Decision made: now action

[Seraphim]

Bless Fathers ... Hello everyone.

Forgive me if this post is somewhere else but I couldn't find it whilst searching. My question is ... what does one actually have to do in order to become a monk. I don't refer to any great deep meaning in this - i mean - what practical things do you have to do? Contact a monastery? Write to the bishop / archbishop? This is all unknown to me but something that may be of vital importance to me in the future.

Many thanks In Christ,
Seraphim

[Herman Blaydoe]

Most Orthodox monasteries practice the ancient tradition of granting up to three days hospitality to anyone who asks. Longer visits can usually be arranged with the abbot. Visiting more than one monastery is important. You are not the only one making a decision here. In divining whether or not you are suited to the angelic life, or that it is suited to you, the monastery must decide if you and it are a match. While Orthodox monasticism does not have formal "orders" like the Catholics, it is by no means monolithic. There is a fairly wide range of disciplines and traditions within Orthodox practice.

Step 1 is always PRAY. Step 2 is talk to a spiritual authority you know and trust, such as your parish priest (always a good place to start) and get their opinion. Visit an Orthodox monastery, talk with the abbot. Experience the life of the monastery and see what you think. Even if you decide you want to to this, you must find a monastery that is willing to accept you. It is not just your decision. Once you and a monastery decide that this is an appropriate thing to do, you still have to undergo different levels of "probation" before you are asked to make a firm commitment, and the process can take several months to several years, depending on your specific situation and spiritual maturity.

[Matthew Panchisin]

Dear Seraphim,

I know of a monk who many years ago showed up at our Russian Orthodox Archbishops residence and knocked on the door. He simply told our Archbishop who spent many years in the Monastery that he wanted to say the Jesus Prayer. Our Archbishop said if you really want to say the Jesus Prayer, you should be in the Monastery, he then gave his blessing to go to Jordanville. I'm not privy to all the details of the conversation but it sounded simple. Our Archbishop didn't know if he would go or not.

Anyway our Archbishop visited Jordanville about one year ago. I asked him how he felt about returning. He said he was very pleased and he smiled with much joy. He said the best thing was that the man he sent there many years ago who wanted to say the Jesus Prayer "stuck good" and is a monk. Our Archbishop is an iconographer so when he looks at older efforts from years ago, he looks to see if the paint "stuck good" etc. If a person is busy with other things and not going to Church and praying then they might be painting on the air or in the air, won't stick.

So you could show up and knock.

Matthew 7:
7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Here is the understanding of the above scripture by the Blessed Theophylact which is often read by Slav monastics.

"In what has preceded the Lord has commanded us to do great and difficult things. Here He shows us how these things can be accomplished: through unceasing prayer. For He said "Ask" that is 'keep asking," meaning, ask continuously." For he did not say ask one time." Then He affirms what He has said by an example from everyday life."

In Christ,

Matthew Panchisin