Monastic Musings: Modern Culture: Run for Your Life?

Sister Edith offers a perspective on St. Benedict, who fled the evils of Rome to find Christ through monastic living. She includes her own photographs of beautiful frescos from the monastery in Subiaco in her post Modern Culture: Run for Your Life?

Benedict differs, though, from the Egyptian monastics who fled far into the desert to minimize dealing with the modern way of life. After three years, he emerged from the cave, and never lived in solitude again. His spirituality recognized the necessity of other people on the spiritual journey: where else will we encounter Christ if there are no sick to care for, no visitors or pilgrims at the door? How can we struggle and learn humility if there is no one to whom we promise and owe mutual obedience? To stay in the relationship even when it is hard, which Benedict calls stability? It is clear to all who study the Benedictine way of monastic life that it is not about running away from other people.