Vocations
What is a vocation? Seeking his worker amidst the great crowd of people, the Lord raises his voice and says: “Who is there who wants life, and desires to see good days?” (Rule of Saint Benedict, Prologue)

Vocation

We are all created for a specific purpose, but, as St John Henry Newman says, none of us will know exactly what that is in this life. Just like Abraham, who knew only that he had received a call to go to a distant land, we receive only what we need, just enough to hear this voice of God, calling to our desire for Him. 

What is the monastic call?

Let the novice master ensure that he truly seeks God, that he is eager for the Divine Office, for obedience and for hardships. (Rule of Saint Benedict, ch 58)

The monastic call is not to do any particular work, but rather sinply to seek God. For St Benedict, and those of us who follow his Rule, there are key aspects of monastic life which help us in this search.

We come together to seek God as a community, giving up our own personal wealth and career aspirations, living as celibates. We gather in the church several times every day to pray together the “opus Dei”, or “Divine Office”, as an offering of praise and of our whole lives to God through the psalms, canticles and readings. The Eucharist is central to this worship, and to our common life as brothers and sisters. It is the summit and source of our life together.

The monastery is a place of fraternity, where we experience Christ among the community, especially in the sick, and in mutual service. It is a place of listening – to each other; to the Word of God in the Liturgy and Lectio Divina; to the still small voice of God in our private prayer. It is a school of the Lord’s service, which teaches us that Christ is central to our lives, and that it is through humility that we arrive at the simplicity of heart to see this.

For this reason, St Benedict believes that, at the beginning of each day, we should pray the psalm, which says, “O that today you would listen to his voice, harden not your hearts”. This daily listening helps us not to lose focus in our daily routine.

Where does the journey begin?

To the one who comes to take up this life, do not grant an easy entry, but as the Apostle says, ‘Test the Spirits to see if they are from God.’ (Rule of Saint Benedict, ch 58)

The monastic way of life begins in baptism; it is an extension of our baptismal life in Christ. Anyone who is called to the monastic life must first be keenly aware of the importance of their Catholic faith.

After that, there may be any number of reasons that one feels called to monastic life. Many feel, when they visit a monastery, a sense of feeling at home. Some are attracted by the tradition of silent prayer, Lectio Divina, and liturgy. Others again enjoy the balance of pastoral work and prayer to be found in many of our monasteries.
If you have a sense of a call to the monastic life and wish to explore further, you might simply visit a monastery as a guest. If you wish to discuss your sense of vocation with someone, you could get in touch with the vocations director of a monastery local to you, and explore the possibility. You can find their email addresses on their websites as listed in the Our Houses section of this website.

What is the journey like?

First of all, love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your strength; then, your neighbour as yourself… and the reward will be given to us by the Lord, as He promised: ‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love Him.’ (Rule of St Benedict ch 4)

The challenges that we imagine before entering are often not the ones we encounter. There is a falling away of unrealistic dreams, and much of life becomes “mundane” and “everyday”.

In fidelity to this mundane, everyday life the love of the monk or nun is tested, our hearts expand and our love is reciprocated by God. This spiritual wealth accumulates slowly, and as we gradually realise our strengths and weaknesses, we are drawn constantly beyond ourselves into the mystical life of the love of God, which is our ultimate aim and guiding principle. Persevering, it becomes clearer over time that the only reason to stay in the monastery is this loving call of Christ, and that this was why we came all along.