self and others

2] MONASTIC DISCIPLINE - Rule of life - Availability and Vulnerability

3] MONASTIC DAY - Rhythm of prayer and life, giving a pattern to my days

MONASTIC DISCERNMENT

This was the purpose of going to the Cell. Your cell may have a physical representation; a hut or poustinia, a chair in a corner of a room etc. But whatever it is, it is symbolic of the heart alone with God. This is the heart of the inner journey. It is encounter and discernment of that which is constructive and destructive, enabling us to choose life and not death.

That process of looking inward in order to discover the true self as opposed to the false self, the deeper meaning of all your actions and reactions, and this 'going to the cell' would eventually teach you everything and so bring you closer to the true humanity of Christlikeness.

One of the first effects of 'going to the cell' is the release of the energies of the unconscious, which gives rise to two different psychological states:-

a] Exposure to the love of God: expressed and experienced in our personal development in the form of spiritual consolation; experiencing his mercy, grace and forgiveness in Christ through his Cross.

b] Exposure to the sinfulness of humanity: experiencing our own human weakness through humiliating self knowledge and encounter with the false self, the dark side of our personality. 'It takes a moment to get you out of Egypt but a lifetime to get Egypt out of you.'

This dual awareness is what the Fathers called 'compunction' and it's captured in the hymn 'Beneath the Cross of Jesus two wonders I confess: the wonder of his glorious love and my own worthlessness.

MONASTIC DISCIPLINE

This is why a Rule of life is absolutely essential to any monastic expression. It says this is who we are, this is our story and all who are part of us must keep to and live in the story that God has written as foundational. Monastic stability is to be accountable to a Rule of life NOT to a set of rules that restrict or deny life. It is, to use the words of Benedict 'simply a handbook to make the very radical demands of the gospel a practical reality in daily life'.

A Rule is like a pair of eye glasses (spectacles) - we don't look AT them but THROUGH them to life. How foolish to constantly look at them, the gold frames the bi-focul lenses and never look through them so as to actually see.

The word comes from the Old English REULE. In Latin it is REGULA which means 'rhythm, regularity of pattern, a recognisable standard' for the conduct of life. Esther De Waal writes that the Latin REGULA 'is a feminine noun which carried gentle connotations'. Not harsh negatives that we often associate with the phrase 'rules and regulations' today.

Esther De Waal tells us that the word has a root meaning of 'a signpost' which has a purpose of pointing away from itself so as to inform the traveller that they are going in the right direction on their journey. It would be foolish to claim we have arrived at our destination if in fact we are only at a signpost, however near or far from the destination it is.

Another root meaning of REGULA is 'a banister railing' which is something that gives support as you move forward, climbing or descending on your journey.

A Rule of life gives creative boundaries and spiritual disciplines while still leaving plenty of room for growth, development and flexibility. It gives us something to hold on to as we journey in our search for God, and when we be blown off course, it gives a safe haven to come back to. It gives us a means of perception, a way of seeing so that we can attempt to handle our lives and relationships wisely. This is why we can all be helped by embracing a

MONASTIC DAY

A workable rhythm to your day that draws from Monastic values that actually works for you according to your own unique situation and circumstances. It has to bring life and freedom not straightjacket you.

Our Rule of life is deliberately flexible and adaptable. It is also timeless because it does not PRESCRIBE, it PROVOKES. It is descriptive rather than prescriptive! It's the very opposite - its seek God for yourself, who you are, where you are - with your unique experience, knowledge and understanding of life. With all your idiosyncrasies, prejudices and crap - bring it all to the Rule of Availability and Vulneraility. We must hold it loosely so as to make our own discoveries. To realise there won't always be an answer so we keep asking/living the questions.

How then shall we live? Who is God? Who am I? What is Real?

It is to realise that God gives different answers to different people in different situations and circumstances, which is why we can't prescribe, can't meet individual agenda's and expectations.

In many ways it would be so much easier to say this is the prescription - do this, don't do that - take 3 Hail Mary's, 2 Our Father's 4 times a day. It has to be broad strokes, general principles to which you apply your specifics - your own unique set of circumstances and relationships.

Henri Nouwen expresses it well when he speaks of the spiritual life being a constant reaching out in the midst of paradox and chaos to these three areas of connectedness. This Reaching Out constitute the three Movements of the Spiritual Life.

1] Connecting in relation to self - From loneliness to solitude. With courageous honesty to our inmost selves, facing inner restlessness, our passions, weaknesses.

2] Connecting in relation to others - From hostility to hospitality. With relentless care to others, despite our mixed feelings and hostility.

3] Connecting in relation to God - From illusion to prayer. With increasing prayer to God, facing our doubts, disappointments and darkness. Living in incarnational reality.

It is the call to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, strength - to love our neighbour as ourselves - to love one another as Christ has loved us.

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Understanding Desert Monasticism - Northumbria Community

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In this transcript of a retreat talk, Trevor Miller offers an outline for Understanding Desert Monasticism. DESERT FATHERS In the early centuries of the Church's history, spreading as it did along the trade routes of the Middle East and the Mediterranean and Aegean coastlands, places of worship were the homes of believers or the open ...

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The word Copt is an english word taken from the Arabic word Gypt, which literally means Egyptian. However, in contemporary usage, Coptic refers to Egyptian Christians. Today, Copts form almost 13 to 15% of Egypt's population, even though they are not ethnically distinct from other Egyptians as they are fully integrated into the body of the Modern Egyptian Nation.

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A presentation on Carmelite spirituality for a spirituality class project at Archbishop Hoban High School.

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General Understanding of Benedictine Monasticism 

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General Understanding of Benedictine Monasticism 

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Today, the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, we take a look at Carmelite spirituality and at a new and growing community of Carmelite monks in Wyoming.

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Monks of the Desert - Dear Abbot: How do you find balance in your monastic life?

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Music video by Monks of the Desert performing Dear Abbot: How do you find balance in your monastic life?. (C) 2012 Sony Music Entertainment