New Skete Monasteries News

By Sister Rebecca I have lived forty years in monastic life.  It is from this background and perspective that I will be sharing with you a glimpse into the process of spiritual direction as I have experienced it over many years.  My life’s journey has taken me over several countries: born American, Roman Catholic, with a military background, and living within the four corners of the United States and abroad: in Guam, Quebec, Hong Kong, Switzerland, and France. My first experience of spiritual direction was during my ten years of teaching in Hong Kong. I profited immensely from meeting with a retired French Bishop of Mongolia, a truly wise and holy person, whose spiritual teaching and pastoral care have influenced me to this day.  My second most important spiritual guide, a true spiritual mother, was the Foundress and Prioress of a monastery in Southern France, where I was a member for twelve years.  From its very beginnings it found its roots in the early Desert...

By Brother Stavros In all the churches of the East, from Alaska and the Arctic to Kerala in southern India, and Ethiopia, and the Horn of Africa, the feast of Theophany (or Epiphany as it is known in the West) includes a solemn and sometimes boisterous blessing of water. When possible it is done at a riverside or by the sea; a lake or pond will do, but most commonly in a large vessel in the church. New Skete uses the baptismal font, which holds about 25 gallons, placed in the narthex next to the festal icon. Why all the fuss? Most obviously, the blessing vividly images Christ’s baptism in the Jordan at the hands of John the prophet. It is not a memorial or a reenactment, but a liturgical penetration into the timelessness of the Lord’s salvific action. Thus, many of the prayers and hymns begin with “Today...” (e.g.,Today you have revealed yourself to the world...)  Our priest-monk Marc preparing to dip the first candle. He is assisted by our prior ...

Reflections by Brother Luke One of the most memorable and poignant stories told by our late Brother Elias was about a visit he made to a large monastery of men during a retreat. While there, during a conversation with one of the monks of that monastery, the topic turned to life in the monastery with “troublesome” brothers. Yes, indeed, everything is not always angelic in the monastery. They were talking about the differences between a large and a small community, and the brother from that large monastery asked Brother Elias, “How do you get away from brothers you can’t stand? In a large monastery it is possible to avoid those you cannot get along with.” Brother Elias replied, “In a small monastery, you can’t escape; you have to learn to live with them.” We might also say, we have to learn to live with each other. We always knew the truth of Brother Elias’s comment. However, how one goes about living with the variety of personalities that make up a monastery is not a cut-and-dri...