Who can become a novice in a monastery?
Any male person who is consciously ready to devote his life to serving God can become a novice in a male Orthodox monastery. Moreover, his desire must be sincere and altruistic, as well as time-tested; it is because of this that it is impossible to immediately accept the rank of novice. So, the church as a whole is ready to accept everyone, however, there are some restrictions for people seeking to become novices of the monastery. It is better to familiarize yourself with them in advance so as not to harbor any fatal illusions...
- It is not advisable to enter a monastery if you are a guardian or parent. In this case, you must either wait until the child comes of age, or the death of the parent or any other dependent person. Monasteries do not make concessions to those whose families agree to a person becoming a novice;
- A minor cannot become a novice. This is due not only to the fact that, according to the law of the Russian Federation, he is under the guardianship of his parents or persons replacing them, but also to spiritual immaturity. But a minor can perform the duties of a worker at a monastery, which in fact are almost no different from those performed by a novice. This is probably the best option for young men who have clearly defined their future life path;
- You cannot hide in a monastery from alimony, taxes, or unpaid debts. Of course, this is not controlled too strictly, but all vows will be invalid if it turns out that you are being persecuted by collectors or the judiciary of Russia. So you shouldn’t try to deceive the church: the secular obligations of a citizen cannot be canceled;
- You cannot go to a monastery if you are in an officially registered marriage. First you will have to obtain a divorce certificate. No less strict rules apply to those who got married in a church. Such people should also obtain a divorce from a clergyman, which, as we know, is quite difficult. But, fortunately for the potential novice, the conscious and voluntary initiative to enter a monastery is a significant reason for divorce in the eyes of the priest;
- It is undesirable to go to a monastery after experiencing a shock that has changed a person’s worldview or life values. For example, priests discourage those who want to become novices after the death of a significant other, a child, after a divorce or serious physical injury. Typically the church recommends waiting at least a year and then returning to the idea of novitiate. After all, it implies complete dedication to Jesus. And a person with emotional trauma is simply not capable of selfless service without harming himself.
Restrictions
Although the laborer is not a monk, certain restrictions are nevertheless imposed on his way of life.
He does not have the right to leave the monastery at will; for this he must receive the blessing of the abbot. He must lead an ascetic lifestyle. A worker, unlike monks, is allowed to have a cell phone, but frequent use of it is not encouraged. You can call rarely, on business, and under no circumstances in front of the novices - so as not to plunge them into the sin of envy, and yourself into temptation.
Smoking and drinking in monasteries is prohibited; if caught at the “crime scene”, the worker is escorted out of the gate without talking. No outdoor barbecues, loud music or aimless wandering around the neighborhood. There is no TV either. And the radio. The Internet - even more so.
Rise at 5-6 o'clock in the morning, lights out at 22-23 o'clock. There is no quiet hour, because idleness is a sin.
Basic Rules
First of all, you need to understand that no one will allow you to become a novice for one church ceremony. It may take several years to prove to other clergy his devotion to the ideas of religion and asceticism. During this time, a person is completely immersed in the religious cultural space, which allows him to build stronger and more exalted relationships with the Lord. However, if you follow some rules, you can receive the rank of novice within one calendar year, which is very little by church standards:
- Attend services and go to confession regularly. If, for example, getting up early for Sunday services tires you, you should once again reconsider your desire to devote yourself to the church. We must remember that the rank of novice is directly related to the renunciation of one’s own comfort, full service to God and the search for truth in faith;
- Agree with someone from the monastery leadership about becoming a worker; now you can do this online. A laborer is a person who helps with household work and acts on instructions from monks and novices. Such people do not have strictly standardized work hours, everything is decided on an individual basis, for example, some come to work annually, for several weeks, thereby people find physical and spiritual cleansing. But this is how you can test how ready you are for hard work on a regular basis;
- Write a request to be accepted as a novice at the monastery. It must be sent to the rector. If approved, you will have the right to wear specific religious symbols, but you will still have your secular name and the right to return to secular life.
The next step after novitiate is the adoption of monasticism. However, you need to approach such a step with all responsibility. Don’t rush yourself; remember also that the Lord is guiding you in finding your religious path. And if you were refused tonsure or even novitiate, it would be better for you and for the church community.
What does labor mean?
A worker is not an employee of a monastery or a monk.
This is the special position of a believer who works selflessly for the good of the monastery, God, and the Orthodox faith. Collaboration is considered by many as a test before finally entering a monastery and leaving worldly life with all its benefits. Since monasticism is an irrevocable step, for many people this becomes a solution to the main question: to take monastic vows or not.
A person who has not finally decided this question for himself can be a laborer to understand whether he is ready to become a monk. But this opportunity can also be taken by those who simply want to become closer to God: to overcome demons, evil thoughts and the negativity of their own lives through honest work, work, and conversations with themselves away from the bustle of the world.
Labor cannot be considered as a rehabilitation center for combating addictions: drug addiction, alcoholism, etc. Often, I accept into the monastery only “sober” people who understand that work is not only getting rid of illness and cleansing the mind, but the grace of God, helping to become happier, cleaner.
After all, a good deed is the true goal of a worker. Therefore, the synonym for labor is selflessness.
Each monastery has its own specific rules. Some have age restrictions. For example, you can go through the laborer’s path for people strictly from 18 to 60 years old. Some monasteries still accept drug addicts and alcoholics who have undergone rehabilitation and are on the path to correction.
It is worth noting that in the monastery, for workers, as for everyone who lives there, there are certain rules. A monastery has its own foundations, traditions that must be followed unquestioningly. Therefore, before starting work, people go through certain procedures.
conclusions
- The novice is the second step on the path to the status of a monk, so the novitiate should be considered as a stage on the path to becoming a monk;
- Any adult man with a stable psychological state who has no debts to the state or his family can become a novice;
- If you feel that you need God, but are afraid to take on the serious responsibilities of a novice, try becoming a laborer in a monastery;
- A novice can return to worldly life; this is not prohibited by monastic laws, but is not approved by the church either;
- Before becoming a novice at a monastery, you must be completely sure of your readiness to serve God, that is, pray regularly, attend church, lead a righteous life and confess.
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Parental obedience
If we talk about obedience in the family, then we immediately want to figure out who is obedient to whom: parents to children or children to parents? When a child is born, he has obedient parents who raise him and at the same time constantly care for him. When a child grows up, parents begin to listen to him and want to know what is in his heart, what thoughts are in his head and how he lives. This hearing of another person is called obedience. Parents are always obedient to their children, and over time, children will most naturally be obedient to their parents.
God's will
We often say the prayer words “Thy will be done...”. Thus we ask that God's will be done. But do we really want this? After all, the will of God is a cross and a mystery. Then how to understand the will of God? And for this you need to work hard on yourself and your desires. It is not easy for a person to find the will of God; to do this, he will have to get lost among the mystical signs and tests that the Lord will send him, and he must unravel them and endure everything. God really wants everyone to feel His will, which will be revealed and penetrate into him through spiritually experienced people and life circumstances, through his conscience and conscious fulfillment of God’s commandments. Of course, mistakes and falls will be inevitable, but if a person wants to live according to the will of God, he will definitely come to this.
Obedience. Sermon
How can we know the will of God? For every person it is very well revealed in the Holy Scriptures, which is simply impossible to know outside the Church and outside the Holy Spirit. Its distorted interpretation of the Gospel by sectarians and apostates leads these poor people not to salvation and God, but to complete destruction. For every person, Gospel sermons are a kind of source that quenches thirst. Answers to various burning questions can only be found in them. They can serve as a fence, focusing on which a person will never go astray from his path.
How to go to a monastery?
If, nevertheless, a person decides to devote his life to God, he must understand that from now on his life will be entirely devoted to the Almighty, and everything that he does, whatever he thinks about, must be righteous and come from the heart.
The best article for you, go to: How does the Old Believer cross differ from the Orthodox one?
If a person who comes to the abode of God has the intention of staying there forever, he becomes a novice, but if he just wants to live there, think about his life, sort out his thoughts, he is called a laborer.
These people do the same work voluntarily and unselfishly, and the monastery provides them with shelter and food. After a certain time, the laborer can leave the abode of God, but the novice remains there forever.
Then he is accepted as a monk. This rite is called tonsure:
- First, the novice must take ecclesiastical vows and listen to instructions from his elders;
- Then the ceremony itself takes place. The abbot, who accepts a novice as a monk, orders scissors to be given to him three times and rejects him twice, in order to make sure of the sincere desires and intentions of the person being tonsured.
- After the third time, the tonsure is put into effect and the initiate is given a new name. This is a sign of the final renunciation of all worldly things.
Obedience to the spiritual father
The same thing happens in spiritual practice. Just as a doctor listens to his patient through a phonendoscope, so a confessor listens to the person who comes to him. Then the doctor prescribes treatment for the patient and is in his obedience. Then what is spiritual obedience? It turns out that the priest is also in obedience to his spiritual child, and when he understands all his problems, he begins to give useful advice. This is how mutual obedience occurs. Moreover, it is a mistake to think that only through a spiritual elder can the will of God be known. A person who has inner humility will always ask for admonition, and then the Lord will definitely hear and lead him to His will.
