Courses/Retreat on Monasticism

Happy feast of the Father of Monks, St. Anthony the Great! 

Check out these upcoming free courses (and an online retreat) on or inspired by monasticism offered through the Institute of Catholic Culture!

Rules for Life 

Lent with the Monks

Desert Voices

Praying Through Suffering

Updated Theophany Schedule & Reflection

Our Theophany Eve schedule has changed significantly. Please take note of the new times:

Accepting My Humanity With Jesus

A reflection by Mother Cecilia, hegumena

A couple days ago, I was angry with myself for a mistake I had made. With a lot of effort, I turned to Jesus in prayer. Lately, when I’m struggling with something, I’ve gotten in the habit of asking Jesus, “When did You experience something like this?” Each time I’ve asked, He’s come through with an example from Scripture, encouraging me and helping me to be conformed to Him. Usually, I know the answer before I even finish asking my question; in the act of articulating what I’m experiencing, I become aware of the way Jesus had this same experience. 

Well, the day I was angry with myself for making a mistake, I thought, “I can’t ask Jesus about this one. He didn’t make mistakes.” But I knew I had to talk to Him; there was no other way to regain my peace. So, with great hesitation, I started to articulate my struggle: “Jesus, did You ever make a mistake or struggle to accept the weakness of Your humanity?” And it hit me before I finished the sentence: what I’m actually upset about is not simply making a mistake; I’m upset about the imperfections and limitations of my humanity, and Jesus took these on WILLINGLY! As God, He didn’t need to do that. God is infinitely powerful, all-knowing, uncontainable... And He chose to join Himself to the limitations of our humanity. It’s mind-blowing to consider God taking on even the simplest human limitations and needs: He experienced hunger…He had to stop working and sleep… 

I understood immediately that if the all-powerful God chose to take on the limitations of humanity, I, who am a created human person, can willingly accept my human limitations rather than being angry about them. With Jesus, I can even lovingly embrace them, because that is what He did, and with Him in me and I in Him, I can do that too. 

At this time of the liturgical year, we celebrate several landmark moments of the Incarnation—of God’s taking on of human limitation: the Nativity (Dec. 25), Theophany (Jan. 6) and Presentation in the Temple (Feb. 2). These are special times of deepening our awareness of God’s love for us through His humble condescension; they are also times of rejoicing and thanking Him. Listen carefully to the liturgical texts (at Divine Liturgy, Vespers, Matins, Royal Hours, etc.), sit quietly with the readings from Scripture, and maybe even speak to Jesus about your struggles with your humanity. Notice the unique ways that He personally speaks to you about His love for you.

Here is a beautiful text that makes me cry every year! It’s from Vespers for the first pre-festive day of Theophany (Jan. 2). I love that the Jordan River is personified and cries out to John the Baptist:

O come all you faithful ones. * Leaving the regions of Judea, we shall cross the wilderness of the Jordan; * and today we shall see Him who revealed Himself in the flesh for our sake. * In the streams of the Jordan, * He is asking the Forerunner for baptism. * John refuses and cries out in fear: * I do not dare to touch the divine Fire with my hand of clay. * The Jordan and the sea fled, O Savior, and then returned. * And I, how shall I place a hand on Your head which even the Seraphim fear? * The Jordan fled when Elisha received the mantle of Elijah; * how will it not go into the Abyss * and into the depths when it sees You unclothed in the stream? * How will the Jordan not burn me when I touch the fire? * The Jordan then cries out to John: * Why do you hesitate to baptize my Lord? * Why do you delay the purification of so many people? * He has already sanctified all creation. * Let me also be sanctified together with the nature of the water. * For this reason, He has come into the world.

May these beautiful feasts fill you to overflowing with joy and grace. We are praying for you!

An idea for incorporating some of the daily liturgical prayer of the Byzantine Church into your daily life: try the ECPubs app. This free app is especially helpful for praying Vespers (evening prayer); the entire text of the service for each day is compiled in order. In the app, click on “Vespers,” then the date (of the following day, since Vespers is the first service of the new liturgical day), then “Reader service” (this option gives instructions for praying Vespers without a priest). We nuns use this app when traveling.

New Issue of Pomegranate Blossoms

Enjoy the newest issue of our newsletter! In it, we each share a reflection from our prayer. From Mother Cecilia explaining how she is only now "getting into" the Jubilee Year, to our dokimoi, Maddie and Rose, sharing thoughts from their struggles in their first year in the monastery, we hope you find something that inspires, encourages and/or challenges you.

Also, enjoy photos from the Bridegroom's Banquet, and read about our need for a larger monastery and the first steps that we're taking.

 

Bridegroom's Banquet Videos

Enjoy our new film, "Sighs Too Deep for Words: Reflections on Prayer," which premiered at our Bridegroom's Banquet on November 1. There are many misconceptions about prayer, and we did our best to turn them inside out to reveal the truth about prayer, based on our experiences. Our awesome filmmaker, Subdeacon David Bratnick, outdid himself this time to produce our most beautiful film so far! 

The Nativity Fast began on November 15, and we hope this film will help you to grow in prayer during this 40-day penitential time of preparation for the Nativity of Our Lord.

We are overwhelmed by the generosity of our Bridegroom's Banquet donors and by the beauty of this event! God bless you!! This short video gives a little taste of the banquet:

Silence: availability & penance; Peace: gift of vulnerability & prayer

On Thurs., Sept. 11, we enjoyed the gift of a communal Day of Reflection provided by Fr. John Paul Kuzma, OFM Cap, who works in formation at Borromeo Seminary in Wickliffe, Ohio.  We have been blessed by his friendship since his coming to the seminary five years ago.  He gave us two conferences, the first on “Silence” and the second on “Peace.”  

During the first conference, Fr. John Paul led us in an exploration of the many facets of silence and its significance in the spiritual life.  He described the fruits of silence (healing, service, deeper understanding), emphasizing that silence is not necessarily exterior quiet or the absence of sound (in fact, the Divine Liturgy leaves virtually no space for such an absence, being an effulgence of song), but rather is an interior availability, a disposition that enables us to receive the Word.  Ultimately, silence is about listening to the One present within us.  Finally, we examined the penitential aspects of silence: silence can be a form of penance, the curbing of the tongue a remedy to Eve’s original sin of the tongue which drew Adam into her temptation.  Silence is a form of fasting that is accessible to everyone, regardless of whether one has the physical health to abstain from food or stand in vigils.

Fr. John Paul opened the conference on “Peace” by leading us in a meditation on the peace Christ gave to His Apostles in the upper room following His Resurrection, particularly focusing on St. Thomas, and the relationship between peace and vulnerably making our needs known in prayer: it isn’t that the Lord doesn’t know our needs, but in opening them to Him in prayer, we create a door by which the Lord (who entirely respects our freedom and will never force His way in) can enter our wounds.  Thomas cried out, upon hearing from the other disciples that Jesus was risen, “Unless I see the nail prints in His hands and put my hand into the wound in His side, I will not believe!”  Fr. John Paul posited that, perhaps, the experience of being left out was a broader theme in Thomas’s life.  The Lord’s response to Thomas’s declaration of need was to come and allow him to place his “restless hand”—all his frustration and pain—into His own “life-giving side,” as our Kontakion for Thomas Sunday says.  Peace, ultimately, only comes from prayer, and our willingness to be vulnerable in our poverty and need is an essential part of prayer.  

What is Exciting About Truth?

A reflection by Mother Cecilia for the Sunday of the Fathers of the 7th Ecumenical Council & for the 1700th Anniversary of the 1st Ecumenical Council

I will admit that, as an artist, of the three transcendentals—truth, goodness and beauty—I am most attracted by beauty, and least by truth! I'm not saying I like untrue things, but I don't get as excited about truth as I do about beauty! However, in coming to understand that truth is not just about facts and information, but that Truth is a Person, I started to have a passion for truth too.

There are various ways in which we are tempted to choose what is not true, and some of them are quite subtle. A lustful thought (or act) may involve a real person and a real act, but it of itself is not true, meaning: it is not about a person given to me by God to love in a real way, with a true gift of self. To imagine something (or to act in a way) that is not true love, will never satisfy! Again, a thought (or act) of acedia may involve a real desire (to "look out my window" and desire a situation or life that is not mine), but it is not true; it is not what God has lovingly placed before me. It will never satisfy! And also, a self-condemning thought is not true. For a person oriented to God, His correction only comes in gentle, encouraging ways, not disturbing, accusatory, condemning ones. So, thoughts that come in this disturbing way do not come from Truth, even if there is something about them that is technically accurate. We are not to listen to these thoughts; we are to look at the Lord who encourages and strengthens us rather than tearing us down. We will never be satisfied or healed by listening to the accusatory thoughts and trying to "correct" ourselves.

What does satisfy and heal? Loving the real person in front of us, given to us by God, in the real way He is calling us; loving God in the real situation in which we find ourselves, by accepting the situation with our will; loving ourselves with God's own love, with patience and humility, courageously ignoring the disturbing voices and trusting in the gaze of the One who is looking at us with love.

Truth is a Person. "I am the way, the truth and the life" (Jn 14:6). He loves us, He fills us. He loves us in and through what is true. And He calls us to share in His love by loving what is real, in real ways. Jesus prayed for us in His great prayer to the Father, "Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth" (Jn 17:17).

This past Sunday we commemorated the Fathers of the 7th Ecumenical Council. There are several times throughout the liturgical year that we commemorate the Fathers of the Ecumenical Councils, and this year we celebrate the 1700th anniversary of the 1st Ecumenical Council. Why is this important? The Fathers were not just defining and clarifying pieces of information, they were the defending the truth of the Persons of the Trinity. They were honoring God and helping the people of God to understand who He is and how to live the Christian life. So, we frequently remember them and what they taught us. We always need to renew our faith and love.

Holy Fathers of the Ecumenical Councils, pray to God for us!—that we may love Truth Himself and know ourselves to be loved by Him. 

If you live in NE Ohio, join us for the Eastern Churches Seminar, Nov. 14-15, commemorating the 1700th anniversary of the 1st Ecumenical Council.

A Question from a Parish Priest

As the Byzantine Catholic Church in the United States begins a time of prayer for vocations, we share our thoughts in response to a question we recently received from a young Byzantine priest, in case it would be helpful to other parish priests or even parishioners or those discerning.

Q: Is there anything that you’ve found especially helpful that a parish priest can do to nurture monastic vocations?

A: This is a good question! Here are several thoughts:

1. Pray and seek holiness yourself. Pray the liturgical prayers of the Church and make time each day for private prayer. Those whom the Lord is calling to a life of prayer are aided by seeing it modeled in others. They will especially look up to their parish priest. But more importantly, the transformation that comes about in you through prayer affects everyone around you, even if you're not aware of it. Be with the Lord and let Him love you, because this is why He made you. When you are living as He made you to be, that is what is most important in every matter!

2. Offer plenty of opportunities for prayer at the parish, including services such as Vespers and Matins which round out the liturgical life and provide opportunities for discovering a thirst for liturgical prayer which is an important component of the daily monastic rhythm. Don't be discouraged if few people (or none) join you. Just keep doing it.

3. Work on making your parish a place where the Christian life is lived to the full. This begins with the Liturgy, and flows out from there. Try to live the Byzantine Tradition authentically, reverently, joyfully and richly. It is so attractive; let it be that. But to be truly attractive, it cannot be comprised of empty actions and rituals; it must be fueled by love.

4. Teach your people about praying with Scripture and contemplative prayer, and encourage them to spend time each day in private prayer. In order to teach it, you have to know it; so make sure you know it first! (You don't have to be an expert, just a doer of it!) Time in silence and stillness, in relationship with the Lord, greatly helps a person to hear His quiet, beckoning voice. Also, without a profound relationship with the Lord, a person cannot persevere in a monastic vocation, for only love can compel a person to make such a gift of self in response to an even greater love (God's). You may also want to consider keeping your church open for quiet prayer at certain times if you are able.

5. Encourage your people to participate regularly in the Mystery of Holy Repentance (Confession). The gifts of self-knowledge, repentance, healing, spiritual guidance and obedience that come through regular Confession are essential for the monastic life.

6. Take note of who is frequently attending services at your parish, and ask the Lord if He is calling you to invite any of the single people to consider monastic life. Several (if not all) nuns in our monastery were invited by their parish priest or other priests, and this invitation had a profound effect on us. If you do suggest the idea and someone is open to it, accompany this person in the discernment journey if he or she desires your help: pray for the person, offer to help research monasteries for visiting (byzantinecatholicvocation.com can help), and offer other spiritual support as needed. Here are some online resources we recommend for getting a little view into the monastic life: 

• The film: Mysteries of the Jesus Prayer
• The short film: From the Little Mountain: Reflections on Orthodox Christian Monasticism
• Short films produced by our monastery on our YouTube channel, such as Be Poor With Me: Reflections on Poverty, Receive the Gift: Reflections on Chastity, and Be it Done Unto Me: Reflections on Obedience.

7. Remember that monastic life is an option for men as well as women. Men are often immediately encouraged to pray about the priesthood, but it is important to remember that a man could also be called to be a monk (whether a priest-monk or a monk who is not a priest).