#monasticism

"A monk is one who is separated from all and united with all."

,,The monk is the gift that the world gives to God, but also the gift that God returns to the world. Monks are Christians who want to live the life in Christ and with Christ more intensely. Therefore, a person who decides to live in a monastery first asks for this, as the Savior says in the Gospel: "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me" (Matthew 8, 34). Afterwards, they receive the consent of the mother superior or the father superior, being called from that moment "sister" or "brother", this representing the first step taken towards the monastic order.

A period of testing this decision begins in various obediences. What is important for the one who commits to such a life, as the Holy Fathers also show, is the practice of virtues: obedience and patience, which make the ascetic worthy; silence and non-judgment, which preserve the peace of the heart. These are, in fact, also evaluation criteria for the new beginner to be accepted into the monastic community.

Rasophoria or the "beginning of the monastic image"

The next step is rasophoria, which translates as the "beginning of the holy image" or the "beginning of the monastic image", when the candidate will be called a beginner of monastic life. The main moment in the rasophoria service is the tonsure of the hair and the changing of the name, when the serving priest or the abbot utters the formula: "The servant of God (the new name is spoken here) is tonsured, in the name of the Father. Amen; and of the Son. Amen; and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Let us say for him/her: Lord, have mercy". Thus, the person seeking perfection puts a good start to the life of a monk, being clothed in a cassock, kamelaukion, skouphos, and belt, receiving the prayer rope, which is also called the "sword of the Spirit".

I asked the mother superior of the Frumoasa Monastery in Iași, Stavrophora Sofia, how long it takes from rasophoria to tonsure into the monastic habit. "It depends," she replied. "To become a rasophore, at least three years from entering the monastery, and to become a nun, at least five years. It can be more, it can be less, depending on how the candidate progresses, how she manages to convince the spiritual father and the mother superior."

Rolling Hills Wind, LLC (a subsidiary of Terra-Gen, LLC)  is planning to develop the Rolling Hills Wind Project – a 250-megawatt project covering a 130 square mile area in the hills surrounding the Monastery. Leases have already been signed covering 17,169 acres in Jordanville and neighboring towns. All turbines would be within a 10-mile radius – half within 5.5 miles – of the Monastery.  Turbines generate both noise from mechanical components and aerodynamic noise from wind interacting with the blades, often louder in gusty or turbulent conditions—like the extremely windy conditions of Jordanville’s surroundings, as well as swishing or thumping, often worse at night and sometimes experienced as vibration or a pressure wave. At a distance of 2 miles, especially in a quiet setting, the noise will be clearly heard inside buildings.  If allowed, this project would very likely mean hearing the noise of a dozen wind turbines every moment that you spend there.  If you live there as a monk or seminarian, it would mean hearing it every moment of every day.  How can anyone find peace and worship silently in these conditions? People living in proximity to wind turbines report numerous negative health effects: Noise, vibrations, and light contamination associated with the turbines cause sleep disturbances, nausea, headaches, dizziness, fatigue, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), and cardiovascular symptoms (e.g. heartrate changes).

If you are able, please consider signing and sharing this petition. There is a lot more information on the petition page as to why the Monastery is against this. These wind turbines would not be creating jobs in the area nor would they be benefitting the local community.

A Trip to the Monastery of Saint Macarius in Wadi El-Rayan

A special visit to the Monastery of Saint Macarius the Alexandrian in the heart of the Wadi El-Rayan desert, a tranquil spiritual haven that blends history, worship, and breathtaking natural beauty.

🏜️ The monastery includes:

A church for prayer and masses

Graves where the monks reside

A small museum that tells the story of the place

Enchanting desert landscapes that inspire contemplation

✨ Accompanied by Marina from Ukraine, we discover the beauty of this unique place where spiritual tranquility merges with the majesty of nature.

🤍 Here, you feel time stand still, and the silence speaks a different language.

🔔 Don't forget to subscribe and turn on notifications to see more spiritual tours and historical sites.

✨ Moving quotes:

"The tranquility here is different…" 🏜️ "A place far from the noise of the world." 🤍 "The desert speaks the language of peace." ✝️ "An unforgettable spiritual journey." ✨ Monastery of Saint Macarius the Alexandrian, Wadi El-Rayan, Fayoum, Egyptian Monasteries, Coptic Monasticism, Spiritual Sites, Religious Tourism, Coptic Orthodox Church, Egyptian Desert, Wadi El-Rayan Monastery

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Monasticism

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Trips

whenever I see nuns and monastics with glasses I get all 🥺 because omg they’re like I’ll give up all earthly possessions and take a vow of poverty but I need my glasses 🥺 I can’t see without my glasses 🥺😭

they sit in silence contemplating eternity and then have to push their glasses up when they slide down their nose or keep a little wipe to clean off the smudges 🤧 has anyone seen my glasses??