an was not created to live on earth for-ever. He was made for eternity. Since he possesses an immortal soul, the way he lives his life on earth will determine where and how he is to spend that eternity. Is it not wise, therefore, for him to live, not for the passing things of time, but for that which will never end? One day, perhaps sooner than he thinks, death will rob every man of his earthly possessions. Therefore the earth and all its treasures must be reckoned as nothing in exchange for union with God and the eternal joys of Heaven. To the extent that a soul is sanctified and united to God by grace and love here on earth, to that extent does that soul glorify God. And in the next life he will have a more perfect vision of, and joy in, the wonders and the beauties of the Most Holy Trinity in the Beatific Vision.

monastic vocation is a special call from God to dedicate one’s life completely to His service and glory – to live for Him alone in a very special way. It is a priceless gift, for God is offering the wonderful opportunity and privilege to live in an environment which helps a man live the spiritual life to its fullest. The life of a Benedictine monk is truly a wonderful life, a life of great inner freedom, peace and joy. Nevertheless, it remains a difficult life, particularly in these times of mass confusion and uncertainty. It is not a life of cowardly refuge from the burdens of the world. It is a life of sacrifice. It is a never-ending struggle for self-perfection. But fear not – if one has love, good will and determination, all is quite possible. To him who trusts in the Lord, Who gives strength to the weak and raises up those who fall, to him will the roughs ways be made smooth, the bitter things turned into sweet, and the hard things made easy.

he very troubled condition in the Church today, and the devastation that has taken place in our monasteries and convents, have broken the chain of the venerable traditions that were found in all well regulated monasteries and convents of former times. As a consequence, young men have few places to go where they can experience, first hand, the atmosphere of living a traditional monastic life. In most cases young candidates are forced to go to picture books to learn about the life of the monk. But be warned – picture book beauty is a posed beauty: an unreal beauty. It has very little in common with the real beauty – the quiet beauty – of monastic life. The camera cannot capture the atmosphere of austerity, patience, humility, obedience, self-sacrifice, and prayer that permeates a life that is completely given to the service of God.

any individuals who enter monastic life are not prepared for the fact that monastic formation implies that one’s spiritual and psychological life must change and grow. No matter how mature the individual is before he enters the Monastery, he invariably finds his maturity being challenged by the demands of the schedule, of communal charity, of the degree of silence and solitude, of obedience, of humility, and of deepening his spiritual life according to the teaching of monastic tradition. There will be a culture shock upon entering the Monastery. Many become disenchanted with monastic life when they come face-to-face with it. Either they expected to find a community of “angels”, perfect in every way, floating around on clouds, or they wanted a life of “greater mortification”, self-imposed, of course. Without a basic willingness to be taught, indeed, to start all over again from the beginning, as it were, the new member will find himself in a constant state of inner conflict as he struggles to hang on to his habits of praying, his spirit of independence, his self-will. etc., which are incompatible with, and a hindrance to, the new life he has chosen. But if the desire and good will are present in the new member, the period of monastic formation will be fruitful for the attainment of a deeper level of faith, inner freedom, and joy.

he first stages of joining our community vary from individual to individual. The process usually begins with the writing of letters and/or telephone conversations and/or coming for short visits during which the Abbot meets with the individual. When an individual expresses a strong desire to seriously pursue the possibility of a vocation in our Benedictine Community, that is, to become a candidate, we ask him to make his arrangements and to settle all his financial and personal obligations.

Some necessary qualities for monastic life:

·         Generally, we only consider candidates who are between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five.

·         Love for God and for one’s neighbor

·         A taste for solitude, silence and prayer

·         A generous, willing and determined spirit

·         An open and sincere heart, eager to listen and to be taught

·         A mature personality with stable moods and emotions

·         The ability to persevere, to keep commitments and to take responsibility

·         Willingness to submit to authority in humble obedience

·         A positive attitude and a sense of humor

·         The ability to get along with others in community

·         Good physical, mental, and emotional health, and the stamina to endure hard work and a tight regular schedule

·         Adaptability and flexibility, and the willingness to change

·         Good moral character

he voice of God calls to each of us in different ways, often through the desire of our hearts or through the circumstances in which we find ourselves. Sometimes we feel the desire from our earliest childhood, or sometimes it hits us suddenly later in life, and often in the most unusual ways. But no one should expect God to manifest His invitation in a miraclous manner. Usually, the idea will enter into the mind like any other ordinary thought, but it will be more or less persistent. One must not look for infallible certainty in this matter of a vocation, for God wishes the soul to go to Him by the path of faith, hope, love, complete trust and determination.

If you think that Almighty God may be calling you to this life, or if you are not sure, and would like to know more about monastic life, we encourage you to contact the Vocation Director at Christ the King Abbey. Whether a candidate pursues the Holy Priesthood will depend upon the individual and the decision of the Abbot. Since the monastic and spiritual life of the monks and nuns are so very similar, it is recommended that one reads the Nun's sections entitled "Spouse of Christ" and "Vocations" A monks union with Christ, as it must be for all souls, is founded on, and perfected by, the love of God.