Monks in Jerusalem

Orthodox monastics separate themselves from the world in order to pray unceasingly for the world. They do not, in general, have as their primary purpose the running of social services, but instead are concerned with attaining theosis, or union with God.

A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedicate his life to serving all other living beings, or more commonly to be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live his or her life in prayer and contemplation.

A monk’s daily life is usually divided into three parts: (a) communal worship in the catholicon (the monastery’s main church); (b) hard manual labour; and (c) private prayer, spiritual study, and rest.

Monks