We want you!Thank you for your excellent articles on celibacy celibacy (sĕl`ĭbəsē), voluntary refusal to enter the married state, with abstinence from sexual activity. It is one of the typically Christian forms of asceticism. (August 12). For me as a monk, the question "celibacy or not?" is purely academic. Celibacy is a defining characteristic of the monastic state. Paul Stanosz's article especially caught my attention ("Seminarians Today"). He describes seminarians who "live" for the Hours, who are nourished nour·ish tr.v. nour·ished, nour·ish·ing, nour·ish·es 1. To provide with food or other substances necessary for life and growth; feed. 2. and sustained by community life, and who, when released into a parish setting, make sure they block into each day long periods of time for prayer. My thought was, "My God, these guys belong in my monastery!" You love the Liturgy of the Hours
If you are like the men Stanosz writes about, you should consider the monastic life. Be warned that in the monastery your fears, prejudices, piety pi·e·ty n. pl. pi·e·ties 1. The state or quality of being pious, especially: a. Religious devotion and reverence to God. b. , and most of your basic assumptions will be challenged unrelentingly, but not without mercy, until you are pure. That takes a long time, years of the Divine Office, prayer, and, mostly, community life. If you think you are ready for that, then come into the monastic desert or, in the case of Assumption Abbey, into the solitude of the wooded Ozarks. MARK A. SCOTT, OCSO OCSO Orange County Sheriff's Office (Florida) OCSO Ontario County Sheriff's Office OCSO Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance, Trappists and Trappistines (religious order) Ava, Mo. The writer is abbot of Assumption Abbey. |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion