In the later years of the 3rd century AD, when persecutions were rare and being a Christian no longer seemed such a demanding or radical choice, monasticism emerged in the Church.

St Anthony of Egypt is regarded as the first monk. He sought God alone in the scriptures and the emptiness of the desert (‘monachos’, monk, means single or alone), but discovered he was not the only one drawn to God in this way. Large numbers imitated him, living sometimes as hermits, sometimes in communities with no distractions - only work to protect against the temptations of idleness, and prayer.

Those two things are still typical of monastic life - ‘ora et labora’ - prayer and work. And those who work and pray in this way form a Christian community which we call a ‘monastery’.

In prayer we listen to the God who speaks, who calls us, teaches and guides us, blesses and judges us. And in community we learn service and patience, obedience and generosity, and love.

Typically, a monk’s day is divided up into regular and formal times for prayer, for reading and for work. In the morning Matins and Lauds, in the evening Vespers and Compline with Mass and the Daytime prayer also. This regular rhythm is part of what sustains him and coaches him in the gospel’s wisdom.

He takes three vows: obedience, stability and ‘conversatio morum’. Obedience is the first virtue of Christ. It is listening in love to someone else so that what they want seems to you more important than your own will - as Jesus prayed in Gethsemane. Stability is a promise to persevere in this particular community - it is a promise of loyalty. ‘Conversatio morum’ is often left untranslated since it is hard to find English words that are adequate. It is a vow to a continual change of heart, a daily reshaping of the mind and heart according to God’s plan for us.

Monks do not marry, and they do not have private property. Everything, even their own habits, are owned by the community. Silence, the mother of prayerfulness, is cherished during many periods of the day, even during meals, where the monks listen to a good book while they eat, and find some stillness together.

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