Benedictine Monks Extra Credit

Living as or with Benedictine monks may seem crazy in 2020 due to our hectic non-stop lifestyles and our everyday distractions. Many of us think if we don’t pay attention to the news or the apps on our phone we will miss out on the important things going on in life. This perceived by many, is not true, and in 2005, BBC invited 5 men to live with Benedictine monks for 6 weeks to prove this statement wrong and open their eyes to the peace of silence.

As Catholics and even as lay people, we can learn a lot from the Benedictine monks. Living in silence, obedience, and humility has shown to strengthen their spiritual relationships and bring answers to that dissatisfaction in life.

The Benedictines teach that even if you are very advanced and experienced at something it is always good to be open to growth and new information with a humbling attitude. This helps you get better at all things and to be a well rounded induvial. Always staying committed to something that you have already started help us get through the hard times of life with persistence.

The Benedictines also teach us to never stop trying to improve our spiritual life. No matter how close we think we are with God, we can always inch closer. As well as staying optimistic to any ways of getting closer to God, including becoming a monk or joining the consecrated life. Lastly, obedience to our superiors and others will help us listen and learn new things we didn’t know existed.

I wish I had the same opportunity that the 5 men did during their time at the monastery. I think it would of been a good getaway from my daily life and would of been a true time to get closer to God in peace and silence. In my junior and senior year of high school I had a similar experience on a 3 day retreat called Kairos. During these 3 days we went through a lot of prayer and active thought. All phones and sense of time was taken away and afterword’s I felt renewed and overjoyed with God’s presence.

The 5 men that had the chance to experience this 6 week adventure with the Benedictine monastery were very lucky. Sticking with 2 men, Tony and Nicholas both left with a stronger relationship with God. Tony is currently in the porn industry, filming commercials specifically, and we all know how far away from God that industry is. At the start Tony did not believe in God and really didn’t see the point of the monastery. At the end he increased his faith, he did not yet fully believe in God but he definitely felt him and heard him speak to him. This was a huge step in the right direction of living a faithful life. Nicholas on the hand, went to church often and was on a spiritual search for 10 years. Even though he went to church he didn’t really believe what he was doing and he wanted to put the heart back into it. After the 6 weeks Nicholas felt renewed and filled with God’s love and joy.

What I took out of these 5 men’s journey with the Benedictine monks living in silence, obedience, and humility is that God is always with us, just sometimes when we don’t feel his presence we need to slow down, clear our distractions, and listen.