Striving to Live a
Christ-centered Life: Five Reasons to Visit a Monastery
By Matushka
Constantina Palmer
Introduction:
Journeying by boat to visit
their beloved spiritual father, Constantine Palamas – the father of St.
Gregory – suddenly realized he and his family had forgotten to bring food
with them for the monastery. While his wife and five children looked on,
he raised his voice in prayer and put his hand into the sea; immediately
he caught a massive fish. Taking it out of the water, he glorified God for
the miracle. Out of his great admiration and respect for the monastic
life, Constantine Palamas worked a miracle so that his family would not
arrive at the monastery empty-handed. In this way, and in countless
others, he instilled in the hearts of his children a firm love for and
reverence of monasticism.
This practice of going
out into the wilderness to seek a word from a holy monastic is a tradition
well established in the Church as early as Christ’s own times. St. John
the Forerunner was the first monk, and people sought him out, as St.
Andrew of Crete testifies: “The Forerunner of grace dwelt in the desert
and all Judea and Samaria ran to hear him.”[1] He, like many of our
prophets before him, preached amendment of life. The central difference
between him and the prophets, however, was that St. John would become the
first and greatest “Father of Monasticism.” Generations of monastics would
take his way of life, his asceticism, his bold dedication to discipleship
to Christ as the epitome of the monastic life, and they would follow him.
“Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not
risen a greater than John the Baptist” (Matt 11:11).
The radical lifestyle
of St. John changed the world, especially the Christian world, because
many who came after him decided to imitate him and live outside the cities
solely for Christ’s sake. Thus, slowly the monastic life was established,
and those in the world began to look to it as a shining example of the
Christian lifestyle. It is an indisputably great and ancient practice of
those living in the world to make pilgrimages to monasteries. Below are
five of the many reasons one should.
1. Spiritual
Direction
Finding a spiritual
guide who has the will and means to guide and direct a believer in his
endeavour to live the
Gospel precepts in his daily life is not an easy task. It requires prayer
and discernment on the part of the seeker, a humble disposition, and an
openness to the will of God. This is because once the believer asks a
priest or monk to be his spiritual father, he enters into a relationship
with that person that cannot easily be dissolved, and which will have
everlasting effects on his spiritual life: “A spiritual father… becomes
the means of leading the life of men out of hell (by the negative effect
of their passions), and into pure Christian life and spiritual
freedom.”[2]
Thus, the goal should
be to find a spiritual guide who not only preaches Christ, but lives like
Christ. As Monk Isaiah wrote to Nun Theodora: “The Holy Spirit is for
everyone; but in those who are pure of the passions, who are chaste and
live in stillness and silence, He reveals special powers.”[3] This is the
primary reason why a person living in the world seeks spiritual direction
from those living in monasteries. Not because the Holy Spirit only dwells
in those who wear the monastic habit, but because their way of life is far
more conducive to acquiring the Holy Spirit. The greatest spiritual guides
are those whose manner of life teaches as much or more than their words
and advice. If a spiritual guide does not live the commandments of Christ,
if he has not experienced temptation, if he does not actively struggle to
overcome his passions, then how will he teach others to do likewise? On
this point Archmandrite Zacharias of Essex says: “if the word that the
spiritual father says is not seasoned with grace, nor proceeds from a
heart that is warmed by the love of Christ, it becomes like the work of
psychologists or counsellors – a ‘half-blind’ worldly activity. The word
of the spiritual father must bear the seal of grace, the seasoning of
grace.”[4]
The life of the monk
is a macrocosm of the Christian life in the world. And so, it follows that
if there are good spiritual fathers in the world, there are great
spiritual fathers in the monastery. The reason for this is very simple, as
St. Nikodemus states: “monastics, through ascetic struggles and through
the monastic way of life, first purified themselves (from the passions and
from faults) and then set out to purify others: they were first
enlightened and afterwards enlightened others: they were first perfected,
and then perfected others, they were, to express it concisely, first made
holy and afterwards made others holy…”[5]
For those who have
spiritual fathers in the world, they need not forsake them for a
priest-monk. They can, however, with the blessing of their spiritual
father, seek the counsel of a monastic in certain circumstances that
require the guidance of an experienced and specialized “doctor” since, as
St. Zosimas says to St. Mary of Egypt: “Grace is recognized not by one’s
orders, but by gifts of the Spirit.”
And in fulfilling the
instructions of one’s spiritual guide, the layman becomes a candidate for
the grace which is for the saints (2 Cor. 8:4). By this, one becomes like
a certain youth who, living in the world, “began immediately, with great
eagerness, to fulfill the command which the elder had given him… With this
work that he did, he was made worthy to lift his mind up to Heaven, where
he cried out to the Mother of Christ for compassion; and through her
intercessions, he was atoned before God and there came down upon him the
Grace of the Holy Spirit….”[6] Ultimately, this is the goal of seeking
spiritual direction: to not only be “atoned before God” through a life of
repentance, but through the counsels and prayers of one’s spiritual guide
– who himself has attained grace – to have the Holy Spirit “come down upon
us.”
2.Spiritual Conversation and Action
One
of the greatest benefits of visiting a monastery is the spiritual
conversation and activity pilgrims are able to take part in. At a
monastery, spiritual stories and uplifting anecdotes abound. Although many
monastics shy away from conversation with pilgrims for a variety of
reasons, given the appropriate circumstance a conversation with a monastic
can rear a multitude of benefits – not to mention conversations with
fellow pilgrims.
Whether they share a
story they have heard, wisdom from the Mothers and Fathers of the Church,
or even a tale from that monastery, their words inform and enlighten the
pilgrim and help refocus his busy mind. Even time relaxing in the world
does not refresh the soul the way a spiritual conversation does. This type
of conversation, though found more rarely in the world, is often a common
occurrence at a monastery.
Furthermore, many
monastics, despite not living in the world any longer or dealing with its
struggles and temptations, have great wisdom to share. Not only did they
also once live in darkness (Matt. 4:16), but they have a wealth of
experience from speaking with pilgrims who confide in them. Through prayer
and reading, the monastic manages to help the pilgrim approach his
problems with a bit more clarity and even a new perspective.
Coupled with this
beneficial spiritual conversation is the spiritual activity that takes
place in a monastery. Work and prayer are two primary tenets of the
monastic life. Work, however, is done in a slightly different spirit than
work done in the world. An Abbess at a monastery not far from Thessaloniki
has often said work in a monastery is a great deed because it is done
solely for the love of God, and the love of His saint, the monastery’s
patron. She teaches that to even pick up a piece of garbage in a monastery
yields a great heavenly reward because it is done in honour of the saint,
to keep his house clean. After helping with work in the monastery, she
would tell the pilgrims: “The patron saint wrote down the work you have
done, and you will find it presented on the Day of Judgement.”
When a monastic bakes
bread, he bakes for the glory of God. When he chants in church, he chants
for the glory of God. When he sweeps, he does so for the glory of God. And
when a pilgrim partakes of such God-honouring work, he begins to look at
his own work in a different light, just as the monastic offers all his
work for the glory of God, so too can the pilgrim – both while at the
monastery, and when he returns to his work in the world. The Christian
home is a microcosm of the coenobitic monastery; when the mother, father,
or children clean the house, they too can do so for the glory of God.
Both the monastic and
the pilgrim can approach work the way Abba Apollo did: “If someone came to
find him about doing a piece of work, he would set out joyfully, saying,
‘I am going to work with Christ today, for the salvation of my soul, for
that is the reward he gives.’”[7] The only difference between the
monastic’s work in the monastery and the layman’s work in the world is
that the monastic knows that he left behind his own success to seek the
Kingdom of God; the layman merely needs a reminder now and again. He needs
to ask himself which of the following he is and who he desires to glorify:
“The man who loves himself seeks his own glory, whereas the man who loves
God loves the glory of his Creator.”[8]
3. Humility
The fallen human soul
is predisposed toward pride. This is something that occurs with the
monastic as much as with
the layman. When the Christian keeps his prayer rule faithfully, observes
the fasts of the Church, or attends church services regularly, the soul is
inclined to become puffed up. The antidote is finding better examples than
oneself of Christian dedication to remind the proud soul that she is
lacking in virtue.
The layman has the
ability to make pilgrimages to monasteries and so finds a helpful means to
stay grounded in his spiritual life. Encountering monastics reminds the
pilgrim that there are better Christians than himself (not that he cannot
also learn this in the parish, he most certainly can, but it is an
indisputable fact that one is faced with at a monastery). Hence the famous
statement: “Angels are a light for monastics, and monastics are a light
for the world.”[9] The monastic is simultaneously humbled and enlightened
by reading the lives of the saints, just as the layman is when he compares
his life with that of a monastic.
Humility is a virtue
that the monastic and layman ought to strive for above all else, for as
St. John Cassian says, “Humility of soul helps more than everything else;
without it no one can overcome lewdness or any other sin.” And so, the
layman makes pilgrimages to monasteries in order to draw the soul away
from the distracting world and into an environment of stillness and
prayer, where the atmosphere is conducive to taking stock of one’s life
alongside that of a dedicated monastic, and to allow the grace of the
monastery to help him see his own sinfulness.
The following story,
taken from The Wisdom of the Desert Fathers, illustrates this point: There
were three friends, all of whom chose different means of work. The first
decided to become a peace-maker among men. The second decided to tend to
the sick. While the third decided to live in prayer and stillness in the
desert. The first two friends found that they were unable to complete the
work they set out to do and became disheartened. So they decided to visit
their third friend who was living in the stillness of prayer. They
confessed their difficulties and asked for guidance. This was the third
friend’s response: “After a short silence, he poured some water into a
bowl and said to them, ‘Look at the water,’ and it was disturbed. After a
little while he said to them again, ‘Look how still the water is now,’ and
as they looked into the water, they saw their own faces reflected in it as
in a mirror. Then he said to them, ‘It is the same for those who live
among men; disturbances prevent them from seeing their faults. But when a
man is still, especially in the desert, then he sees his failings.’”
And so it is with the
pilgrim from the world. In the stillness of the monastery, he is able to
reflect on his failings. Whether it be in comparing his spiritual life
with the monastic who left all things behind to live “alone with God
alone,” as Elder Porphyrios was wont to say, or simply due to slowing down
and reflecting on his faults, the pilgrim returns to the world with
greater humility of soul.
4. Imitation
The
command to imitate Christ is found throughout the Gospels. He is the image
of perfect obedience, extreme humility, utter chastity, and a life of
poverty. To be sure, if a believer only ever read the Gospels, he would be
informed on how to live a proper Christian life. However, because man is
weak and in need of examples, the monastic life illustrates the Gospel
commandments lived out to their perfection. Thus the layman has before him
a pragmatic example of how the teachings of the Lord are upheld and
practiced. In turn, he emulates those things in an appropriate and prudent
way, just as St. Paul encourages: “what ye learned and received and heard
and saw in me, these things be practising; and the God of peace shall be
with you” (Phill. 4:9).
There is much to be
learned and gained from spiritual books, practical guides, and the wisdom
of the desert Fathers and Mothers. However, nothing compares to the
spiritual benefit brought about by actually being around someone who
shares in the grace of God in a deep and intimate way. For whether or not
he has “the words of life,” his prayer, his patience, and his virtue are
enough to form and inform the humble-hearted that seek his unique, if
silent, wisdom. Abba Dorotheos writes: “It is said that a certain brother
asked an elder, ‘What shall I do, father, in order to fear God?’ The elder
answered, ‘Go and cling to a man who fears God and from the fact that he
fears Him, he will teach you to do likewise.’”[10]
Laymen are called to
keep the commandments of the Gospel with as much precision as monastics.
The monk is not called to one type of life, and the layman to another. No,
they are both called to “be perfect even as my Father in heaven who is
perfect” (Matt. 5:48), just as St. John Chrysostom taught: “You greatly
delude yourself and err, if you think that one thing is demanded from the
layman and another from the monk; since the difference between them is in
that whether one is married or not, while in everything else they have the
same responsibilities… Because all must rise to the same height; and what
has turned the world upside down is that we think only the monk must live
rigorously, while the rest are allowed to live a life of indolence.”[11]
The only difference
between a Christian living in the world and a monastic living in a
monastery is that monasticism “rejects any kind of compromise and seeks
the absolute”[12], whereas the layman struggles as best he can in the
midst of the distracting world. Both are acceptable and blessed in the
eyes of God. Both ways are only successful by the grace of God. The layman
should not be disheartened by his struggles in “the darkness of the world”
(Eph. 6:12). Rather, he should take courage that he is upheld by the
prayers of countless monastics, as Bishop Nikolai of Lavreot has stated:
“The life of the faithful is supported by the prayers of the monks. This
is elucidated by the very fact that the faithful take refuge in such
prayers. Just as Moses stretched out his hands and the Israelites
conquered the Amalekites, so the monastics lift up their hands to God and
we, the faithful who are struggling in the wilderness of this world,
conquer the noetic Amalek.” And more significantly, the layman should take
courage that “where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Rom. 5:20).
5.
Encountering Sacred Place
Even if there were no
other reason for visiting a monastery, there would remain this one: it is
an agios topos, a holy place. “And Moses said, I will go near and see this
great sight, why the bush is not consumed. And when the Lord saw that he
drew nigh to see, the Lord called him out of the bush, saying, Moses,
Moses… loose thy sandals from off thy feet for the place whereon thou
standest is holy ground” (Exodus 3: 3-5).
Coupled with the
prayers of the monastics, the saints that dwell within the monastery, and
the angels that protect it, there are also at least one or more chapels.
The presence of a temple of God alone is enough to sanctify a place. And
it is in this sanctified place that even without hearing God-inspired
words or witnessing miraculous events, the pilgrim is refreshed. His weary
and tired body and soul are nourished with more than monastic fare – they
are nourished with monastic stillness.
A pilgrim once asked a
priest-monk why it was that out of all the monasteries the pilgrim had
visited, this one particular well-known monastery was the one in which
grace and divine fragrance was the most perceivable. The priest-monk
answered that although all monasteries are holy, that that monastery held
the typikon to celebrate Divine Liturgy every single day, and confessed
people for hours on end, and so as a result it attracted the grace of the
Holy Spirit and He dwelt there. As Dr. Constantine Carvanos surmises,
“[t]hrough confession at these centers of spirituality, through
participation in the moving services of the monks or nuns, and speaking
with them, a Christian living in the world is aided by calm refuge from
his worldly cares, by being purified, by rediscovering himself, and by
tasting of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.”[13]
St. Nikolai
Velimirovich records: “When [St. David of Garesja] arrived at a hill from
which Jerusalem was visible, [he] began to weep and said, ‘How can I be so
bold to walk in the footsteps of the God-man with my sinful feet?’ David
then told his disciples that they, being more worthy, should go to worship
at the holy places, and he took three stones and began to return.”[14] The
saint’s humility was so great that he considered the sight of the Holy
Land and even its pebbles to be overflowing with grace. How much more does
the grace of a sacred place exceed sight and stones? In this sense the
words of St. Theodora hold an even greater significance: “Love stillness.
One who is not attached to the vanities of this world is strengthened in
soul by stillness, abstinence and silence.”[15] This strength, harnessed
by the grace of a sacred place, can then be brought back into the world if
treasured and safeguarded through prayer and watchfulness.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, “if you
want to know if someone loves Christ, find out if he loves monasticism,”
as the saying goes. Visit monasteries, acquire humble-mindedness, and
abstain from judging others – both the believer who is too lax and he who
is too strict. “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great
a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which
doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set
before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” (Heb.
12:1-2). \
http://lessonsfromamonastery.wordpress.com
article belong to Nektarios
and are used with permission.
[1] The Great Canon of
Repentance, Song 9, [11].
[2] Archimandrite
Zacharias, The Enlargement of the Heart, 174.
[3] Monk Isaiah to
Honourable Nun Theodora, Matericon, 160.
[4] Archimandrite
Zacharias, The Enlargement of the Heart, 174.
[5] St. Nikodemos,
Handbooks of Counsel [Greek], 15-16.
[6] St. Symeon the New
Theologian, from Dr. Constantine Carvanos’ article A Discourse for those
living in the world, Orthodox Info:
http://orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/discourselivingworld.aspx.
[7] Abba Apollo,
Sayings of the Desert Fathers, 36.
[8] Philokalia, St.
Diadochos of Photiki: “On Spiritual Knowledge and Discrimination: One
Hundred Texts”, vol. 1, [12], 255.
[9] St. John Climacus,
The Ladder of Divine Ascent, op. cit., 128.
[10] Abba Dorotheos,
Practical teaching on the Christian life, “On the Fear of God,” [52], 113.
[11] St. John
Chrysostom, Pros piston patera (To the faithful father) 3, 14, PG47, 372-
74.
[12] Professor
Georgios Mantzarides, Images of Athos by monk Chariton,
http://www.stanthonysmonastery.org/monasticism.php
[13] Constantine
Carvanos, Discourse on those living in the world, Orthodox Info:
http://orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/discourselivingworld.aspx.
[14] St. Nikolai
Velimirovitch, Prologue, May 27.
[15] St. Theodora,
Matericon, 85.
