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Orthodox Monasticism
The
Orthodox Church is well known for its developed monasticism.
The
uninterrupted monastic tradition of Orthodox Christianity can be
traced from the Egyptian desert monasteries of the 3rd and 4th
centuries. Over time monastic life spread throughout the Mediterranean
and Europe: in Palestine, Syria, Cappadocia, Gaul, Ireland, Italy,
Greece, and the Slavic countries.
Monasticism,
from the Greek word «μοναχός» meaning “solitary,” is the ancient
Christian practice of withdrawal from the world in order to dedicate
oneself fully and intensely to the life of the Gospel, seeking union
with our Lord Jesus Christ.
The focus of monasticism
The
focus of monasticism is the soul’s
purification, illumination, and deification, or theosis. It is the
process of perfection in Christ to which every Christian is called:
“Be ye perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect”
(Matthew 5:48).
The monastic life
Ortodox
monastics (or monks) are either men or women living within their
monastery enclosure (or monastery). In English a women monastic is
sometimes referred to as a nun and her monastery may be called
a convent.
Monastics
live a life of spiritual stillness called hesychasm.
They live and labor in silence and constant prayer throughout the day,
keeping vigil at night, and carefully attending to their thoughts and
feelings through inner watchfulness and prayer. Throughout these, they
participate continually in the Sacraments and the liturgical life of
the Church.
Monastic life is essentially the same as that of the laity
It
is absolutely essential to understand that, in principle, the lives
of Orthodox Christian monastics, clergy, and laity do not
differ except in their external circumstances. All are equally
called to lives of peace and stillness, dedicated to the
acquisition of the Holy Spirit through fasting, praying, and
almsgiving.
Ceaseless Prayer
At
the center of this life lived for Christ is the
ceaseless repetition – vocally or silently – of the
Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.”
“The Prayer”
The
Jesus Prayer – often called simply “The Prayer” – is always practiced
within the framework of perfect obedience to one’ spiritual father (or
mother). As such, it brings the grace of God into the soul. With
patience and perseverance, in time, and by the great mercy of God, the
Holy Spirit is acquired.
Ceaseless
prayer of the heart is a commandment of our Lord Jesus
Christ Himself: “And He spake a parable unto them to this end, that
men ought always to pray, and not to faint”
(Luke 18:1).
Concentrated, unremitting, noetic prayer was first practiced by the
Holy Apostles and then handed down (i.e., tradition) to each
generation of Christians, monastics and laity alike, as Saint Paul
exhorted: “Pray without ceasing”
(1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Again,
Ceaseless prayer is the normal practice of all Orthodox Christians.
Those in the world do so in the midst of the busy world. Monastics,
dwelling in relative distance from distractions and the bustle of the
modern world, offer this prayer to God for the salvation of the
entire world.
The apostolic monastic life
Metropolitan
Hierotheos of Náfpaktos writes: “Monasticism is the glory of the
Church, and the monks, as Saint Gregory of Nyssa taught, are the crown
of the body of the Church. The monastic life is the Christian life,
the way of the Prophets, Apostles, and Martyrs. In reality, it is the
evangelical life, as a life of repentance and keeping Christ’s
commandments to as perfect a degree as possible.”
Jesus
Christ taught this life in His Sermon on the Mount, in His
exhortations to be vigilant and to take heed, to have absolute faith
in God, to avoid cares that cause anxiety, and so on. He often went up
on the mountain to pray on His own, not because He needed to, but to
teach us this way of life. He Himself urged us to pray in the inner
chamber, and when we have shut the door, to pray to our Father Who is
in secret
(Matthew 6:6).
Monastic communal life
As
described in the Acts of the Apostles and in the the Epistles, the
first Christians imitated the Apostolic community of Christ by living
in prayer, sharing a common life, being inspired by the teachings of
Christ, holding all possessions held in common, and expecting the
coming of the Kingdom of God. They experienced all of this as a
spiritual reality.
This
is the essential life to which all Orthodox Christians are called, and
one which monastics endeavor to practice in an exemplary manner unto
their individual salvation and as an inspiration to their monastic
brethren as well as to the faithful living in the world.
Monasticism
has always been a beacon of Orthodoxy which has made, and continues to
make, a strong and lasting impact on Orthodox spirituality.
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