Monasticism with Jonathan

3:23 PM EDT Sunday. Today's reading is  Prologue (2) – The Rule of Benedict . This afternoon I find myself profoundly humbled by the RB and the commentaries I have just read on it. I don't think I should do much more than absorb the transmission of divine light I am receiving from the authors of  The Rule of Benedict  and Commentary for Benedictine Oblates . I have to work hard to remind myself that it's okay that I am not yet baptized and that my Christology is probably too low on some days and too high on others. It's okay that I am not a formal Benedictine oblate, and it's okay that I will be considering Luther's arguments against monastic vows later this year. This is an important step in my discernment nevertheless, and God is hopefully pleased with my commitment to run this four-month Benedictine marathon. I am reluctant to comment on The Rule of Benedict website again.  I don't want to deface the serenity of a stunningly beautiful cloister...

3:34 PM EDT Saturday. Today's reading is  Prologue (1) – The Rule of Benedict . This is my comment. It is presently awaiting moderation: Thank you so much, Andrew, for this wonderfully helpful and hospitable website! I am 54, I've been meditating on a zafu for over 35 years, I was born again in 2022, and I've been wanting to dive deeper into your implied Benedictine meditation retreat invitation for more than 3 years. This cycle around I finally feel strong enough to attempt a 122-day contemplative marathon through the RB and your commentary on it. I started about an hour ago. It's taken me that long to read your page here, as well as the translation and footnotes for this portion of the RB in  RB 1980 , and the translation, commentary and application for today in  Commentary for Benedictine Oblates . Now I have an hour to reflect and respond. I say this for others who may be wondering about the time involved: two hours a day for 122 days. Of course, what is happening d...

5:24 PM EDT Thursday. We are now slightly more than halfway through Eastertide 2026, and I must confess the season has so far not proceeded quite as I originally envisioned . I finished my first reading of The Story of Monasticism by Greg Peters, but I have not written any further articles about this pivotal book. Nor have I relabeled a large batch of posts on this blog or assiduously attended to my office work from 3-4 PM every day. With God's grace, let's see if I can improve on this moving forward. I am more than half-inclined to compile a basic chronology of monasticism, but that will have to wait until the fall of 2026. As it stands right now, I am about to begin a 120-day deep dive into the Rule of Benedict.  If and when I do turn my attention to constructing said chronology, I will want to revisit  The Monks of Qumran by Edmund F. Sutcliffe  - and with it the question of an implicit Essene influence on the development of Christian monasticism. On the other side of...

4:45 PM Friday.  Surprise Greetings, Duffy in Vermont! You probably weren't expecting to hear from me again quite so soon, and I am writing to you this time from a different blog than usual. This blog is New Monasticism with Jonathan , not Jesus with Jonathan . I'm writing you because I have been looking back over my Lent blog posts, and it looks to me like I had a fairly significant spiritual healing this time around the liturgical calendar, almost like the growth spurt of a sprout or seedling. Before I get any farther into what might seem like self-congratulation, let me quickly say that I believe this growth spurt happened because I received just the right encouragement from my support network, including my faith-based contacts. In particular, I think my intensive collaboration with you - first from Advent to Epiphany, and then from Quinquagesima to Easter - has been a pivotal stimulus.   It's clear, looking back on our liturgical year 2026 collaboration with some East...