Posted on 10/07/2015 8:58:31 AM PDT by OrthodoxIndianCatholic
I am an Indian Catholic of Portuguese Descent. I am originally from Goa, India but I have lived all my life in Mumbai- formerly known as Bombay. I am 44 years old going on 45.
I am interested in joining an English Speaking Trappist Monastery somewhere in the West as there are none in India. I still live in Mumbai.
I am writing about Trappist Monasteries and about the Trappist Vocation as not much is known about them in the West as well as in the East.
The Trappist Vocation :
Trappists are Catholic - Christian Monks who live a contemplative life. Prayer and Meditation; Manual Work and Study. They were founded by Saint Robert of Molesm in 1098.
A Trappist spends his 24 hours; in the singing of the "Monastic Divine Office" even during night, in manual work, in the reading of Sacred Scripture known as "Lectio Divina" and in keeping strict silence.
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux was the most famous Trappist/Cistercian Monk. He composed the Memorare in honour of Our Lady. He was the Abbot of Clairvaux for 38 years.
Today, there are Trappist Monasteries in Europe, in the United States, In Africa, in South America, and in East Asia. In East Asia, there are Trappist Monasteries in Hong Kong, in Korea, and in Japan.
Trappist Monks lead a hidden life. They chant the Psalms as part of the Monastic Divine Office 5-7 times a day.
The First Monastic Divine Office is "Vigils" which is usually in the middle of the night at 3.00 or 4.00. It is followed by Lauds which is at 6.00 or 7.00 in the morning followed by the "Holy Sacrifice of the Mass".
After this, Trappist Monks usually go to work in a "Monastery Bakery" if it exists or at an Abbey Book Store or at a Winery run by them to support themselves. Around Midday, Trappist Monks get together to chant Prime - another Monastic Divine Office. They, then go for Lunch.
After this, there are 3 more Monastic Divine Offices to be chanted. They are Terce, Vespers, and Compline respectively. Compline is the last Monastic Divine Office before Monks go to bed.
A key aspect of Trappist Spirituality is "Lectio Divina". To say it simply, it is nothing but deep rooted reading of Sacred Scripture - Old Testament and New Testament Passages; digesting every word from the Bible and meditating on it.
Lectio Divina is usually practiced by Trappist Monks early in the morning soon after the Monastic Divine Office of Vigils.
Important : The Trappist Vocation calls for exceptional Men; ardent in zeal, armed in virtue, furnished in doctrine, and faithful in the extreme to their Rules and Regulations.
Attention : Please pray for my "Acceptance" to a Trappist Monastery in the West.
Thank You in Advance,
Prayer Request : Please Pray that I am accepted by Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemane in Kentucky as a "Candidate for Monastic Life".
Greetings from Mumbai.
It is my ardent wish and dream that I should be a Trappist Monk in a Monastery in the Southern United States.
I seem to like the Trappist Monks in Kentucky.
I love reading the works and the books written by Ancient Desert Monks like Origen, Saint Anthony of the Desert, Saint Athanasius, and Saint Ignatius of Antioch to mention a few.
Please pray for me that God answers my Prayer.
Have you been able to visit the monastery yet?
I will pray for you! Gethsemani sells excellent fudge and cheese. (Their fruitcake is also considered good, but my family is anti-fruitcake.)
God bless you. To aspire to become a spiritual Olympian, a true monastic, is the highest calling for a Christian.
Fruitcake! Looks worth a try! My parents used to get fruitcake from Saint Mary’s of the Lake every year and sell it in their restaurant. They never made a profit - it was too good to all make it to the sales counter! :-) But that organization stopped making it. I found their recipe and made it once, but haven’t had the time to do so since.
Vocation bump for you.
You’re in my prayers.
Those monks are out of the will of God:
Mat_5:15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Mar_16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
There are no monasteries in the NT scriptures...
Missionaries on the other hand are abundant in the scriptures...
If your parents wanted large quantities of Gethsemani fruitcake, they might negotiate a bulk discount.
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