- Rules for travel:
When our monks take solemn vows he rejects the world and everything that belongs to it, he has in effect died to his former self and abandons all that identified him in the world in order to better serve Christ Jesus; he “takes off the old man and puts on the new man in Christ“. He is spiritually reborn in Christ akin to a second baptism. In general he will have little or no contact with the outside world unless there is an unusual extreme emergency.
Therefore when an orthodox monk travels, the following rules apply according to Canon Law, the Benedictine Rule and House Guidelines:
A). There is to be NO unnecessary traveling except in cases of necessity (shopping, doctor) or extreme medical emergency (hospital).
B). According to Canon Law, when Monks must go to the store or Doctor it is always done in pairs and never without a senior monk – unless unavoidable monks MUST NEVER TRAVEL ALONE.
C). According to the Rule of Saint Benedict, if a monks is expected to return to the monastery on the same day, then the Monks do not eat when outside the monastery (except for medical necessity) – even if asked by someone. In addition, the monks are expected to perform their prayer rule at the appointed time as best they can.
D). Monks who are given a blessing to leave the monastery for necessity may NOT stay out overnight and MUST return to the monastery no later than 4:30 pm to conclude their duties and prepare for Vespers – Vespers is the start the new liturgical day and ALL are required to attend.
E). Note: the above rules apply to Ryassophore (novice), Solemnly professed Stavrophore and Schemamonks and not candidates or Oblates, though we do ask them to observe these rules as closely as possible.
Important note: Though these most basic rules – found in most Orthodox Monasteries – appear difficult to many in the secular world, please remember that we are a semi-cloistered orthodox community with monks who have voluntarily given up contact with the outside world in order to seek God in SILENCE and to pray for those in the world without the uproar and confusion of the outside world distracting us.
QUESTION: Do monks attend funerals of family and friends.
ANSWER: No! Our monks do not attend funerals of Family or Friends. We ask family and friends to try and understand that, as Orthodox Monks we voluntarily isolate ourselves as much as we can from the outside world. When we are professed, we died to our former selves and were reborn in Christ, and the belief of true Orthodox monasticism is for us as monks to let go of all memories of our past lives.