A Simple Monastery in Your Home
Monastery in the Home honors in a simple and personal way the 1500-year-old Benedictine tradition, and reflects the monastic impulse within most faith traditions. We believe “the cloister way” is a call open to many in different ways.
Welcome to Monastery in the Home
This helpful practice was inspired by visits to a few monasteries and convents over the years – Listening, learning and awakening to the simplest and most useful aspects of those communities for one’s personal life.
Monastery in the Home honors in a simple and personal way the 1500-year-old Benedictine tradition, and reflects the monastic impulse within many faith traditions. We came to realize that “the cloister way” is a call open to many.
Join us by beginning these few practices in moments alone in your home. Anyone in nearly any life circumstance can begin to embrace a few of these ways. The contemplative, reflective life brings you closer to God, the Divine Spirit, closer to the strength found in your own inner simplicity, closer to the ways of Jesus and the wise and kind.
For a few minutes each day invite yourself to practice refreshed versions of the ancient monastic virtues of poverty/simplicity, celibacy/solitude, and obedience/listening to the call of your God within.
Monastery in the Home asks that novices observe just three of the traditional Benedictine “hours” each day. Your time may be ten minutes or up to half an hour for each.
Lauds (upon awakening in the morning)
Sext (midday, often with a simple meal)
Vespers or Compline (in the late evening, after work is done)
Recite to yourself one or more of the following simple prayers at each of the hours. Include a personal prayer in your own words, inspirational verse or chant, or a short reading from the Gospels or Psalms.
We added a new page below that describes several very useful books from our Library that will help in your own spiritual disciplines.
Visit us at Monastery in the Home for gentle reminders and sometimes a few more devotional meditations and practices so that they become a welcomed, simple, effective and peaceful elements of your daily life. ~ Your Monastery Chaplain
Mantric Prayer
Any repeated prayer is “mantric.” It prays itself through your mind, intention and voice. Through the very nature of mantric prayer, the mind clears away its more complex thoughts and diversions.
You will join with millions through time if you choose a common mantra, such as the Hail Mary, the Lord’s Prayer, Al-Fatiha, or Hare Krishna. All are simple and pure calls to align your heart and mind with the Divine Presence.
We suggest choosing one that’s familiar and you’re comfortable with. Breathe and say it aloud, alone, for two or three minutes. Watch your body relax and your mind release. Again, let this be a gentle discipline. Nothing forced.
If you’re moved to pray the entire Catholic Rosary, or chant Hare Krishna for fifteen minutes, by all means continue. Again, if you’re just starting, begin with a few easily disciplined minutes. You may feel right or guided to take it further. You are free to respond to that call and continue the practice until a point of sufficiency. You’ll know. ~ Your Chaplain
Monastery in Your Car
The automobile can be like a “monastic cell” in many respects. Isolation, a place for contemplation, and if you’re driving alone you have few interruptions or distractions, aside from the road itself. Driving can be a great place for prayer and meditation, and seeking peace within.
Yes, please keep your eyes on the road. You are in this cubicle by yourself, where your heart can pray, recite a mantra, quietly meditate, yell, scream, and find your own space of peace. Cars, as personal cells, are a wonderful contribution to the spirit of Monastery in the Home. ~ The Chaplain
Celibacy
Perhaps you have realized that everyone is celibate most of the time.
Although the term originally referred to the state of being unmarried, the common acceptance today infers that a person isn’t taking part in sexual intercourse.
Unless a form of Tantra Yoga is part of your practice, nearly everyone who does a spiritual or religious discipline is not partaking of that natural human activity while doing his or her practice. In simple terms, you’re celibate while honoring your practice as a singular home monastic.
I do not encourage you to surrender your usual interpersonal affections with your husband, wife, or partner. There’s time for that in your day, as well as time aside for your monastic spiritual practice.
Celibacy (the intentionally unmarried state) goes back to the early days of Christianity, but celibacy was not even required of priests until centuries later, when Rome became irritated that bishops and priests had become almost inherited orders. The insistence on celibacy was a way for central church authorities to assert dominion and papal authority. Nothing more or less!
Whether or not you are married or intimately partnered, your Chaplain feels that you may practice fully your individual spiritual disciplines in your home, at the time and place you determine. It need not interfere with your other domestic habits or preferences. It is essential however that your mate fully understands and respects your need to take this particular but limited time alone.
~ The Chaplain
Simple Buddhist Practice
Monastics of different faith traditions understand one another. They share similar ways of practice and discipline to align with God, the Divine Presence, and nurture their spiritual growth and maturity. Many manifestations, one Source.
We live just down the road from two adjacent Buddhist centers. One is Tibetan and the other is Zen Buddhist in tradition and orientation. Zen Buddhism focuses on simplicity and silence. There aren’t a lot of extras, and so if you come from a different faith tradition it is surprisingly easy to adopt Zen ways to your own discipline at home.
Walking meditation allows for both stillness and movement. I often walk the Buddha at the Upaya Zen Center. Here’s the way it is done: Circumambulate (meaning walk in a circle) clockwise. Salute the Buddha with a respectful bow before beginning. Breathe in with one step, breathe out with the next. Walk at a slow and deliberate pace. Let the noise of the mind come through you and go. Notice the natural world around you. Know that the Buddha calls us to stillness, compassion for all living things, and the peace that passes understanding.
I walk at least three slow circles around the Buddha image. I wait for the stillness to come. When complete, I salute the Buddha presence again with a simple bow and then touch his forehead with my hand. That act often brings me in direct touch with His stillness and wisdom, if only for a moment. And for that moment I’m joined with everyone in the world who is meditating in this way. It’s a communion. + The Chaplain
Chosen Prayers and Invocations
“Overcome evil with Good,
and falsehood with Truth,
and hatred with Love.” — Peace Pilgrim
+ + +
“Our Father, who art in Heaven
Hallowed be thy name,
Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive our trespassers,
And lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil,
For the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory
are yours forever.” Amen
+ + +
“Our God who art our winged self:
It is thy will in us that willeth,
It is thy desire in us that desireth,
and it is thy urge in us that would turn our nights
which are thine, into days which are thine also.
Thou art our need,
and in giving us more of yourself
you give us All.” — Kahlil Gibran
+ + +
“There is no way to peace:
Peace is the Way.” — A.J. Muste
+ + +
“O, thou Infinite One:
I am what thou art;
I am where thou art;
I am because thou art.”
+ + +
“Hail Mary, full of Grace
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women and
blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God
Pray for us sinners now
and at the hour of our death.” Amen
+ + +
“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
Where there is hatred, let me sow love,
Where there is injury, pardon
Where there is discord, harmony
Where there is doubt, faith,
Where there is falsehood, truth,
Where there is despair, hope,
Where there is darkness, light,
Where there is sadness, joy.
O, Divine Master, let me seek not so much
to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
And it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.”
— Saint Francis of Assisi
+ + +
“Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner. “
— Eastern Orthodox Prayer
+ + +
“Om Mani Padme Aum….”
—Buddha’s mantra of compassion and mercy offered by people of many faiths across our world.
Selections from the Monastery Library
Here you find two dozen books from our Library that may be especially helpful for people who yearn to discover their place in personal monasticism (listed alphabetically):
Catholic Source Book. Rev. Peter Klein, editor (Brown-ROA/Harcourt Brace & Co., 1990). Here is a deliciously fun and useful book for those who are not familiar with the history, culture and lore of Roman Catholicism—as well as for those who are. Open it anywhere and learn something interesting.
The Cloister Walk. By Kathleen Norris (Riverhead Books, 1989). Record of a poet’s time among the Benedictines of St. John’s Abbey. Part meditation on various aspects of monastic life The Cloister Walk demonstrates, from the rare perspective of someone who is both an insider and outsider, how immersion in the cloistered world—its liturgy, its ritual, its sense of community—can impart meaning to everyday events and deepen our secular lives.
The Gnostic Gospels. By Elaine Pagels (Vintage/Random House, 1979). Professor Pagels makes accessible to the modern world the best from the early Gnostic Christian library unearthed at Nag Hammadi, Egypt in 1945. You will find gems from The Gospel of Thomas, The Gospel of Mary Magdalene, The Gospel of Truth, and others. For Christians, the Nag Hammadi’s 52 texts easily eclipse the Dead Sea Scrolls in importance for genuine insight on the origins of our faith. “Pagels sets forth (Gnosticism’s) principles with concise clarity. Her evocation of the world of the church fathers is a marvel.” –Boston Globe
The Holy Bible. Many versions and translations in our Library. We most often turn to:
+ The Oxford Annotated Bible (RSV). The annotations offer true historical context for each book and help give light to ambiguous or unclear words and phrases.
+ King James Version. The language of this popular translation is both familiar and beautiful. Ours is the same as ones found in motel rooms across America, placed there as a service by the Gideons.
+ The New American Bible. This is the modern Bible used by Catholics. The language, scholarship, and explanatory notes are excellent. It also contains books not found in Protestant Bibles.
How the Irish Saved Civilization: The Untold Story of Ireland’s Heroic Role from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe. By Thomas Cahill (Doubleday, 1995). Brilliant and beautifully written historical narrative essential for understanding the qualities of very early Irish monasticism and its huge contribution to Western culture. In a dark time, these saints and monks were truly “keepers of the light.”
Joshua: A Parable for Today. By Joseph F. Girzone (Scribner/Simon & Schuster, 1983). What if Jesus were to appear in our midst today? Would his selfless ways and miracles of healing bring a community together, or would tradition-bound prelates again try to discredit and suppress his message? A retired Catholic priest wrote this irresistible and compelling short novel.
Just Another Spiritual Book. By Bo Lozoff (Human Kindness Foundation, 1990). “Certainly there are spiritual mysteries to explore, and states of ecstasy or enlightenment beyond descriptions. But as we mature it becomes clear that those special experiences are only meaningful when they arise from and return to a life of ordinary kindness.” Bo Lozoff did extraordinary work with people in prisons through his 1985 book, We’re All Doing Time. This book is a little heavy on personal experience letters, but simple truth comes through—truth applicable to life lived anywhere.
Meditations: On the Monk Who Dwells in Daily Life. By Thomas Moore (HarperCollins, 1994). Brief meditations by a former cloistered monk will invite you to appreciate the meaning, value and purpose of personal monasticism.
Mere Christianity. By C. S. Lewis (The MacMillan Co., 1943). Several generations of college students have been inspired by the challenging light in Lewis’s very readable books (especially The Screwtape Letters). In these short essays (originally radio talks), Lewis gets to the core of religious questions that, at one time or another, have arisen for nearly all of us. In doing so, he shows why the call of the Christian way is so compelling.
Narcissus and Goldmund. By Hermann Hesse. The contemplative and the active impulses in our nature as explored through the lives and dialogue of two very different friends. Every novel and short story by this wonderful German writer contain profound personal, psychological and spiritual implications.
No More Plastic Jesus: Global Justice and Christian Lifestyle. By Adam Daniel Finnerty (Orbis Books, 1977). On page 97 you will find The Shakertown Pledge, a nine-point personal declaration for Christians who are called “to cherish, nurture, and provide loving stewardship” for the earth and who yearn to lead religiously responsible lives.
Ordinary People as Monks and Mystics: Lifestyles for Self-Discovery. By Marsha Sinetar (Paulist Press,1986). Ms. Sinetar sought out and interviewed people who had found inner peace and spiritual integration by their own paths. Sections include: The Way of the Monk, The Way of the Mystic, and The Way of Wholeness, which includes a chapter on solitude and silence in one’s spiritual integration. (Written in the style of the “Me Generation,” it feels a bit dated now but remains quite useful.)
Peace Pilgrim: Her Life and Work in Her Own Words. (Ocean Tree Books, 1983. Trade edition is available at www.oceantree.com for $16). Peace was a penniless pilgrim who walked the highways and byways of North America for 28 years, sharing a simple message: “Overcome evil with good, and falsehood with truth, and hatred with love.”
Peace Pilgrim’s Wisdom: A Very Simple Guide. By Cheryl Canfield (Ocean Tree Books, 1996, 2020). Available at www.oceantree.com. Here are 365 thoughts from the writings of America’s wayfaring saint—one for each day of year–with room for your own insights and inspirations. A study guide to Peace’s simple way, the book also contains previously unpublished notes from her travelogues.
The Prophet. By Kahlil Gibran. (Alfred A. Knopf, 1923). Lebanese mystic and poet’s finest work, including the memorable On Prayer, which includes one of the finest and simplest prayers ever written (“Our God who art our winged self; it is thy will in us that willeth…”).
The Rule of St. Benedict. (The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN, 1981; Image Books/Doubleday, 1975.) Written as a guide for the monks of his monastery at Monte Casino in the sixth century, Benedict’s simple guidelines are the foundation for practically every Christian monastic community in the Western world. Benedict’s Rule for spiritual living is both ascetic and demanding, yet ultimately insightful, humane and forgiving of our imperfect natures.
Saints: Who They Are and How They Help You. Elizabeth Hallam, editor (Simon & Schuster, 1994). More than 150 recognized saints, from Agnes to Zita. An easy way to find who is in charge of what, and how each came to his or her divine specialty.
Spiritual Notes to Myself: Essential Wisdom for the 21st Century. By Hugh Prather (MJF Books, New York, 1998). “We tend to think of awakening as a single dramatic event, but it is experienced most often during the small moments when we remember the present and return to our actual nature of kindness and joy. These moments increase and join together as we learn that our divine nature, which is loving, understanding, and happy, links us to everything … To awaken and to stay awake, turn your mind to the waking state. Over and over, turn your mind to where you are, what you are and who is with you. That’s the whole enchilada.”
The Book of Kindness: Power of the Gentle Path. Compiled by Mary Lou Cook, Jan Lurie, and Richard Polese (Ocean Tree Books, 2010. Available at oceantree.com, $15). Profound but short reflections on the virtue of kindness from the great thinkers, writers, prophets, philosophers, and everyday folks throughout history.
Treasury of Spiritual Wisdom. By Andy Zubko (Blue Dove Press, 1998). A collection of over 10,000 inspirational quotations from hundreds of sources, patiently gathered and categorized by a home monastic and student of spiritual mysticism.
When I Listen…to the Voice of God’s Love. By Marilyn Gatlin & Mary Lou Cook (Ocean Tree Books, 1998. Available at www.oceantree.com, $9.50). This simple yet brilliant meditation brings you into a place of silence where God’s gentle voice can be heard in peace. “There can be nothing more important than the silence of our minds, to trust God, and listen to His voice.” –Gerald Jampolsky
The Wisdom Tree: A Journey to the Heart of God. By Gary Guthrie (Ocean Tree Books, 1997. Available at www.oceantree.com, $12.95). How could God work through religions that are seemingly contradictory and burdened with hypocrisy? Dr. Guthrie uses the analogy of a genealogical tree of man’s religions to show how beliefs may be uniquely distinct, yet part of one system. Each chapter goes to the center of a prevailing world faith (Judaism, Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity, Islam, etc.) to show how Divine Intelligence appears to reveal one message through different cultures and traditions.
Woods, Shore, Desert. By Thomas Merton (Museum of New Mexico Press, 1982). His journal reflections written over two weeks in May 1968 are among the last by the beloved Trappist monk before his journey to Asia and unexpected death in Bangkok that December. All works by Merton are valuable to today’s contemplatives. On the Mendocino Coast before his departure to the east he wrote: “(I should) Just go for walks, live in peace, let change come quietly and invisibly on the inside. But I do have a past to break with, an accumulation of inertia, waste, wrong, foolishness, junk… a great need of clarification of mindfulness—a return to genuine practice, right effort, a need to push on to the great doubt. Need for the Spirit. Hang on to the clear light…”
+ + +