What Makes A Monk A Monk?

[abrideofChrist]

Just curious to know if somehow the essence of being a religious is different for men than it is for women.  Any man discerning being a brother or a friar?

[Anselm]

Well, a monk is essentially a contemplative man who takes a vow of stability, whereas a friar is a mendicant who has a more active apostolate and can (usually) be moved between houses of his order.

[Fr. Antony Maria OSB]

Anselm hit it right on the head: the basic difference between a monk and a friar is that a monk (generally: I don't think Carthusians do, but they're a special case) takes a vow of stability while a friar is able to be moved from house to house. Another important distinction is the emphasis on solitude and silence. The word 'monk' comes from the Greek word 'monos' meaning 'alone.' The monk is someone who seeks God alone (by themselves). Now, this can be done in mainly three different ways: cenobite (in community), anchorite (hermit) or a mixture of both (for example, the Camaldolese).

 

Being a Benedictine monk, and having written to a friend who is a member of a monastic Dominican community, while there are some differences between how we live our lives, that is mainly due to our respective apostolates: her community is more contemplative than my own (we run a high-school). There are other male communities which are as contemplative as hers and pray the entirety of the Liturgy of the Hours every three hours, community Rosary, etc. So, among monastic orders, I think the main difference from house to house (each house is independent of all the others, unlike other religious orders) is what they're apostolate is. Each house, regardless of gender, is going to have a structured schedule for the day that balances work and prayer with time for community interaction (if they're cenobitic). I hope this helps answer your question somewhat!

 

Br. Antony Maria

[RafaelCordero]

"For then they are truly monks when they live by the labor of their hands, as our fathers and the apostles did."  St Benedict (A.D. 480-543, Father of Western Monasticism), Rule, Chapter 48

[Pia Jesu]

(Early) Thomas Merton wrote a wonderful book entitled The Monastic Journey in 1977.  It is incredibly good and relevant

for your question, ABrideofChrist, about the "essence" of religious life.  It's available on Amazon.  Cistercian Publications

still offers the 1978 reprint edited by Br. Patrick Hart, OSCO. 

 

In the chapter on "What is Monastic Life"...he not only defines what a monk is (in terms of scripture, history and his own personal

reflections) but enlarges it to include monastic and solitary lives.  Also quoting St. Benedict, he writes, "It makes much more

sense to say, as St. Benedict says, that we come to the monastery to seek God, than to say that we come seeking religious

perfection.  The end which we seek is not merely something within ourselves, some personal quality added to ourselves, some

new gift.  It is God Himself" (Image Books edition, p31).

 

 

[Anselm]

Nazfarmer - you're a monk at a Benedictine monastery that runs a school? Fantastic! I've applied to join a similar house here in the UK and will hopefully be joining next summer.

[Pia Jesu]

Here are a few links (in the USA) of Benedictine monks who run schools:

 

http://www.stvincentmonks.com

 

http://www.stjohnsabbey.org

 

http://www.belmontabbey.org

 

http://www.mountangelabbey.org

 

[Benedictus]

Just curious to know if somehow the essence of being a religious is different for men than it is for women.  Any man discerning being a brother or a friar?

I don't think it's different as men and women often live nearly identically, it just depends on the institute.  I'm discerning with the Benedictines and Franciscans.  I'm looking at two Benedictine communities at the moment, belonging to separate institutes, and they vary in a few ways. But both men and women follow the same rule, constitutions and so on within these institutes. The monastic vows focus on converting oneself to Christ through the living of monastic norms and traditions in the stability of one community. This isn't the case with friars who can move around as often as necessary, and so friars don't necessarily have to persevere with enduring the difficulties (and celebrating the joys) they encounter with a set group of people. Monastics also have to feel God calls them to a specific community, which is somewhat expressed differently with religious sisters and friars where its often the work or charism that takes precedence.

I think the emphasis with monastics is anchoring a community in a specific place as a marker of Gods presence and blessing to the local and national church. The emphasis and work of friars is somewhat emphasised differently. I guess in terms of gender monks go with nuns as friars go with religious sisters  :saint2:

[Fr. Antony Maria OSB]

Nazfarmer - you're a monk at a Benedictine monastery that runs a school? Fantastic! I've applied to join a similar house here in the UK and will hopefully be joining next summer.

That is fantastic, Anselm! Good luck to you, and I will be sure to keep you in my prayers.

[abrideofChrist]

How interesting, everyone.  I just wish the Church would come out with something authoritative on this vocation.

[Fr. Antony Maria OSB]

Could you elaborate on what you mean by 'come out with something authoritative on this vocation?'

[korvesem]

 This isn't the case with friars who can move around as often as necessary, and so friars don't necessarily have to persevere with enduring the difficulties (and celebrating the joys) they encounter with a set group of people.

 

 

This gave me a bit of a chuckle.  While I'm not a friar, I have spent much time with some of our Carmelite friars and watched them interact.  Even though they tend to shuffle who lives in which house every three years, I can tell you that they still have to deal with living with each other's faults, foibles, and fun.  I've noticed that they behave just as family members do when together.  They tease, taunt, know which buttons to push and which to avoid.

 

Elizabeth M Korves OCDS