The hard stuff - the good stuff

"For nine centuries, contemplative Catholic monks, solitaries like saint Bruno, have been striving to be faithful to the call he received from God."

(this from the very impressive website of the Carthusian Order
www.chartreux.org
for men who are very, very serious about prayer
and about being alone with God
for the love of Christ and of the whole Church)

THE VOCATION

"Like all religious life, the Carthusian life is the response to a call from God. We do not decide ourselves of such a vocation, it is a gift we receive.

"It is not a simple personal choice, it is a story of love, a story of two. It is out of love that Jesus invites certain men to follow him in solitude in the mountains, in order for them to live with him and contemplate the splendor of his face....

"This calling from God is left to the freedom of man; God offers, He does not impose.

"Today is the added difficulty that might exist in hearing this calling.

"Rarely known and seldom viewed in esteem, contemplative life is so far and often seems so contrary to what the modern world holds valuable that few are ready to feel the appeal.

"Nevertheless, today, like yesterday, candidates continue to come to our doors.

"What do we expect of them?

"A profound desire of consecrating their lives to prayer and the search of God in love.

My soul thirsts for God, the living God.
When shall I come and behold the face of God?
(Psalm 42:2)

"The ideal contemplative must have an accompanying attraction or desire for solitude, for it is the framework in which the majority of the monk's life takes place.

"Since Carthusians are not hermits in the proper sense, there is a communal life which cannot be discarded. It is thus imperative that the candidate not only have a penchant for solitude, but for communal life as well.

"Among other indispensable qualities or character traits, mental balance and judgment are high priorities.

"We can further add: a maturity capable of preparing oneself to make a lifetime commitment to a new life, a spirit of faith and openness that must let itself be led by obedience, and satisfactory health.

"The call to the Carthusian life will often manifest itself by a desire which might suddenly appear, following a significant spiritual experience, or slowly over time over the years."

Happy National Vocation Awareness Week!