WHO IS A MONK ?
A monk is a man who wants to make God the
center of his life. As Jesus said: "You are to love the Lord
your God with your whole heart, your whole mind, your whole
soul."
A monk is part of a community of men who feel the same way he
does about God and the spiritual life, and spiritual values.
CAN
ANYBODY BECOME A MONK ?
Yes, provided you are single and you are free
from any family responsibilities toward your parents, a wife or
children.
DO
YOU HAVE TO BE HOLY TO BE A MONK ? WHAT IF MY PAST LIFE IS NOT ALL
THAT GOOD ?
If you come to Blue Cloud Abbey you will soon
see that we are far from perfect. We are trying to be holy, to be
saintly people, prayerful people, but we are sinners. Remember,
saints are sinners who keep trying. The past is past,
and it should be left in the past. Forgiveness is a big part of
being a Christian. So forgive yourself, forgive others just as God
forgives you. Most of us have a past that we are not that proud of or
at least we wish we could've done better. But we let go of the past,
live in the present and have hope for the future.
WHAT
DOES A MONK DO ALL DAY LONG ? DOES HE PRAY DAY AND NIGHT
?
A monk's daily life is always centered around
prayer, because prayer is the most basic way of seeking and finding
God. It is impossible to keep God at the center of one's life
without daily prayer. So we pray 4 times a day with the community,
including the Mass. We also have about 2 1/2 hours of spiritual
reading and private prayer. But our founder St. Benedict always
insists on moderation. Too much prayer is not good, just as too much
of anything is not good. So we go to work outside of the times of
prayer.
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WHAT KIND OF WORK DOES A MONK DO ?
A monk should be open to any and all kinds of
work. Here at Blue Cloud some of our main works are: retreat work,
farming, gardening, welcoming and taking care of guests who come to
our monastery, cleaning rooms, doing dishes, working in the library,
baking, tailoring, carpentry, running a summer camp, going out on
parish work, writing, printing and computer work. The list can go on
and on. But always there is much work to be done but again our work
must be done in moderation just like prayer. It is important to keep
a balance.
WHAT
DOES IT TAKE TO BECOME A MONK ?
A deep desire to seek God, good health, an
ability to get along with people, a willingness to live a good moral
and spiritual life. We accept men between the ages of 20 to 50.
WHAT
SHOULD I DO IF I WANT TO BECOME A MONK ?
First of all apply for the Associate Program
on this web-site and get in touch with our Associate Director. Then
just take one step at a time, being open to the work of the Holy
Spirit in your life.
HOW
DO YOU KNOW IF YOU HAVE A VOCATION TO BE A MONK ?
Sometimes you don't really know that clearly.
It is good to take some steps to find out. One such step is to come
to our monastery for a visit. Another one is very important, pray to
God for guidance, always pray. Then talk with some good holy person
who is wise in the spiritual life. And finally, live a good moral
life in the world always keeping the Mass and the Eucharist at the
center.
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