www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology HRM - Monastic Associates

Good discussion. The principles we (HRM) operate on are:

1. There is ultimately only one Christian vocation, training (askesis) in God-likeness (theosis).

2. There are primarily two basic ways of living that common vocation, that of living "in" the world, and that of living "out" of the world.

3. Those living "in" the world embrace, as far as possible, the world's goods (marriage, individual autonomy, economic activity) as the material basis for this ascetic consecration of life.

4. Those living "out" of the world forgo, as far as possible, the world's goods in favor of spiritual goods (celibacy, obedience, poverty) as a sign of the final end and goal of every ascetic consecration of life.

5. All other vocations in the Church--including the clerical vocation--are ultimately variations of this basic division of labor between those who work within and those who work apart from the world. Both basic vocations are equally important, although it is possible in the tradition of the Church to describe them hierarchically as "higher" and "lower", not to give to one more value than the other, but to remind us that earthly life is ultimately a preparation for ascension to heavenly life.

6. Our monastic associates are not intended to blur the distinctions between these two basic vocations, but rather to promote greater mutual support between them.

7. Therefore we have not given specifically monastic elements to the non-monastic associates, but only signs expressing our common Christian calling to prayer (prayer rope) and mortification of the flesh and of the will (a wooden hand Cross).

This discussion really opens up into some profound areas of theology, but that had better do for now!

Fr Maximos

Father Maximos,

I think that this is a very worthy presentation of two way of living out the Christian vocation.

And I like your point about the idea of mutual support.

My family and I were very close to a religious community some years back, and the sense of "walking together" and collaboration in various apostolates was very moving and fruitful.

In a sense, it is the mirror of the collaboration that should always exist between the cathedral and the cave! Both dimensions of ecclesial life should not simply coexist, but in some fashion coinhere within each other's sphere of life, at least at a spiritual level. It would seem that the Monastic Association is one very positive manifestation of such coinherence.

God bless,

Fr. Deacon Daniel

Dear Fr. Dn Daniel,

The schema and the scapular are different. I was also surprised to learn this. Although they are similar in shape, there is no connection. I would like to see the article you mention.

prayers
nun Alexandra

Dear Mother Alexandra,

So would I! There are few things more frustrating than fruitless googling...

God bless!

Fr. Deacon Daniel

Dear Fr. Dn Daniel,

I found a couple of sources.

The first is an internet source Scapular - Wikepedia [en.wikipedia.org] and it does include

"Today, the monastic scapular is part of the garb, the habit, of many Christian religious orders, of both monks and nuns. It is an outer garment about the width of the chest, from shoulder to shoulder. It hangs down in the front and back almost to the feet, but is open on the sides (it was originally joined by straps at the waist). It may seem similar to the analavos worn in the Eastern tradition but is unrelated to them."

Some Catholic habits, such as the Carthusian habit, still has straps on the scapular.

The second is a book from the monastic library. It is old, but scholarly. Monasticism in the Orthodox Churches [MOC]. Robininson, N.F. Cope and Fenwick, England and Churchman Company, Milwaukee, WI. 1916. This may be the source of the above quote on wiki.

"A careful dinstinction should be made between the Analavos and the Western Scapular, which resembles it in shape, but has no historical nor symbolical connection with it. The original purpose of the Western Scapular was to protect the tunic while the monk was at work. The Rule of St. Benedict (ch 55) speaks of the Scapulare propter opera." [MOC, 44]

Also, Robinson states the following immediately prior to the quote above, "The Analavos (together with the Koukoulion, which properly goes with it) is the distinguishing mark of the Megaloschemos, or Skhimnik, the perfect monk. The Analavos is the mystical Cross which the Monk is to take up daily in the following of Christ. It has on it the representations of the Cross of Calvary, with the spear, reed sponge, and the skull and crossbones of Adam, etc. The Paramandyas [small schema] has similar decorations. It is possible that the Analavos may owe its origin to the Antonian or hermit monks, and the Koukoulion to the Pachomian or Cenobitic monks. The primitive analavos was made of the hide of a dead animal, in order to remind the monk of the necessity of self-sacrifice and of the deadness to the world. In its modern form it is made of black cloth or of soft dark brown leather, ornamented with crosses; whence the name Polystavrion." [MOC, 44]

He further notes that the black cloth must also be dead and from an animal - such as wool.

This should help ease some of the frustration!

prayers
nun Alexandra

Wonderful! Thank you very much!