Obedience, poverty, chastity: What are monastic vows?

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What are monastic vows?

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Monastic vows are sacred commitments made by men and women who choose to dedicate their lives to a religious existence within a monastery.

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Deeply rooted in the Rule of Saint Benedict, these vows number 3:

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• ‍poverty

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• chastity

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• obedience‍

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They constitute the foundations of monastic life and are considered as acts of renunciation of the material world in order to draw closer to God.

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Poverty in religious life

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The first promise, that of poverty, implies detachment from material goods and total dependence on the monastic community. Monks and nuns renounce individual property and share everything in community, thus living in simplicity and sobriety.

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This vow is a sacred commitment, considered as a means of detaching oneself from material concerns of the world in order to focus more on spiritual life.

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Thus, everything that religious possess is used according to the needs of the community, and emphasis is placed on community life and equitable sharing.

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But poverty goes beyond simple material deprivation. It is also an interior attitude, a disposition to live in trusting dependence on God and to find one's wealth in the relationship with him. This implies cultivating humility, trust and acceptance of life's circumstances.

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Chastity in consecrated life

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Chastity, the second vow, represents abstinence from sexual relations and the commitment to live a life of celibacy. Monks and nuns dedicate themselves entirely to their relationship with God, to prayer and to service of others, thus finding a profound spiritual union. Chastity thus allows one to focus on selfless and universal love toward all human beings and on the pursuit of holiness.

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Chastity is thus not limited to the physical aspect, it also encompasses integrity of the emotional and affective spheres.

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Thus, it is not viewed by religious as a deprivation or repression, but rather a transformation of human love into a vaster and spiritual love. It is a demanding path, but one that offers interior freedom and spiritual fruitfulness, sources of joy and fullness.

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The vow of chastity is therefore an invitation to love in a different way: freely, selflessly and unconditionally.

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The virtue of the vow of obedience

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Finally, the third vow is that of obedience. Monks and nuns submit to the authority of their superior, following the rules established by their religious order. This serves a harmonious community life and fosters humility and discipline.

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This vow, taken with the aim of cultivating humility, spiritual discipline and unity within the community, implies listening attentively to the directives and instructions of superiors, following the established practices and traditions, and committing to contribute to the collective well-being.

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This requires a profound trust in God, in those who have been placed in authority and in the wisdom of the teachings of religious tradition.

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The vow of obedience is not blind submission, but rather a act of free will that offers a structure and framework within which religious can develop their relationship with God and form themselves spiritually.

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Obedience also allows for the creation of harmony and cohesion within the religious community. It fosters unity, cooperation and collective decision-making, while encouraging religious to detach from their individual will to devote themselves to the common good and to the fulfillment of the religious mission.

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The vow of obedience is a demanding path, but it offers the possibility of growing in faith, of stripping oneself of selfishness and of conforming to the will of God. It encourages religious to live in a spirit of listening, in order to become instruments of God in the world.

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Perpetual religious vows

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Monastic vows are taken for life and require a total and sincere commitment to God and the community. They offer a path of profound consecration and self-abandonment, allowing religious to focus on the pursuit of holiness and closeness with God.

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Monastic life, though demanding, is a source of interior peace and profound spirituality. Monks and nuns devote their time to prayer (through monastic offices), to study and to manual work (the famous monastic crafts...), thus cultivating a life of contemplation (which is why silence prevails in certain places) and of service to God and neighbor.

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Monastic vows have a long tradition in the Christian tradition. They represent a radical commitment to spiritual life and an invitation to live according to higher principles, beyond the material and ephemeral concerns of the world.

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And you too are invited to this during a spiritual retreat within these communities that open their doors to you! So don't wait any longer and choose here what will be your place of renewal so that you too can break free for a while from the concerns of the world!

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