www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology How do we go about fostering more monastic vocations

I read this article last night, Decline in Religious Voacations [cwnews.com] . It seems to me that we are experiencing a decline in the consecrated monastic/religious life. How do we encourage more vocations to this special calling that has contributed so much to Byzantine and Orthodox Churches?

In IC XC,
Father Anthony+

Fr. Anthony,

I cannot speak to the Orthodox Church, but believe I have some insights into the Byzantine Churches. The major problem has been that there has been little or no support for the monastic life and the monastaries we do have (look at the fact that Holy Resurrection transferred from the Ruthenians to the Romanians).

As with any vocation, support has to come from the top down. We need to be looking for people who we believe are called to a monastic life, and then inviting them to consider it, supporting them with prayer, and getting involved.

The same is true for vocations to the secular clergy.

Fr. Deacon Edward

Dear Father Deacon Ed,

All you have to do for the Orthodox Churches, in your statement is change the word Byzantine for Orthodox.

In IC XC,
Father Anthony+

"Support from the top down" can have different shades of meaning.

Fr Deacon Ed, what do you have in mind when you make this statement?

Actually, I disagree. Support has to come from the domestic Church- the family home. More monastic and/or clerical vocations are thwarted within the family than from the "top." Many families can speak of the dearth of vocations, but how many parents encourage their sons and daughters to even consider a vocation in the Church. Statistics are pointing towards an increase of men and women who consider a vocation at a later age, even after a secular career. Many factors can explain this, but one thing is evident in my mind, i.e., the vocation was not nutured while at home. In my own case I speak from experience.

Convincing our faithful that Articifial birth control is really not of God would help also. If our hierarchs would stop opposing the monasteries we have or at least stop appearing to not support them that too would help.

CDL

1. A "ByzaTeens" event should be held at a monastery.

2. Advertise.

3. Retreats sponsored by THE BISHOP.


Also, the Monastics should consider brewing and selling beer.
Authentic Trappist Product [orval.be]

Dear Father Anthony,

Bless.

and Dear Father Deacon Ed,

This is a very grave situation we face. As you can see from the poll created for those willing to participate in a vocations program that is modified for distance learning, we have a strong interest. Out of 29 people participating in the poll, there are currently 23 positive reactions to a program of this nature.

Father Jack Custer provided a detailed synopsis of the difficulties a program of this nature entails and that it is currently not feasible for the Byzantine Catholic Church at this time.

It appears to me, now more so than before, that we work out the red tape with our Eastern Brethren and create some type of generic Deacon's program, with the fine tuning relative to the specific traditions handled at the parish and sui iuris seminary level (pertaining to rubrics, etc.). Once there is a fresh group of worthy candidates, then our current Deacons, married included, who are being called by Our Lord to higher service, can begin to pursue those callings.

In another post regarding "Anaphorae of Mar Theodore and Mar Nestorius", Incognitus states:

These are extremely true words. And I feel the time is now. Father Loyola discusses how the Church may have to be rebuilt from the ground upwards. I believe it is integral that we reclaim what is rightfully ours, and seek what is promised by Rome, and that is the married priesthood.

The creation of an Eastern Learning Institution, supported and membered by representatives of all the Eastern Churches (Byzantine Catholic and Orthodox (Melkite, Ruthenian, Ukrainian, Greek, Russian, Antiochian etc.)) could head this and utilize and provide additional resources from a seminary already designed for distance learning to kick off the program.

I realize this is only a dream, but I also believe it can make a difference, even if small. For every single new vocation, the needs of one more parish has been filled.

Last but not least, this new Eastern Committee would also be supportive of the establishment and support of Eastern Monasteries.

Sorry for the rambling post.

In Christ,

Michael

Fr. Anthony, your blessing.

I can only offer what are my own thoughts.

I think we can foster monastic and religious life in large part by making it part of our parish and home life. In that way the religious life does not seem to be something odd, but it is normal. My priest once told my wife and I that living secular �normal� lives is in fact not normal to God. That is abnormal, being normal is being religious.

Specifically then what can we do? I think taking seriously the practices that are standard in monasteries. Fasting, observing all services, praying regularly and with a rule, and so on. Teach our children that these things are part of a normal existence. Make the house a little monastery of sorts, build an icon corner, keep a vigil lamp burning. Little things like that.

I think we should also as Orthodox Christians keep as a focus the fact that our spirituality is really born out of the monastic experience. The typikon, our theology and so on. The monks and nuns are the best living role models for managing our own ascetic struggles. They have saved the church when it has been at its low points, and may yet again.

Every parish should emphasize these things, priests in my opinion should encourage visiting monasteries. The practices standard in the monasteries that I noted above I think should be encouraged as well. Book tables and libraries should be stocked with the stories of holy monks and elders. Parish spiritual formation groups should address monasticism and monastic topics. Parents should look at religious vocations as a tremendous triumph for a child, and not a failure.

Those are a few of the things that come to my mind. I don�t know what the overall state of monasticism is in the country. The web page listing Orthodox Monasteries of North America [omna.malf.net] by my rough count says there are around 80 monasteries and sketes in the country. Given the size of Orthodoxy here, I would think that isn�t too bad. I�m sure things could be better though. I know several people who have gone to the Ephraimite monastery in Arizona, and they said it is a model for what a monastery should be.

Personally, I know one person who is seriously considering a monastic vocation, and she also has a close acquaintance who is as well. Our priests brother in law is just now preparing to leave the world and begin his novitiate. There are people out there willing to take this step.

Andrew

When I said Advertised I had in mind the recent BBC reality show in which X number of people spent X number of months in a monastery. To make a long story short they claimed it "changed" their lifes.

Today people don't really know any thing about the monastic life. To put a twist on a popular phrase, "It's education stupid." (It's the economy stupid)

Fr. Deacon John:

When I say "from the top down" I mean that our bishops must support, and be seen to support, the monastaries. I don't see this happening.

Beyond that, we who are clerics need to express both the joy of our own vocations as well as the need for more men and women to not just consider, but actively pursue the monastic life!

I fully agree that the domestic Church can be a significant factor in leading young people into or away from a vocational call that God may have planted in their hearts. But, again, that is where we as clerics, especially priests who do house blessings and all who serve as spiritual fathers need to be sensitive. We can help families come to understand that a call from God is not something we can easily set aside.

Fr. Deacon Edward

Fr Deacon Edward:

Thanks for the clarification.

Monastic vocations, like those of the secular clergy, need to be "home grown," i.e., vocations must be encouraged within the domestic Church and nurtured by the Bishop as the Father of the local Church. In the end, however, it is the Bishop who decides which men and women are called to service in the local Church.

Father Anthony,

perhaps monastic vocations are better served without being confused with a vocation to Holy Orders. The monastic vocation is certainly different than the vocation to the priesthood or diaconate. IMO, more urban monasteries are needed. With urban monasteries, monks and nuns could interact with the faithful in the parish. The monastic offices would certainly be more accessible to the faithful in the parishes. If the monastery is within a close proximity to the parish, the monks and/or nuns are able to worship with the parish community for those liturgical services that require ordained ministers.

just my musings...

Dear Father Deacon John,

Ah, so much wisdom in your post above!!

This is precisely the key, in my mind, to making the most out of the monastic experience - return it to the laity where it always belonged in the first instance!

The Monastics proper were and should be primarily non-ordained - although some priests could be allowed, I suppose . . .

Then there would be the laity outside the monastery who could participate in and learn about the monastic spirituality, pray the Horologion, the Jesus Prayer etc.

That really has great promise and would fill a great need!

I hope the Administrator realizes what a wonderful moderator he truly has in you!

Alex

Dear Father Deacon John,

If you noticed in my initial post, I purposely did not make any mention as to vocations to Holy Orders. One can be called to the monastic/religous life and not to Holy Orders. That seems to be the popular misconception that you may be called as both, instead of one or the other. I originally was tonsured a monastic, but was called later to the Priesthood.

Just a few words.

In IC XC,
Father Anthony+

Father Anthony (and my other brethren who have posted here):

Do you think that the decline in monastic vocations is related to the fact that so many Christians of all the Apostolic Churches have adopted our cultural attitude that faith and religious living is something that is to be totally separate from one's public life and manner of making a living? In other words, when living the Faith in Christ is no longer the complete way I live my life, it soon becomes something that can be relegated to a smaller part of who I am and how I live. God, as it were, becomes pushed into a small corner--maybe the icon corner--and becomes a passing relationship rather than one that is to be all-encompassing.

It seems to me that unless one lives one's Christian vocation, begun by Baptism, as the total way that I "live and move and have my being" one soon moves to a point where one's faith life becomes something formal, superficial and even stale. When I live my life as moving for Christ, in relationship with Him, always for His glory, then it seems to me that the avenue for the Holy Spirit to move me to the calling to "go and sell all that I own" to go and follow Him totally is a normal way of deepening that which I already have. A question that I often ask myself when I examine my conscience is whether I stand out as the early Christians did--when one ancient pagan writer remarked about "those Christians, how they love one another." Put another way, if being a Christian were a crime, would I have enough evidence to convict me of a capital crime or would I be laughed out of court for lack of evidence.

It also seems to me that we need to emphasize continuing education in the Faith. Every professional has some continuing education requirement. Does it seem as odd to you as it does to me that we are so often satisfied with a minimum education in the Faith and a minimum in our prayer life and praxis? As one progresses in learning, one opens the door for the Holy Spirit to get in and use that learning as leaven for such a prophetic vocation as the monastic life. And with all our materialism, doesn't it seem that we desparately need such prophets to remind us that we are not made to consume, but to run the race of faith in order to come to what we were created to be?

Just some thoughts.

In Christ,

BOB