Our Mission
Monastic Life in the Orthodox Church
Amid the misty mountains of Meteora, an Orthodox monastery cries out to God
The Orthodox Church traces its history back to the original Church founded by our Lord Jesus Christ. It is the Church of the apostles, of the martyrs, and of the early Christians. Orthodoxía (Orthodoxy) is a Greek word meaning “correct praise” or “correct teaching” and the Orthodox Church is the bearer of ancient Christian Tradition.
Monasticism itself arose out of this spiritual fervor and devotion of the early Christian Church. The monastic life has always been an honored path for men and women to “deny themselves, take up their cross” and follow the Lord by devoting their lives to Him and becoming monks or nuns. (cf. Matthew 16:24). Taking vows of personal poverty, chastity, obedience, and stability, they seek spiritual perfection by leading lives pleasing to Christ. In their imperfect way, they strive to serve Him with a three-fold service of prayer, work, and study.
The word for monastic (i.e. a monk or nun) comes from the Greek word monos, which means “single” or “alone”—one who chooses to work out his salvation alone with God instead of within a family. Monastics live continuously in the presence of God and struggle to maintain communion with God in Jesus Christ. They strive for a life of unceasing prayer, fasting, self-denial, chastity, vigilance, love, and humility in order to unite their entire being—heart, soul, and mind—with God. They lead a life of obedience to God through willing obedience to their Abbot or Abbess.
Orthodox monastics make a lifelong commitment to their monastery. Through a secluded, God-centered life, they work and pray for the salvation of all humankind. Seeking spiritual perfection instead of the pleasures of this world, they lead lives of solitary prayer and repentance. They are a wellspring of spiritual guidance and renewal for the faithful. Isolated from secular society, monasteries maintain Orthodox Christianity in its purest form.
Monasticism itself arose out of this spiritual fervor and devotion of the early Christian Church. The monastic life has always been an honored path for men and women to “deny themselves, take up their cross” and follow the Lord by devoting their lives to Him and becoming monks or nuns. (cf. Matthew 16:24). Taking vows of personal poverty, chastity, obedience, and stability, they seek spiritual perfection by leading lives pleasing to Christ. In their imperfect way, they strive to serve Him with a three-fold service of prayer, work, and study.
The word for monastic (i.e. a monk or nun) comes from the Greek word monos, which means “single” or “alone”—one who chooses to work out his salvation alone with God instead of within a family. Monastics live continuously in the presence of God and struggle to maintain communion with God in Jesus Christ. They strive for a life of unceasing prayer, fasting, self-denial, chastity, vigilance, love, and humility in order to unite their entire being—heart, soul, and mind—with God. They lead a life of obedience to God through willing obedience to their Abbot or Abbess.
Orthodox monastics make a lifelong commitment to their monastery. Through a secluded, God-centered life, they work and pray for the salvation of all humankind. Seeking spiritual perfection instead of the pleasures of this world, they lead lives of solitary prayer and repentance. They are a wellspring of spiritual guidance and renewal for the faithful. Isolated from secular society, monasteries maintain Orthodox Christianity in its purest form.
To learn more about the scriptural roots of monasticism, please consult the PDF link below, which consists of a lecture on the topic originally delivered in October of 1991 in Thessaloniki, Greece by one of Holy Cross Monastery's monks.
| come_follow_me.pdf |
© 1991 and 1999 by Holy Cross Orthodox Monastery