Apostolship and visibility (The Feast of Saint Barnabas, Matins, Jeramiah 9,23,24)

We can see more clearly the significance of ‘monastic life’ when in our culture ‘being a Christian’ can no longer be learnt. That is, the person has hardly any chance to imitate Christian life spontaneously. The visible patterns and gestures of faith can no longer be seen, and, internalized. That is why, we need ‘religious communities’. These are ‘monastic’ in the sense of the intense focusing on the relationship with our Saviour. The local churches need to grow into ‘praying communities’, marked by charity. This is the key of Jesus’ teaching and life becoming visible again.

‘Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches; but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he undestandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise loving-kindness, judgement, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.’

Investing into this slow growth, the ethos of ‘visible new monasticism’, is our most timing task.
 
11.06.2018