Life in Community

Benedictine life is seeking God in community through worship, work, and study

Benedictines commit themselves for life to three vows: stability in community, conversion through a monastic way of life, and obedience. Monastic stability means that a monk belongs to Saint John's Abbey. He casts his lot with this particular group of brothers for his spiritual and material needs; he shares the community's work and joins his future to that of the monastery. The vow of conversion embraces the essential aspects of monastic Christianity: dedication to prayer, celibacy, sharing of material goods in community, a life of simplicity. Benedictine obedience is willingness to live according to the guidance of the Rule, steady listening to the teaching of the abbot, and attentiveness to one's brothers in community.

In addition to worship and work, our common life includes dining together, community meetings, serving one another, and recreation. We integrate these practices with simplicity of life, silence, fasting, and hospitality to guests.

Prayer

Prayer is at the center of our lives. We come together each day to pray the Liturgy of the Hours and celebrate the Eucharist. We also practice lectio divina and other devotions individually.

Work

The call to monastic life flows naturally into the call to service others for the love of Christ. Saint Benedict's rule says simply "Let the brothers serve one another." The monks of Saint John's have always understood this command to extend beyond the walls of the monastery into local, regional, and global communities.