Spiritual Essence
Monasticism is the angelic life, a way of living that seeks to follow the Gospel of Christ in an immediate and direct manner.
It is not the proclamation of a new morality but a dedicated effort to live according to the divine commandments, which is often difficult within the secular world.
The innermost spiritual sense of this vocation is found in joyful mourning, a state where a monastic grieves for the sins of the world while simultaneously experiencing the regenerating joy of Christ’s resurrection.
A monastic is one who dies in order to live and becomes ignorant of worldly knowledge to attain spiritual wisdom. This path is the spiritual barometer of the Church, for where monasticism thrives, the spiritual life of the whole Body of Christ is vigorous.
It is an ecclesial reality that exists only in and for the Body of Christ, with the monk retreating from the world to discover a more authentic relationship to it. By renouncing worldly possessions and family ties, the monastic seeks to embody the life of the angels who serve God tirelessly and without material encumbrance.
Historical Foundations and Traditions
The origins of Christian monasticism are located in the deserts of the Eastern Mediterranean, specifically in Egypt, Syria, and Palestine, during the late third century.
This movement was initially triggered by a desire to lead a strictly Christian life apart from the established imperial Church and by the flight from Roman persecutions.
Saint Anthony the Great is the founding father of the anchoritic tradition. After hearing the Gospel command to sell all his possessions and follow Christ, he withdrew into the Egyptian desert to battle temptation and seek God in silence.
His pattern of life was one of severe withdrawal and solitude, which remains the basis for the eremitic way of life today.
Alongside the anchoritic path, Saint Pachomius the Great established the coenobitic or communal tradition in the early fourth century.
In this model, monastics live together in a single place under the direction of an abbot. The coenobium is designed to combat self-will through shared work, common meals, and set schedules of liturgical prayer.
It is the ideal Christian community where everything is shared and nothing is owned individually. A third form, the skete, was developed as a middle road between solitude and community. A skete consists of a small community where individuals live in separate dwellings surrounding a common church, gathering only for Sundays and major feasts.
The Core Vows and Spiritual Practices
The monastic life is grounded in the three fundamental vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience. Chastity is a condition of the heart seeking the purity of man's first created state, allowing for a life of selfless love towards all persons.
Poverty is an intentional non-possessiveness that fosters total reliance on God rather than material things. Obedience is not slavery but as the life-creating context of authentic freedom. By offering up self-rule to the guidance of an abbot or elder, the monastic is set free from the self-enslavement caused by sin.
Hesychasm is a central mystical tradition focusing on inner stillness and the experiential knowledge of God. It is heavily dependent on the practice of the Jesus Prayer, which consists of the rhythmic repetition of the words: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
This practice is a method for opening the heart and soul to divine presence. Mount Athos in Greece, established as a monastic republic in the tenth century, serves as the capital of this hesychastic tradition.
Hierarchical Ranks and Entrance
The process of becoming a monastic is intentionally slow, as it involves a lifelong commitment. It begins with the novitiate, a period of testing and preparation that usually lasts for three years.
A novice is one who is under obedience but has not yet taken formal vows. Following this trial, a monastic may progress through three ranks: the Rassaphore, the Stavrophore, and the Great Schema.
The Rassaphore is the first degree, where the candidate receives the tonsure and the wide-sleeved outer robe.
The second degree, the Stavrophore or Little Schema, involves formal vows of stability, chastity, poverty, and obedience. The monastic receives a square cloth called the paraman and a cross, signifying they are now a cross-bearer.
The final rank is the Great Schema, reserved for those who have reached high spiritual excellence. In this stage, the monastic receives the analavos, an article of vesture embroidered with the instruments of the Passion.