life as a monk

edited March 2005 in Faith Issues

how do people like monks live? if they died of the world while living in it? how does one continue the process of everyday living while bound to a life of prayer?

how do they live, do they rent an apt and drive and go shopping, i mean what if they dont have relatives everywhere. or are they assigned a family.

im talking about monks that are living in cities

Comments

  • anba David is an anba.... period

    now is your question about monks, or Bishops?

    if Bishop, they have their people...
    if monks they live from by their own work... every here and there they have to go out of the monestary for emergencies.
  • actually monke dont go anywhere, they stay at the monastery. i dont knwo about monasteries in egypt or anywhere else but St.Antonys monastery in california has like "bungalow" type buildings for the monks cells, and for the food they have a little market in there for anyone, and if not then they always have the cafeteria to go to
  • o my, i see that my question is very cryptic.

    ok what i mean is:


    i realize that monks cant leave the monastery.
    when their in the monastery.

    what if they are assigned to become a bishop or have to get surgery or become monk priests. etc. for any reason just make one up urselves, ok theyre in a city. what do they do.
  • hey awad,

    im not sure if i'll be answering this correctly... but here goes

    monks, all start in the monastary. they stay there (each monks timing differeing from one to the other) and learn the ways of the monstary
    some monks live there all their lives. others are called to go back into the world for service.

    an example would be abouna anastasi, he used to be in the monastary of St. Antony, but now he serves in Hawaii.

    i had a priest in our church a while back that used to be a monk, but he was told to come to our church to serve.

    they are still monks- because they have fully dedicated their lives to God (i.e not getting married), and for the most part they live in solitude (i.e no family at home)

    they devote themselves to God and His service, except in a way a bit different from the monks in the monstary.

    they usually have a place to live in or near the church, and are required to do what regular, married priests do- perform the sacaraments, masses, vist houses, visit sick people, keep the congergation together, etc.

    when the services of the day have been finished, i believe they ususally retreat to their very humble homes and spend the rest of the day and probably night in prayer, until services of a new day have come.

    they usually dont go many places- most of their stays are limited to the Chruch building, their homes, and other ppls houses when they visit them.

    they dont go out shopping for church needs and such very much, they ususally assign people to take care of and be resposible for certian things in the church.
    they could however, secertly sweep the church or make the Korban (blessed bread), but they try not to indulge themselves in the world...

    monks living outside the monstary have to be more social, but often retreat to their homes to try and attain a life of solitude they once had in the monstary.

    sometimes they would go and visit their monstary, spend a few days there to 'freshen up' and perhaps gain spiritual advice and wisdom from others, but would have to eventually return to the chruch they serve at.

    i hope this wasnt too confusing... hope it made sense and was helpful in a wierd way...

    take care and God bless
  • thanx for that crazycopt i lernt alot

    GB ALL
    +FROG+
Sign In or Register to comment.