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By Abbot Joseph of Mt. Tabor Monastery (originally published in "Gladsome Light," Summer 2003) we are constantly rediscovering what it means to be a monk" (Thomas Merton)
The vocation of the monk can be called a "mystery" in two senses of the word. Primarily it is a divine mystery, that is, a reality proceeding from God, at once hidden and revealed, expressing in its essence something of the grace, wisdom, peace, and fruitfulness of God. Monastic consecration is a mystery akin to the sacramental mysteries of the Church, in which an inner change is effected through an outward ritual or symbol and hence becomes a wellspring of Divine Energy. Yet this vocation is, to many (even sometimes to the monk himself), a "mystery" in the more common sense of the word. It is baffling, strange, something that cannot be figured out by rational analysis, something that eludes definition and even contradicts what many people regard as normal, sensible, and acceptable by the standards of today's world. Therefore I find myself searching in vain for adequate words to present to you the simple yet profound calling of the monk. I do not wish to say much here about poverty, chastity, and obedience, though they are important parts of the foundation of monastic life. Very much is said about the vows in other places. (As I was writing that sentence, I accidentally typed "wows" instead of "vows." Perhaps that could be a beginning of a meditation on those gifts of God!) But the essence of the vows will be implied in much of what follows. Essentially, the monastic life is a specific response of a restless heart to the call of the One in whom alone that heart can find rest. "Only in God is my soul at rest" (Psalm 61/62: 2). The Caller of Restless Hearts speaks to all, of course, but the monastic response is unlike most others. For the monastic way of life (unlike that of the Christian in the world) is not one that seeks to ennoble the elements of the secular life while simultaneously partaking of its joys and sorrows. It is rather one that endeavors to transcend the conventions of secular society in a single-minded, single-hearted pursuit of God – not for the sake of escaping the harsh realities of life through attaining mystical ecstasy, but for the sake of the transformation of the very world he has left behind, that the Light of Christ may shine on all who still may be living in the shadows of sin and death. But even this way of speaking is not entirely accurate, for the use of terms like "endeavor" and "pursuit" may give the impression that the monk is trying to achieve something by his own effort or strength, rather than hoping to receive something (for himself and others) through his radical availability for the movement of the Spirit of God. For it is the vocation of the monk to be an empty vessel, a listening heart, a faithful servant – like the Virgin Mary, who could pronounce an unconditional "yes" to the will of God, because her heart was already wholly with Him. She loved humanity like no other, yet she was not enmeshed in attachments that would diminish her freedom and availability to offer her whole life to God. Despite the impression one may get from reading literature on monastic life, it is not about a quest for personal perfection or self-mastery. As soon as the goal of monastic life becomes self-anything, the monk has lost his bearings and is on the road to pride, self-absorption, and ultimately a distaste for the things of God and hence a betrayal of his original calling. There is, to be sure, a goal for which the monk offers his life, but it is not one that requires him to pay much attention to himself or his own inner states, even for the sake of "seeking holiness." A monk, like any Christian, should seek God. Holiness will follow all by itself if our one desire is simply God. The Indian mystic, Sundar Singh, who became a disciple of Christ, once said: "When people ask me, 'What made you a follower of the Master?' I can only answer: the Master." The goal of monastic life is nothing less than the transfiguration of all humanity and the whole universe unto the image of the crucified and glorified Christ. Every deified soul contributes immensely to the radical renewal and salvation of the world. It's not that monks think they can accomplish this on their own. They just know that this goal is God's will, and they want to sacrifice their lives for the fulfillment of God's purpose in creating us in the first place. So what do monks do to that end? A question that has often been put to us is: "What do you guys do?" We may begin by saying that our vocation as contemplatives is to pray and intercede and worship and work, to share in Christ's agony and ecstasy, and thus to help restore the fallen world to God's original dream. The inevitable rejoinder is: "OK, but what do you guys do?" So, seeing that they are looking for a more active or productive dimension to monastic life, we might say that we run a retreat house and occasionally go out to preach retreats or give conferences, publish a quarterly newsletter, or (as we did in the past) host a summer theological institute. "Yeah, but like, what do you do?" Sigh. guess we really don't do anything that would satisfy those who simply must see a product that will somehow justify our existence. Thomas Merton once said that the only justification for monastic life is the glory of God. St Silouan of Athos had something to say about what monks do. "There are people who say that monks ought to be of some use in the world… but we have to understand the nature of a monk's services and the way in which he has to help the world. A monk is someone who prays for the whole world, who weeps for the whole world; and in this lies his main work… Thanks to monks, prayer continues unceasingly on earth, and the whole world profits, for through prayer the world continues to exist; but when prayer fails, the world will perish... Thus has the Holy Spirit schooled the monk to love God and to love the world... "Though a monk takes thought for earthly things, so far as is needful for the life of the body, his spirit burns with love for God; though he labor with his hands, in mind he continues with God… He will keep a conscience pure in all things… He humbles his soul, and by humility repulses the enemy from himself and from those that ask his prayers… Just as the angels perpetually serve God in spirit, so too must the mind of the monk ever dwell in God, and day and night meditate upon the word of God… The world does not know how a monk prays for the whole universe – people do not see his prayers and how they are received by the Lord in His mercy." So prayer is at the heart of the monastic vocation. Prayer is something that many people do not understand or do not value sufficiently. Even people who do pray may still not understand why one would wish to live a life of prayer. And there is also a more general attitude that is expressed in ways such as, "We've done all we can in this situation. There's nothing left to do but pray." Prayer is seen as a last resort, something one does as a kind of compensation for not being able to offer any practical help, something that is usually left to old ladies laden with prayer beads and holy cards, while those who really want to change the world get out there and make things happen. But people who have a deeper understanding of the mystery of the Body of Christ, of the profound and dynamic (though often invisible) interconnection of all created things and persons, will understand that prayer ought to be the first resort instead of the last. The ability to enter into communication and communion with the Ultimate Power and Wisdom and Personal Loving Sustainer, Origin and Destiny of the Whole Universe surely ought to merit some regard from those who would like to change the world for the better. When we say that a monk prays for the world, we are saying that "in his stillness he holds the whole of humanity close to the healing presence of God" (Andrew Louth). St Silouan understood this, so he entered a monastery where he could learn to pray without ceasing. A few other people understand this, and they try to keep prayer at the heart of their lives. Monks are called to change the world, that is, they are called to pray. Yet there are a couple of other things that monks have to do, although these, like everything else, are still related to prayer: monks have to go to work and go to war. Work is an important dimension in the life of monks, even though we don't do the 9 to 5. Actually, our day is more like the 5 to 9, starting early and going in and out of periods of prayer and work of various sorts until evening brings the deep silence. Whether it is manual or intellectual labor, the monk is required to give the best of his time and talents to the service of God and the community, to be productive and to avoid idleness at all costs. We know from the parable of the talents that slackers get the boot when it's time to pass out rewards. In recent years, much has been written on the dignity of work, but monks have known this all along. Monks have learned to combine prayer with work, and anything that is compatible with prayer is thereby ennobled, especially when it is consciously offered as a gift to God. Study is a kind of work as well. The mind has to be exercised along with the body and the spirit. Historically, monks have often been among those who have advanced the intellectual and cultural life of the Church and even of the secular society. Yet there is no college degree required for entering a monastery (not ours anyway!), only a heart that is willing to serve, to pray, to work, to grow, and to do all for the glory of God. But if the mind is not given anything to stretch its capacities to understand the marvelous works of God, it will atrophy, and the spirit will soon follow. Any other requirements? Oh yes, one also has to be willing to fight. A monk may be a pacifist when is comes to the wars of men, but in the arena of the soul he must continually fight the good fight, for the battle is with the "spiritual hosts of wickedness" (Ephesians 6: 12). The monk is on the "front line" of the spiritual warfare, starting with his own inner life and expanding to the cosmic battles of principalities and powers. Look at the face of an old, experienced monk, and you will see not merely the marks of aging, but war wounds: tracks of tears and the lines of long, silent struggles. But in his eyes there will still be burning the fire of love for God and the unshakable confidence that all things are accomplished, all enemies vanquished, through the grace of Christ who strengthens us. "Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2Timothy 3: 12). This "persecution" may at times take the form of attacks from outsiders and visible enemies, but more often than not the monk is persecuted by the invisible enemies, the powers of darkness and his own inner "demons" that must be exorcised by unceasing prayer and unswerving fidelity to the word of the Master. So, far from a boring (or even tranquil!) life, the monastic journey is a dangerous adventure, sometimes exhilarating, sometimes exhausting, but always with a deep undercurrent of peace and joy, for the love of God is poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, and the hope of heaven is ever alive. All of the above we do, not as solitary individuals, but as members of a body – the monastic community and the whole mystical Body of Christ. When the branches are connected to the Vine they are thereby connected to each other as well. Solitude and silence are indispensable for the monastic vocation of prayer and seeking God, but the more "outgoing" side of brotherly love, communication, and cooperation is also an important part of the whole picture. Part of the work of a community that is really alive in Christ is to continually seek the balance, amid the inner and outer vicissitudes of life, between silence and speaking, liturgy and contemplation, solitude and community, cloister and hospitality – in short, all the ways the monk must both bear fruit and share fruit. He has freely received and so must freely give, though always keeping vigilance over the inner treasure of the heart, the life of grace within. Looking back over this article, I see that I haven't really said much at all, haven't gone beneath the tip of the iceberg. I have touched on several essential points, but monasticism is still more profound, and hence elusive. It exists concretely only in the hearts of those who actually walk that path, who dare to delve into the Mystery, who are willing to pay the price (which you never know beforehand) of living a life which has no sense whatever apart from the mystifying, attracting, demanding, loving, all-embracing presence of the living God. Come what may, despite all changing trends and fashions, despite all the pendulum swings in the life of the Church and the mentality of the world, and in the midst of the sin and sorrows of life, "monks must be as trees which exist silently in the dark and by their vital presence purify the air" (Thomas Merton). By Abbot Joseph of Mt. Tabor Monastery (Adapted from his article published in “The Ukiah Daily Journal” March 22, 1991) "When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die," wrote Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The death to which we are called, according to St. Paul as well as monastic tradition, is the death of the "old man" within, who lives according to the flesh. We are to be stripped of vices and clothed with virtues (cf. Colossians 3:5-17), as testimony to the new life obtained for us at the price of Jesus’ blood. Monasticism in the Christian East reaches back to the early centuries of Christianity, taking root in the Holy Land and the desert of Egypt. There, many people heard the call to come and die, which is really the call to come and live, expressed in a radical lifestyle which takes the demands of the Gospel seriously. Monastic life, especially in the Eastern Churches, has always been a vital spiritual wellspring, and has influenced much of the spirituality and theological vision of Eastern Christianity. Although diminished in numbers today, Eastern Monasticism lives on (as for example at Mt. Tabor Monastery in Redwood Valley) and is showing clear signs of a strong revival. The basic monastic ethos can perhaps be expressed in Philippians 2:12-13: "…work out your own salvation in fear and trembling, for God is at work in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure." This passage underscores the Eastern concept of the "synergy" (literally "working with") of God and man in the unfolding of life in Christ. Grace is primary, for it is God at work in us. God loved us first, Christ died while we were sinners, salvation is a gift. Yet the "working out" of salvation implies human response to the divine initiative in Christ, and this response requires the self-sacrifice that is of the very nature of love. At the heart of Eastern Monasticism is prayer. The monk is nothing if not a man of prayer. God-seeking monks have always searched for the best way to live out St. Paul’s injunction: "pray without ceasing" (I Thessalonians 5:17). The traditional and most characteristic prayer of Eastern monks is the Jesus Prayer. This prayer is based upon the biblical theology of and reverence for the name of God. Its formula - "Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner" - is drawn chiefly from the prayer of the publican (Luke 18:13) and that of Bartimaeus (Mark 10:47), remembering that "everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13). The more one prays this prayer with the lips, the more it becomes rooted in the mind and heart, until life becomes a ceaseless communion with the Lord, and the precious name of Jesus becomes one with breath and heartbeat. There are many dimensions to monastic prayer. The highest form of prayer is that of praise and worship, expressed chiefly in the several hours of daily services in church. Thus God is worshiped for His own sake, simply because He is worthy of adoration. It is also a characteristically monastic ministry to stand before God like Moses on the mountain (cf. Exodus 17:8-13), interceding for those fighting in the valley below. Prayer is a means of repentance and of "spiritual warfare" as well (cf. Ephesians 6:10-20), not only against the demons without, but also against the passions within. Monastic ascetical practices, such as fasting and vigils, are meant to detach us from our self-will and to curb the inevitable human inclination to sin. They tend to expose, for our self-knowledge, what is still "of the flesh" within us. This is therapeutic, for a hidden wound cannot be healed. Bodily asceticism is the foundation of the more spiritual asceticism of learning to live in humility, peace and forgiveness, and charity with those around us. We were created in the image of God, which was not destroyed but only obscured and disfigured by sin. Through the grace of God and our humble efforts to live the Gospel, the image is gradually restored. The flesh with its passions and desires is crucified, faith works through love, and we begin to bear the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:6,22,24). Thus the goal of the whole monastic endeavor (as well as of all Christian life) is theosis, or becoming "partakers of the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4). In this age the value of lifetime commitment, the sense of the transcendent, and the desire to take up the cross and follow Jesus are met with indifference, ridicule, or even hostility. Monastic life stands as a witness against the prevailing spirit of "the world" and for the message of the Gospel. This witness begins in the depth of the human heart. Alexander Solzhenitsyn once said: "If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?" A monk is a man "who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart" for Christ’s sake, for the salvation of others and for his own deeper communion with God. He knows that this will cost him much. He also knows that the price is not too high, for the goal is everlasting life. ADMISSION
After a man who believes he is called to monastic life has corresponded with the novice master, a time of observership is arranged to make a formal visit to the monastery. During his stay, he participates in the full schedule and activities of the monastery, allowing him to observe the practical aspects of our daily life. If the observer, together with the monastic community, should discern that he is indeed called to monastic life, he applies for entrance and provides the necessary documentation—i.e. a physical examination and a psychological evaluation, and three character references. He is then received as a postulant for a period of time lasting at least 6 months. He is then tonsured, invested, and re-named as a novice-monk. In the Eastern tradition, novitiate varies according to the spiritual maturity of the novice but ordinarily lasts approximately three years. Through the rite of Monastic Consecration he becomes fully committed to monastic life for the rest of his days. It has been our experience, however, that three years is generally not enough time to prepare a lifetime commitment to monasticism. We are in the process of establishing the requirement of "temporary profession" for a year or two at a time, renewable if necessary, until it is as clear as it can possibly be that a man is ready and able to live the monastic life perpetually. We realize that this is not part of the ancient monastic tradition, and we wouldn't even consider it if we didn't deem it necessary. Eastern Canon Law does allow for it, however, so it is still under the blessing of the Church. We have to do all we can to ensure that a man will make good his commitment to the Lord.
After a year of practical discernment, our community has begun to live what we would call a "semi-eremitical" life. That is, we now pray many of the Offices in the cells so as to reduce distractions and go deeper into prayer, giving even the Divine Office a more contemplative character. We still have daily Divine Liturgy in church (the Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts during Lent) as well as most of the major hours for Sundays and Feastdays, and on certain other occasions, so that there is still a balance between prayer and worship in common and in solitude. Meals are generally in common as well. Anyone who would apply for entrance into our monastery would have to have the necessary spiritual and psychological maturity to be able to spend significant amounts of time in solitude, and sufficient self-discipline and integrity to be trusted to pray some of the Offices on his own.
OBSERVERS Definition: Observers are heterosexual Catholic men, 21 to 49 years old, seriously interested in discerning their vocation to the monastic life as it is incarnated at Holy Transfiguration Monastery. They come to the monastery for a determined amount of time in order to experience and share in our daily life and schedule. Regulations and Information Regarding Observers: a. Each observer makes arrangements for his visit to the monastery through the novice master, who is responsible for him during his stay. b. In general, it is expected that some time of correspondence has transpired between the observer and the novice master. This will enable the individual to receive basic information about the monastery and for us to acquire the same of the individual in order to assist better with the process of discernment. It is best to identify any obstacles that would prevent an individual from pursuing a monastic vocation before he comes for observership. c. The period of observership will be determined before the individual comes to the monastery. In general, observership usually lasts about 2 to 4 weeks, but may be shorter, if, for example, one cannot get sufficient time off from work. After this period, the observer will return home in order to reflect on his experience and to seek God’s will regarding his vocation, as well as to provide the monastic community with the opportunity to discern whether or not the individual may be invited to return as a postulant. d. Observers are received as guests of the monastery and enjoy all the privileges as well as the responsibilities of visitors (see posted rules in the guest house). However, in order to allow for better contact with the monastic community and to experience something of the general life of the monastery, the observer is expected to participate in work, meals, and recreation with the monks. He will also be allowed inside the cloister for specific reasons and at designated times. Access to the library must be determined by the Abbot. Observers are not allowed inside the cloister after Compline. The use of the phone is made available through the permission of the novice master. e. The observer is free to terminate his stay at any time, or he may be asked to leave the monastery at the request of the novice master or the Abbot. f. The observer is to be responsible for all his own expenses while in the monastery as well as to have the necessary means to return home. PRIESTLY, RELIGIOUS AND SEMINARIAN OBSERVERS Any observer who is a priest, religious, or seminarian must have written permission from his Bishop or superior and must provide the monastery with the address of this Bishop or superior in order that he may be contacted as a reference. For information concerning vocations or retreats, or for liturgy requests, write to the Monks of Mt. Tabor, P.O. Box 217, Redwood Valley, CA, 95470-0217. Or, FAX (707) 485-1122. Or,
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onks are a curious breed. They don't really fit the mentality of the modern world. Monks are unknown or misunderstood or disdained or simply ignored by just about everyone, though they are appreciated and even loved by those who do understand. For some, the existence of monks is a comfort; for others, a prick of the conscience. In the eyes of some, monks are useless and dusty relics of an irrelevant past; in the eyes of others they are prophetic witnesses to the world. It is characteristic of the monk, however, that none of the above really matters a whole lot to him. He has a calling from God and he simply goes about following it.
