What is considered the better calling in Orthodoxy? To become a monastic or to be a lay person or whatever falls in between those two?
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Mark 11:24-26 (New International Version)
24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."
Are there two JacksLadders because I could have sworn it said you were 27 before... or is time going backwards?
Anyway, I'm pretty sure neither is "better". Different things are for different people. Some people are called to be a monk, others are not. It's not like having an AA versus a PhD or something, becoming a monk doesn't guarantee you better "results" or special passes to particular parts of heaven or something.
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Deyr fé, deyja frændr, deyr sjálfr et sama; ek veit einn, at aldri deyr: dómr of dauðan hvern.
Cattle die, kinsmen die the self must also die;I know one thing which never dies: the reputation of each dead man.
Some people have married, raised a bunch of saints, and then retired to a monastery when the other spouse died. In some cases, both spouses enter monasteries.
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Neither is considered a 'better calling'. Merely different. All Christians (whether monastic, clergy, or laity) are called to the same life, just the way that they are called to live that life differs. All are called to a life of community whether that be a family and parish community or a monastic community (arguably excluding the very rare hermit monks who largely live alone and even they often are part of a community, just present less regularly). All are called to sacrifice of themselves whether it is giving up worldly possessions in the monastery or to their spouse, their family, their parish, and their overall community. Neither is considered the better path, merely different in how exactly one fulfills the Christian life.
There are only two ways one can live: Marriage or monasticism.
One isn't "better" or "worse" than the other, but not everyone will be called the same direction.
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What is considered the better calling in Orthodoxy? To become a monastic or to be a lay person or whatever falls in between those two?
the better calling is the one that God called you to be. the worse calling is to be called to the married life and become a monastic, or to be called to monastic life and get married. there are saints in both categories, so the better calling is whichever of the two God has called you to be.
__________________ "Everyone capable of thanksgiving is capable of joy and eternal salvation." -Fr. Alexander Schmemann
"The time of the end, though it seems to be near, we do not know. Let us then struggle while it is still day, with the time and the weapons which our All-merciful God has given us!" -Fr. Seraphim Rose
24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."
the Fathers teach that virginity is a higher calling (not necessarily better) because we believe that man was originally intended to be virginal (reproduction would have happened some other way -- the birth of Christ is an example of this). However, since it is a higher calling this necessarily means that fewer are called to it, and thus the better path for any one person is the one that God actually intends for them. Similarly, the episcopacy is a higher calling of service than is the priesthood, and thus necessarily fewer are called to be bishops. This doesn't mean there is anything wrong with or lesser about those who are priests, deacons, or laity, etc. Every role is important those some may be a higher calling.
__________________ "Acquire a peaceful spirit and 1000s around you will be saved"--St. Seraphim
”For as it is not yet six thousand years since the first man, who is called Adam, are not those to be ridiculed rather than refuted who try to persuade us of anything regarding a space of time so different from, and contrary to, the ascertained truth?” St. Augustine
Last edited by jckstraw72; 6th November 2009 at 03:50 PM.
One should keep in mind that marriage is a sacrament, while monasticism is not one of the 7 Holy Mysteries.
I once asked a monk why he chose monasticism, his reply was
"Why did you choose marriage?"
To which I had to say, "I didn't really, God sort of gave it to me." Of course my cheeks were rather red with embarrassment and I may have stuttered and said "uh and oh yeah" somewhere in there too.
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