An unprecedented documentary of life on the Holy Mountain, a place rarely seen, where prayer has been offered every day for more than a thousand years. I have had the blessing of being there.
An unprecedented documentary of life on the Holy Mountain, a place rarely seen, where prayer has been offered every day for more than a thousand years. I have had the blessing of being there.
Beautiful to begin the day contemplating such images. I am mindful that John Paul II prayed the Church – West & East – should breathe with both lungs. In an era that tries in the West to be open to liturgical prayer brought forth with the voices and hearts of both men and women, the exclusion of women from Mt Athos would hardly seems to suggest that the mountain breeze is being breathed in with both lungs.
I agree that there is much beauty here. These men are devoted to liturgy and make personal sacrifices every day in order to live in community.
However, some of the monks interviewed seem to claim that they are living like Jesus and his disciples, or at least that they are continuing the earliest traditions of the church. Yet we all know that Jesus and his Apostles did not sequester themselves away from society to chant liturgy day and night but at least some of the time were ‘in amongst it’ with the people, especially the poor; we also know that women were among the early leaders and patrons of mixed gatherings of believers.
I am not for a moment suggesting that what these monks do is not of value – I truly believe it is and I pray God to bless them – but for them to suggest that this is some sort or ‘original’ or ‘true’ pattern for the church, set by Jesus and his disciples, is a bit hard to take. It is also hard to think of oneself as a woman in the role of a ‘distraction’ from God’s important work, bringing along our rag-taggle train of troublesome ‘families and children’.
How striking to hear that the monks placed themselves under the protection of Hitler during the German occupation – preferring to guard their way of life and the treasures they enjoyed rather than express solidarity with a conquered people. This was a very pragmatic move, of course. No doubt a fuller account of the event would shed more light, but certainly the monk who spoke about it did not seem uncomfortable with this piece of history.
If I am honest, this documentary leaves me with mixed feelings.
Thanks, Gillian. I could add to your mixed feelings with things I experienced while there. But then I cannot think of any situation where I don’t have mixed feelings 🙂 Blessings.
Disobediance, rebellion and warfare on Mt Athos
Greek Monks Fling Petrol Bombs At Court Officials To Stop Mount Athos Eviction;
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/29/greek-monks-petrol-bombs-eviction_n_3670425.html
Patriarchate of Constantinople wages war against rebel monks on Mount Athos;
http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/world-news/detail/articolo/grecia-greece-grecia-26846/
It baffles me Bosco, when women are considered such a threat to spirituality or purity- kind-of weakens the view of males as being whole capable human beings, if they are considered unable to control their violent or sexual urges…not such great monks after all?!
As for protection of Hitler?
They have nothing to with Christianity Bosco.
This is exactly what tradition does not serve in our religion. Who do they serve? Themselves.