Monastic Community and Brotherhood of St. John Maximovitch and the Holy Theotokos

Area of the Modern Day Desert Fathers

in photo images

The Monastic Community of St. John Maximovitch and the Holy Theotokos includes those who live by the Rule of Life of St. Benedict of Nursia (Orthodox Benedictine), St. Francis of Assisi (Orthodox Franciscan), and St. Jude Thaddeus (Thaddean Fathers, also known as Thaddean Companion which equals the Holy Order and Society of St. Jude Thaddeus - For more information see Our Web Pages by clicking here).

The beautiful rich desert dwelling area in which we reside abounds in Yucca plants and other indigenous plants.  The mountains in the background is where Rock Hound Park is located.  Visitors to the park are allowed to pick up and take with them those stones and rocks for their collection. Just "being" in this surrounding allows for each of us to pray openly or in silence the Jesus Prayer where our hearts are filled with love for Him who is our Lord and Savior....

Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God and son of man,

have mercy on me a sinner that I am!

If you have been up close to Yucca plants, they have a stem that shoots up and flowers at a certain time of year.  This photo does not do justice to the numerous amount of Yucca plants in the image above.

This is one of the areas in which some of the old cowboy movies could have been filmed.

This is an area that many an old Spanish and Mexican monk may have traveled.  Yet, in our Orthodoxy, we find that where we are located, we come to the realization that the Patristic Fathers of Old, those ancient desert dwellers, knew what they were doing and saying both to God and to man in such a similar setting as this (above)..

A long dirt road that could almost be presumed to have been a dusty wagon wheel trail at one time.  But, alas poor fool that some of us are... it is near the "Florida Mountains"... A most picturesque site to see.

This is a material dirt road, a path... it should remind some of us that our lives are just as dirty by our pride, vainness, ego and sometimes worse. Yet, as strugglers in this life for the Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ, we are made clean through repentance and seeking for forgiveness not only from God, but especially from our brothers and sisters who truly struggle heavenward.  May this path (above) in the photo, remind you of the spiritual path, as it does us who are here, everyone who is professing themselves as Christian, must sooner or later take if any one of us desires to reach a Heavenly Home. For it is not that we are saved just by being a so-called "Christian" but that our struggle in this life, on a similar path, requires us to abide daily by that which we profess which is by what we think, say and do. 

Mesquite and Yucca plants abound.  When the sun is setting, the area comes alive as the stars in the heavenly clear night affirms that we are one with God if in prayer and giving thanks for allowing us to rise up each day from our bed and sleep where we have laid during the night in despair.

The Setting of the Sun is not seen in this photo, but the background makes one realize the depth of God's bountiful creation of which we are a part.  Prayer in the silence of this environment aids in making us all to well aware of our mortality and that while what is seen above has been here far longer than our short, mortal lives, it certainly reminds us that we are provided the means to struggle in our body and spirit without distraction if we apply ourselves.

Back down this path, this road, we go to return to our Skete for Evening Prayer.

Our physical location is three miles from the Mexican-American Border crossing... There are many wonderful sites and a state park nearby... in the Village of Columbus, New Mexico.

Our Metropolitan Archbishop, Archabbot and Primate, +Joseph Thaddeus (Stanford), OSB, SSJt., Ph.D. says; "There is much you can learn about who we are and why we are if you peruse the web pages: not just what we believe, but what we live and pray... what we do daily, or fail to do... for all of us must not forget that we are, in this life, strugglers against the Evil One, against our own sins that we often allow while falsely believing that it is the 'Evil One' who tempts us... for the truth is that while the Evil One does indeed tempt us, it is our unworthy selves who gives in by the degree of our lack to mediate, pray, confess, repent, forgive and partake of the Holy Mysteries to strengthen us.  In our community... we help each other according to our nature and degree of ability."

A Fool For Christ who believes

"Prejudice Makes Prisoners of the Hated and the Hater"

•Ancient Canons/Seven Ecumenical Councils  

•An Understanding of the Ancient Canons

• Ancient Canons/Seven Ecumenical Councils

• A bit of understanding about the Fundamentalist Cults....

• Modern Day Ecumenism and its horrors

•  How Many Times