Ever since the fifth century, the time of St. Benedict, monks have discovered what happens when they answer the invitation of God. In his rule, Benedict tells his monks to listen carefully with their hearts to hear the principles of the Lord. He also reassures them that when they do, they open themselves to a life of growth that they never could have imagined possible.
The
monastic life may be compared to the care of a garden, where spiritual
seed planting, cultivation, watering, and even pruning of the soul,
nourish the open heart to its most fruitful state.
To live a Benedictine life is to open yourself to the Gospel call of Christ, to respond to God's grace and seek Him. Benedictine men and women all over the world have committed themselves to living in this way. Mount Michael Abbey plays its own special part in this history of Benedictines and monasticism. Like all other Benedictine communities, Mount Michael's monks attempt to embody in their lives the spiritual guidance and Gospel principles found in the Rule of Benedict: poverty, humility, obedience, stability, a balance of all of life's elements, hospitality, compassion, personal reformation and fraternal love in the common life.
One
author described what Benedictine monks do as "working the earth
of the heart." Regardless of what physical, spiritual, or mental
work he performs in the world a Benedictine monk seeks and finds God's
gifts, holiness and presence in each action, each individual, each moment
of his life.
So we invite you to open your heart and "listen," both to this story of Mount Michael and to the call of God in your heart. We welcome you to come and experience the Lord with us, to discover how fruitful your spiritual "garden" can be, when cultivated in the Benedictine way.
The Labor of Our Hands…
St. Benedict taught that work is a key element in spiritual growth. At Mount Michael, each monk has important work to do. We support ourselves by the work of our hands, our minds and our hearts. Our individual and community occupations reflect reverence for individual talents, and enact our participation with God as co-workers in his Kingdom.
We also value a balanced, integrated life. In addition to work, both
leisure and prayer are central to our lives these elements help each
man grow into the fullness of life that God intends.
The Stability of Community…
One
of the primary principles of the Gospel emphasized in St. Benedict's
Rule of life is stability. Stability doesn't mean resistance to change,
but instead it anchors Mount Michael's monks to this specific community,
much as roots anchor a tree into the soil so it will grow. A monk's commitment
to community reflects reverence for his own need for belonging. It also
demonstrates confidence to God's ability to nurture him in depth, for
a lifetime, among his Mount Michael family.
Within the security of our community, we find the strength to remain open to ongoing conversion of life. We depend on God's grace to sustain us through all seasons of our spiritual growth. We gently encourage one another to be fervent in our prayer, work and study. Together as a family, we harvest the benefits of God's gifts and a deeply rooted, balanced life.
The Work of God…
Being
a monk isn't only about self-improvement, although our lives are deeply
enriched by the way we live. It's about living our lives, each day, to
the greater honor and glory of God.
St. Benedict called our way of worship the "Work of God," and in the rule he teaches us to prefer nothing above its. We spend varied times of each day in prayer-morning, midday, evening and night prayer with the community, Eucharist, personal prayer and lectio (sacred reading).
Our prayer, song and worship, carried out in the spirit of St. Benedict's Rule, lead us to be more sensitive to God's grace and presence in people, events, and circumstances.
For over 1500 years, Benedictine monks have found blessings and deepened
meaning in their lives through the discipline, expression and gift of
worship. At Mount Michael, we carry out and rejoice in that tradition.
Come and See…
In the Benedictine tradition, all guests to Mount Michael are received as Christ himself. In that spirit of openness and genuine welcome, we invited you to contact us, to visit our Abbey, and to learn more about what God has given us to share.
For more information concerning who we are and what we are about please contact: Vocation Director |
 |