Practical questions on deciding to become a monk

[Andrew Miller]

Hello, everyone...I am a newcomer to this area and have read many of the posts. I have found that over the past 5 yrs, my awareness and yearning to follow the monastic path is growing. I do have some questions that I hope someone could help me with. Such as, 1) when you enter a monastery how are medical issues handled?....do you see your own doctor or are you seen by a visiting doctor? 2)I have a daughter (I know that this is my main responsibility until she is older-right now she is 14) and I wonder about the impact my decision will have on her and how I will handle it. I have shared my desire for this with a few people and have received mixed reactions to it. Some have been supportive, a few have not...I have been praying for some guidance on this; that if this is indeed the path I should follow (if it would be in conformance to God's will that I should enter a monastery) that I would understand it more clearly. Any and all practical advice on the process, what's involved, etc...would be most appreciated. If anyone can please respond I thank them in advance! Please pray for me and thank-you for reading my post.

unworthy sinner-
Rdr. Andrew

[Charalambos Andrew Geo]

I do not know much, if you want you might be able to ring a monastery in your vicinity, do you have a spiritual father, if so ask him, maybe you could ring a monastery over here, the monastery of Saint John the Baptist, in UK Tolleshunt Knights, if you want i can send you the telephone number or address,

with love in Christ,
Charalambos

[Basil Shannon]

I have a different practical question about becoming a monk. I attended college quite a few years and through unrealistic expectations of my future income, or just poor judgement, I accumulated a large amount of school loans, which now I realize I can never fully repay -- unless something extraordinary occurs. I am already about to default on the loans, although I do pay what I am able. Would this financial burden exclude me from being accepted into a monastery?

[Owen Jones]

One of my best friends is a monk. He did serious time for pedophilia, quite a few years back.

[Daniel Jeandet]

I think that, God willing and if my situation with regard to family does not change the way I would like it to, I would become a monk.

I think a really good book to read for us would be monastics is "Elder Paisios - Epistles".

The first epistles are for beginners and those intending to become monks. The advice is excellent. I think it is really important to listen to what this Elder has to say about monastacism in our world, in our situation. I really recommend this book. Try to find it or get a copy to read.

[Fr Averky]

It is never a good idea to enter a monastery leaving behind reponsibilities not seen to, for to do so will not be giving a clean offering to God. A person does not enter a monastery to escape from the failures of his life, his financial or moral obligations, or from himself. Desiring to become monks, we must be desirous of giving over everything of ourselves to God, in faith, love, and obedience.

A person enters a monastery because he has chosen to take his soul and run from all the allures and sinfulnes of the world. He does this because he realizes that he is the "superfluous man," never having quite fit in all of his life. Like our Saviour, we monks are the one frowned upon by the proud and "wise" of this world.. We are spirfitually ill, and we seek Divine healing. There is nothing Romantic about monasticism-it is very, very difficult.

Basil, I do not know you, but you need to find a good priest or monk to guide you spiritually, you must start to pray often and fervently, and be in contact with a monastery that you might visit. You have to be very realisitc, Monasticism is constantly fighting in the heat of the battle, and always of the front lines!

May God help you!

Fr. A.

[Basil Shannon]

Bless Father.

I appreciate your counsel, as well as the responses from everyone both on this board and off. I have thought a great deal about monasticism and cannot put the desire out of my heart, although through my sinfulness the desire has been ignored. I will seek the guidance of a priest or monk.

[Daniel Jeandet]

When people with love for me but no faith in God talk to me about my future, they sometimes ask me what I am going to do for my retirement, since I dont seem to be making any plans for financial security or putting any money away. I just say to them, when I am older I will become a monastic and live a simple life without any cares about money and stuff. Generally they have no answer to this, but it is painful to know that my family and others really stress and worry about me when it comes to work and stuff. I wish I could take away thier anxiety and worries but only God can do this for us, I love my parents very much and I pray that they will understand life someday.

[Fr Averky]

Dear Owen,

God bless your friend. As you know, on Mt. Athos there is virtually no sin (except schism and heresy) which will not hamper a sincere man's desire to become a monk.

I am sorry, but I do not quite understand the your post number 765 in the context of this thread, but I still agree.

Averky

[Archimandrite Gregory]

+GLORY BE TO GOD FOR ALL THINGS!

I entered the monastery 39 years ago and have never looked back and have never been unhappy for ONE DAY in all these years! When I was 7 years old, I decided that the Lord wanted me to be a monk and from that day on, I never considered seriously any other vocation. There have been difficult times, there have even been a few days when I was sad (mostly because I realized that I had failed to measure up), and there have been many times when I have felt that I was not a good choice and perhaps the Lord should have called someone made out of 'better material'...but there have been ZERO days that I've been sorry that I responded to His call and ZERO days that I've been sorry I did this!

I've buried all of my family, I've have a couple of operations, and I've just finished 9 1/2 week of radiation for cancer, but I'm a happy and joyful man and I give ALL the credit to the Lord Who has sustained me all these many years! If the monastic vocation is REALLY your vocation, you will happy at nothing else. If is NOT your vocation, you will make yourself and everyone around you miserable, until someone has the sense to ask you to leave. Nothing ventured---nothing gained? If you 'feel' that you may be called, then you need to "COME AND SEE," otherwise you'll never know for sure and you'll go through life always wondering and always a bit unhappy and unfulfilled.

GOD IS NEVER OUTDONE IN GENEROSITY! If you give Him give the little that you have, He'll multiply that thousands and thousands of times over...and you'll be able to do what you never thought possible. All glory be to Him Who calls us all!

In Him Who calls us,
+Father Archimandrite Gregory

[J. K. Amra]

what is the starting point of an Orthodox monk? What is the highest point that one can reach?



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81O0NB1etpg&feature=PlayList&p=BBAE2214AE4BF45E&index=9

[Kusanagi]

1) when you enter a monastery how are medical issues handled?....do you see your own doctor or are you seen by a visiting doctor? 2)I have a daughter (I know that this is my main responsibility until she is older-right now she is 14) and I wonder about the impact my decision will have on her and how I will handle it. I have shared my desire for this with a few people and have received mixed reactions to it. Some have been supportive, a few have not...I have been praying for some guidance on this; that if this is indeed the path I should follow (if it would be in conformance to God's will that I should enter a monastery) that I would understand it more clearly. Any and all practical advice on the process, what's involved, etc...would be most appreciated. If anyone can please respond I thank them in advance!


If you become a monk you learn to trust in God in all things and seek the kingdom of God first, medical issues are secondary.
Wait till your daughter is old enough to look after herself and then make your decision.
best way to find out if you are suited to monastic life is to stay in a monastery for a few months and live the life the monks do and see how you can handle it. If there are many obstacles in the monastic life it means you are not meant to be a monk, by God's will.

Most of all seek the advice of your spiritual father

[Father David Moser]

what is the starting point of an Orthodox monk? What is the highest point that one can reach?

The starting point of a monk is humility - and the highest point a monk can reach is to become humble.

OTOH if you are asking how to begin monastic life - then go to a monastery and ask to live there as a worker. If you adapt to the life and if the superior of the monastery sees that you are able to live the monastic life, then after a time (a few months, a few years whatever) he may choose to clothe you as a novice. That's how you begin - and perhaps that's were you end. It might be possible after some years to be clothed with the riassa and later perhaps with the small schema or even in some circumstances (rare in the Russian Church) with the great schema. But monastic life isn't about how "high" you can reach, but about self denial and cutting off the will and ascending the cross with Christ. (just like for laymen actually).

Fr David Moser