Monastery Begins Associates' Program

The Monastery, with the blessing of His Grace Bishop John Michael, has begun a new program for people who wish to commit in a formal way to living the monastic ascetic ideal in their own lives according to their state. Similar to what is known in Western monasticism as an "oblate", a Monastic Associate of Holy Resurrection Monastery receives spiritual direction from the monks and commits in turn to a regular rule of prayer, fasting and almsgiving.

Here is the provisional typikon of our Monastic Associate program. We have enrolled our Bishop as first Associate, and last Saturday received our first lay Associates into their probationary period of three years, or "novitiate." Next week (on the feast of St. Nicholas, December 6) we will receive a group of around 12 novice Associates at St. Philip's Melkite Greek Catholic Church, including their pastor, Father Justin Rose. We have other people who have asked to join in the near future.

If, after reading the typikon, you are interested in becoming a Monastic Associate, please contact Father Abbot Nicholas at the monastery.

Provisional Typicon for Monastic Associates Of Holy Resurrection Monastery

“For even one dwelling in a city may imitate the self-denial of the monks; yea, one who has a wife, and is busied in a household, may pray, and fast, and learn compunction. Since they also, who at the first were instructed by the apostles…” (St.  John Chrysostom)

Introduction

“Moreover in the East, monasticism was not seen merely as a separate condition, proper to a precise category of Christians, but rather as a reference point for all the baptized, according to the gifts offered to each by the Lord; it was presented as a symbolic synthesis of Christianity”. (Pope John Paul II in Orientale Lumen)

Thus monasticism is the reference point for the priesthood of all believers, cleric and lay, men and women.  The monastic associates of Holy Resurrection Monastery will endeavor to live this charism.  The monastic brotherhood of the monastery will strive to assist this charism as far as possible. The associates will be encouraged to seek a deeper level of consecration to and participation in the ecclesial life of the monastery, their parish and their diocese.

Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving

Monastics traditionally offer spiritual advice and counsel.  Therefore they   provide foremost a model of prayer, fasting and almsgiving by their example and also by their availability for spiritual counsel and direction.  A monastic will assist an individual associate member in forming a rule of spiritual discipline.  The Monastic Typicon is the guiding document for the construction of each prayer rule for each individual.

Prayer:

Each member under the direction of his/her spiritual father is encouraged to recite daily a portion of the Divine Praises of their church tradition.  He/she is also taught to pray the Jesus prayer, observe a spirit of serene silence and practice spiritual reading especially the Gospels, the lives of the saints and the Fathers of the Church especially as these last relate to monastic life.  Each monastic associate’s name is inscribed in a register in the monastery; the monastic community is obliged to remember these associates in the cycle of services and in their private prayers.  In turn, the monastic associates are asked to remember the monastery, their spiritual father, individual monks and the other monastic associates in their prayers.

Fasting:

Each member under the direction of his/her spiritual father is to observe as fully as possible within his/her state of life the fasting discipline of their church.  The spirit of this fasting should be maximilist not minimalist, spiritual rather than legal.

Almsgiving:

Each member under the direction of his/her spiritual father is to practice almsgiving in the spirit of poverty.  As well as spontaneous acts of generosity, associates should be committed to the practice of tithing.  Tithing should reflect our belonging to the church, where we belong and what belongs to us, i.e. our parish, our diocese, and our monastery. 

Formation 

The monastery shall form associate members in the monastic life according to their state in life.  This will normally involve a three year novitiate when the life undertaken will be lived ad experimentum.  The ceremony of admission to the associate novitiate shall be a special prayer and blessing normally preformed in the monastery by the abbot, although in some circumstances the spiritual father or even the associate’s pastor can perform the blessing outside the monastery.   At the completion of the three years the abbot in consultation with the spiritual father and the novice associate will decide whether to admit the candidate to a life commitment.

Consecration

The consecration has limited canonical effect according to each associates state in life. In the case of eparchial clerics, this consecration will not interfere with the cleric’s relationship with his Bishop or with his canonical pastoral responsibilities.  This consecration is  spiritually and morally a serious commitment.  A life commitment and consecration to the associate monastic state is preformed by a prayer and blessing and the associate receiving a wooden hand cross.  This is normally preformed in the monastery by the abbot; however in some circumstances the spiritual father or even the associate’s pastor may perform the blessing outside the monastery. 

The foregoing applies both to lay and clerical associates, however celibate clergy may also, with the consent of their own hierarch, be consecrated as an associate of the monastery by being tonsured into the Rason.  This act does not alter the canonical status of the clerical associate.  It does however bind him morally to an even deeper obedience to his proper church authority as well as his promise of celibacy and the pursuit of Christian virtue according to his vocation.

Contact with the Monastery 

The monastic associates are to maintain as close an association with the monastery as possible.  This will be mainly through visits to the monastery and regular contact with their spiritual father.  Contact with the spiritual father (at the least monthly) may include e-mail, letters or a personal visit.    An annual retreat of six days at the monastery is recommended, but if this is not possible, alternative arrangements can be made in consultation with the spiritual father.

Forms of Association

Formal association with the monastery can take one of two forms. 

 1) Association of an individual with the monastery.

 2) Several associates living in proximity to each other may desire to form a local chapter in consultation with their pastor.  The goals of the local chapter are for associates to encourage one another to live out their associate monastic life.  This can be fostered by the associates meeting regularly for common prayer and fellowship.  Chapters can also organize local retreats, in consultation with the monastery.

Conclusion

It should always be emphasized that monastic life is essentially the living out of the Gospel within the Church.  In a healthy church life there is always a balance between the institutional elements and the charismatic (prophetic).

While monastic life emphasizes the charismatic, it always seeks to be ecclesial.  The church in turn should always strive to be monastic in the charismatic sense.  In forming more serious Christians, the Monastic Association of Holy Resurrection Monastery seeks to provide greater witness and support to the Catholic and Orthodox Churches and to all Christians.  This witness will provide vital support to the church at all levels; domestic, parish, diocesan and universal.

The spirit of interpreting this Typicon which is essentially to promote a charism is to be exercised with great flexibility by the personal (charismatic) leadership of the abbot.

Glory to God for all things!