Monks

Rising_suns is the man to ask about this, but I'll do what I can. To my knowledge, there are two major categories: contemplative monks, who spend their time cloistered in the monastery, devoting their entire lives to praying for the salvation of the world. The other type (the word for which escapes me) goes out into the world performing acts of charity and spreading the gospel.

Some monks live in very small communities of only 3 or 4 brothers and have regular jobs. Some live in massive monasteries. It really varies depending on the order. One thing I know for certain, however, is that monks are all AWESOME! Especially Father Groeschel and his friars.

Dude...you need to check out lasermonks...

Fo' real y'all!

I dig monks.

InnerPhyre said:

Rising_suns is the man to ask about this, but I'll do what I can. To my knowledge, there are two major categories: contemplative monks, who spend their time cloistered in the monastery, devoting their entire lives to praying for the salvation of the world. The other type (the word for which escapes me) goes out into the world performing acts of charity and spreading the gospel.

Some monks live in very small communities of only 3 or 4 brothers and have regular jobs. Some live in massive monasteries. It really varies depending on the order. One thing I know for certain, however, is that monks are all AWESOME! Especially Father Groeschel and his friars.

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That was an excellent summary IP. Perhaps the word you are looking for is "active" I think?

Also, do nuns do the same things as monks? Are they the same thing as monks except for a difference in gender?

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Right; they are brothers and sisters who take the gospel very literally and truly give up all posessions, money, and family, for Christ's sake. And they of course take a perpetual vow of celibacy in order to be completely devoted to God, just as Paul recommended in 1 Cor 7. In this respect, celibacy is, as pope JPII stated, objectively the higher calling compared to marriage. But subjectively, the higher calling is whatever God calls you to.

Do you want to be a monk RS?

Is that why your the man to talk to?

It varies! Some examples:

Dominican Sisters: "We seek to live in communion with one another, praying, celebrating, studying and preaching the Word of God. We teach in schools, universities and adult education centres. We do pastoral work in parishes, prisons and with young and old." (http://www.dominicansisters.com/whoweare.htm)

Trappist Monks: "This Order is a monastic institute wholly ordered to contemplation. The monks dedicate themselves to the worship of God in a hidden life within the monastery under the Rule of St Benedict. They lead a monastic way of life in solitude and silence, in assiduous prayer and joyful penitence…" (http://www.trappist.net/)

Benedictine Monks: "We seek to be Benedictine in culture, Catholic in faith, and Evangelical in our words, works and deeds." (http://www.kansasmonks.org/fr_abbey.html)

Carmelite Nuns: "The present community consists of Catholic women from different age groups, representing a variety of nationalities, backgrounds and religious experience, whose aim is to support each other in their endeavour to witness to the gospel by lives of service and self-giving, their primary mission being one of contemplative prayer... Our community earns a living by undertaking tradework, notably the running of a flourishing business in greetings cards." (http://www.carmelite.org.uk/Quidenham.html)

Franciscan Brothers: "... serving colleges, urban ministry centers, parishes, the missions and a wide variety of social ministries reaching out to the very poor in our society... men who choose to live a simple life-style in community. It is a life of prayer and service to the church and the world, modeled on the life of St. Francis of Assisi." (http://www.hnp.org/)

Birgittine Nuns: "We have chosen to do simple, manual work because then we can work in silence and have our hearts and minds free for continued prayer while we work. Our way of life does not exclude intellectual work, but that is not our main interest... We live in a convent because we are fascinated by Jesus Christ, consumed by love for him and a desire to live just for him." (http://www.katolskakyrkan.se/birgittasystrarna/eng/whois.htm)

and oh yes, Cistercian Laser Monks and Baker Nuns: "Hundreds of years ago, monks survived by baking bread, making wine, or copying manuscripts. We survive by selling ink, toner and copier supplies online... A monk's purpose in life is to seek God and praise him, in both public and private prayer and in his work..." (http://www.lasermonks.com/)

Hope this helps.

-- Radagast

anyone have any cool monk graphics they can post? [not to hijack this thread or anything]

While not quite the same, but along the same lines, you might be interested in a secular vocation. Check out www.bspenance.org ;-)

-Swoosh

BAChristian said:

Dude...you need to check out lasermonks...

Fo' real y'all!

I dig monks.

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Wow! What a deal! And for a good cause! I know where I'll be getting my printer ink from now on.

Radagast said:

It varies! Some examples:

Trappist Monks: "This Order is a monastic institute wholly ordered to contemplation. The monks dedicate themselves to the worship of God in a hidden life within the monastery under the Rule of St Benedict. They lead a monastic way of life in solitude and silence, in assiduous prayer and joyful penitence…" (http://www.trappist.net/)

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They're also the brewers of just about the best beer in the world. Well, maybe not those in Kansas, but those here in Belgium have been known throughout the centuries as great beerbrewers. Today the beers are still made though the process is industrialised. It goes so far that when you speak of a 'trapist' no one here thinks of a monk, but about the beer instead. ((A bit like with the name 'Mercedes' where everyone here thinks of a car and no one of a female name.))

I never knew that there were Monks who moved around evangelizing. That is a dream come true!!!
I have felt God calling me to possibly become a monk, when I am older, but I especially feel a very strong call to evangelize. I am in the midst of a Novena and one of my prayer intents is to find out what God's will is for me. I think that God is already answering and I am only on my second day!!!

Thank You O! Holy Child Jesus!

~I am on my jouney Home

The Lord's Envoy said:

Do you want to be a monk RS?

Is that why your the man to talk to?

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I am not really the man to talk to; there are plenty of other awesome people on this board who are also discerning a calling to the religious life and have studied just as much, if not more than I have about this vocation.

But I appreciate the vote of confidence from IP.

DreamTheater said:

What about my last question: who financially supports them? Does their arch-diocese pay for their basic needs or do they make money themselves?

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Basically all monastery's are self-supporting. Part of a brother/sisters daily life is in their duties to maintain the monastery/convent. Many times they make goods to sell (I visited a Trappist monastery that made and sold their own coffee beans), but they do not ask for donations. Saint Francis of Assis stricly forbid asking for donations as part of his rule of life; he did, however beg for food.

With reagrds to seminary, I do believe that if any monk wants to go off to seminary to become a priest, they will pay for your way. This is something I would need to look into further however.

ATShavuot said:

I never knew that there were Monks who moved around evangelizing. That is a dream come true!!!
I have felt God calling me to possibly become a monk, when I am older, but I especially feel a very strong call to evangelize. I am in the midst of a Novena and one of my prayer intents is to find out what God's will is for me. I think that God is already answering and I am only on my second day!!!

Thank You O! Holy Child Jesus!

~I am on my jouney Home

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Yes, it really depends on the order one joins. Franciscans are very active in the community, and they spend much of their time feeding the poor and preaching, and some of this can require traveling.

Many orders have locations throughout the world; the Capuchin Franciscan Friars of the Renewal (CFR) for instance have a locations in NY and in Honduras. So if one enters the CFR, you would first live in one of the NY monsatery's where you would learn and study about the daily life of a monk; your first years would be as a novice, before you take your final vows. This is also your discerning period actually, as you can leave at any time you feel God is calling you somewhere else. Once you take your final vows, then I believe you are given more freedom to live for God in one's own unique and individual ways, be it in Honduras or wherever; Fr. Stan Fortuna (CFR) is a musician, who expresses God mainly through his music. Fr. Groeschel and Fr. Apostoli are teachers and writers, proclaimig God to the world through the word. Each person has unique gifts, and it is a beautiful balance of discipline and personal expression.

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In Christ,
-Davide

I think the CFR are also in England, but I could be wrong.

The Lord's Envoy said:

anyone have any cool monk graphics they can post? [not to hijack this thread or anything]

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http://www.franciscanfriars.com/frontpagefriars.htm