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Glory to Jesus Christ,

Dear Friends,

Just a few thoughts on the discussions on monasticism in the Eastern Catholic Churches for whatever they may be worth.
I am a life-long "thoroughbred" Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic with lineage in this Church that can be traced back 300 years through married priests families. Growing up I witnessed and was a part of some developemental years of our Church in America especially in what eventually became the Eparchy of Parma. Given this, I believe that everything comes down to a vision for our Church.
I believe that a deep seated "identity" problem and sense of inferiority is, so to speak, the "original sin" of the Eastern Catholic Churchs which I believe is at the root of all of our "growing pains."

I believe everything comes down to developing a vision for our Church. This essentially means a complete and comprehensive spiritual renewal of our Church. Spiritual renewal is really not
"newal." Rather, it is looking at "old things" but in a "new" way. I believe our Church is standing in a type of "Judgement Day" where we are being asked, "What are we doing and why do we do it?" This is being asked about every dimension of our Church down to the smallest detail.

I believe that one of the things that has to be looked at in our Church is how views and habits from secular and non-Eastern influences have formed some aspects of our church (or rather deformed it.) In regard to monasticism, the fact that we would even have any confusion, arguing, etc. over something that is the heart of our Church points to a need to look at our "vision" of Church itself.

A Church can exist on three levels: survival, maintaining or visioning. A Church that stays in the visioning mode is a Church that thrives and thriving is what a Church by nature is supposed to. (Jesus did not shed His blood just for us to barely hang on!) It is not enough just try to survive. I think we have to abandon all policies and actions that are suvival based and exchange them for those that are vision based.

Basically the Byzantine Castholic Church is in survival mode or maintenance mode at best. This causes us to think very utilitarian and pragmatic.
I belive this in turn gives rise to a confusion of vision in the value of monasticism, especially Eastern monasticism. As Church we tend to see eastern monastics as useless and counterproductive because the monks are not helping to "cover" parishes we fear that they will on various levels drain away resources from parishes that are in survival mode. Or futhermore we are just plain afraid of authentic eastern monasticism because we tend to crystallize our vison of the "Greek Catholic" Church according to what we all individually think it should be.

I believe the solution is to renew our vision of Church. This would help us to redisover the nature and value of eastern monasticism. Then we could "invest" in its development.

Furthermore, and hang on to your keyboards for this one: In order to renew our vision of monasticism we must first renew or vision of human sexuality. Yes, you heard this right! I am a student and pracatitioner of John Paul II's (VERY EASTERN) Theology of the Body. In this teaching, we see how monasticism (celibacy) and marriage are absolutely interdependent. Where there is a breakdown in one,there is a corresponding breakdown in the other. This will take some explaining but Monk Maxiomos wrote a brilliant article on an aspect of this which one of you made reference to recently.

My point is, do you see how deeply and how urgent is our need for a total vision for our Church?
--Fr. Thomas J. Loya, STB., MA.

"we see how monasticism (celibacy) and marriage are absolutely interdependent. Where there is a breakdown in one,there is a corresponding breakdown in the other. This will take some explaining but Monk Maxiomos wrote a brilliant article on an aspect of this which one of you made reference to recently."

My point is, do you see how deeply and how urgent is our need for a total vision for our Church?
--Fr. Thomas J. Loya, STB., MA. [/QB][/QUOTE]

Is this article available online? Thank you.

Father,

I'm glad that you are laying out the intellectual foundation for this vision instead of giving us bits and pieces of what you would like to see happen. I can see clearly how monasticism, celibacy, and marriage form a whole vision and aren't disjointed parts. While I wish the Church weren't crumbling in places I can see that running around with band aides will not help the situation. We must look at the entire picture and then when that is in focus begin to reconstruct each piece so that the picture will be revealed.

I gather that's similar to iconography.

Dan L

The article on celibacy was mentioned by me recently when I thanked him for it in a thread with Fr. Maximos discussing their potential future change of jurisdiction to the Romanian Eparchy of Canton.

The article is wonderful and I have used it in both my college class as well as in catechetical efforts. It is called "Celibacy in Context" and can be found at:
http://www.firstthings.com/ftissues/ft0212/opinion/davies.html

Amen. Amen. Amen.

In a sense the entire sum and purpose of a monk or nun is to envision. We are called to re-imagine what human beings are capable of, refusing to accept any limits to the freedom all men and women are called to enjoy in Christ. This is why Pope John Paul, echoing the Fathers, insisted that eastern monasticism sets the standard for Christian living: not because of what its practitioners achieve, but because of what they insist it is possibleto achieve.

Of course, monasteries themselves can easily fall into an insitutional mindset and become overly concerned more about mere survival or maintainence. The cenobia themselves need the even more radical witness of the hermits and holy fools. But even so, there is something about the "uselessness" of even the most mundane monastery that is revelatory of the mystery of the Church to Whom is given all good things, nothing lacking.

A monastery reminds the Church that She does not exist as part of God's "improvement program" for the world. God has already emptied Himself for the world and nothing more is lacking. All that remains is to praise Him, both by our prayers and by our unceasing repentance through which we confess His love for us. Survival is the work of fallen humanity. Maintenance belongs to those who cannot trust the promises of the Lord Who clothes even the flowers of the field. In the end 'envisioning' is the only truly Christian action. The only proper worship we can render is to accept the Lord's vision for us, to become "holy and blameless in His sight all the days of our life."

unworthy monk Maximos

Beautiful. Simply beautiful. Thanks for this.

One might also mention evangelism and good shepherding. The great commission may be about an "improvement program" for the world, but it is ISTM, about one for man.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Fatherthomasloya:
[QB] Glory to Jesus Christ,

Dear Friends,

Just a few thoughts on the discussions on monasticism in the Eastern Catholic Churches for whatever they may be worth.
I am a life-long "thoroughbred" Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic with lineage in this Church that can be traced back 300 years through married priests families. Growing up I witnessed and was a part of some developemental years of our Church in America especially in what eventually became the Eparchy of Parma. Given this, I believe that everything comes down to a vision for our Church.
I believe that a deep seated "identity" problem and sense of inferiority is, so to speak, the "original sin" of the Eastern Catholic Churchs which I believe is at the root of all of our "growing pains."

I believe everything comes down to developing a vision for our Church. This essentially means a complete and comprehensive spiritual renewal of our Church. Spiritual renewal is really not
"newal." Rather, it is looking at "old things" but in a "new" way. I believe our Church is standing in a type of "Judgement Day" where we are being asked, "What are we doing and why do we do it?" This is being asked about every dimension of our Church down to the smallest detail.

Dear Father Thomas,

I am glad that you have mentioned the smallest of things being of great importance.

The November before Archbishop Judson's passage into life everlasting, I was on the phone with his Eminence and we were discussing, somewhat heatedly, the possibility of opening a parish, and I was talking about a retreat center, a monastic community and a retirement facility for priests and asking for permission to begin fundraising, for I had a good property in mind and potential donors. I needed help in making things move. He did not give his permission, citing the horrible financial affairs of the entire Metropolia and suggested that if I thought I had a vocation to contact the Sisters in Uniontown. So that is what happened to one vision that I know of with more than passing familiarity.

I then turned to a more familiar topic which was the plummeting morale of the clergy in the Passaic diocese. And of course the Archbishop informed me that he had no authority to interfere in the affairs of any other bishop in this sui juris Church, for which he was the Metropolitan Archbishop. I suggested to him at the time that attitude perhaps needed a bit of re-visioning or we would die from neglect and internal abuse of power.

Archbishop Judson was a very gracious and good hearted man, and a good Father to me, personally. However difficult the words that passed between us, there was understanding and care and concern for the Church. But it did not, could not seem to override something which allows good men to be butchered in their vocations and predators to be coddled.

Now I am not going to rain down any more trouble on the beleaguered heads of clergy by telling tales on a public bulletin board, but I am not totally ill informed for I have been in touch with a canonist all these years looking for the moment and the manner with which to redress the situation. So I know of the difficulties dealing with this kind of thing one instance at a time. It takes a concerted and joint effort but fear is the ruler to this moment, and unchecked power corrupts still.

But I will tell you, mutt to thoroughbred, that our clergy are being treated as less than the smallest things, and until that ceases, there will be no one to carry out any vision at all.

Blessings....Maru

I suppose hermits are slightly different than monastics in a sence that they are alone. I came across this article this morning about hermits on the upswing, both men and women...interesting!

It's a strange life. "The Desert Fathers say, 'Go into your cell and it will teach you everything'," she says. And for her, that everything is profound, indeed. A decade of solitude has taught her, she says, that she is as broken as anybody and that God's love is unconditional.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8186598/site/newsweek/

Thanks for this link Pani. I found it very interesting. In fact, I looked up the "Raven's Bread" newsletter for hermits they mentioned and found some great links to Carthusian monasteries and lay groups, including a great lay Carthusian forum (which has both Eastern and Western Catholics/Orthodox on it by the sound of it) on Yahoo Groups call the International Fellowship of St. Bruno. Wonderful.