Monks’ Guide To Protect Your Peace As Autumn Looms

The author is the creator of Monks' Mindset to coach one in these techniques (unfortunately, only available as an app on the Apple iPhone).

From Aleteia

By John Cannon

Even a monk can realize that life has become a frenzy, from one activity to the next. What's to be done?

As many of us transition back to school or as work gets busier this fall season, it can be easy to let the inertia of the busy-ness turn to chaos. But there are ways to keep peace within ourselves despite the chaos going on around us.

In my early days in the monastery, we had classes on spirituality, during which we’d learn from the older brothers who'd been in the monastery for a while. I remember the youthful and energetic Fr. Robert, sharing with us once: 

We all have this candle burning within us. It’s the light of hope, life, God’s presence within us. If you run around while carrying a candle, it will go out. 

Similarly, if we rush around, become frenetic, or allow too much stress to creep in, the candle of God will go out within us and it can be hard to re-light.

You’d be surprised how much there is to do in the monastery –  praying, cleaning, gardening, cooking, caring for older brothers, studies, preparing spiritual talks, and much, much more.

When I was in the monastery, I’d literally be going from one thing to the next, all day. 

And we all face this – more to do and accomplish than we have time for... And this will always be the case so long as we are finite human beings, which is literally our whole life.

Not producing, but protecting

So often in our culture, productivity is measured by speed and output.

But the monastic way flips this on its head. What matters most is not how much we produce, but how we carry the inner flame while we work.

There are different terms for this in the monastic tradition: St. Teresa of Avila would call it “union with God.” Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, a 17th-century Carmelite, referred to it as the “practice of the presence of God.” (It's his book by this title that Pope Leo loves so much.) Carrying this inner flame could mean that a monk might spend days carefully and patiently writing an icon, because the act itself is a prayer.

In the same way, our daily work — whether it’s emails, meetings, child care, or manual labor — becomes transfigured when we guard the candle within us, bringing peace into our tasks.

It’s OK to move quickly, but protect yourself from moving in haste, and shield the candle within you so that it doesn't go out.

You can still give “your all” to your work and tasks, but hold back from allowing the anxiety, franticness, and haste to take over your mind, heart, and work.

Don’t give in to allowing this to spoil your work and duties during the day so that you can preserve the peace, light, and radiance within yourself. 

It will shine to others, but the flame must be lit inside.

But how?

If you’re interested in putting this into practice in your own life, here’s a quick exercise you can do:

Pause for a moment, invite the Holy Spirit into this space. Then look back on your recent weeks and try to call to mind the times and places that you tend to rush or hurry.

Now that you are aware of those, make an intention now that the next time you START to feel this hurry or haste, that you will literally STOP in that moment, close your eyes, and ask for the grace to preserve the candle within you.

Continue to ask the Holy Spirit for the grace to not only be more aware, but also to protect the candle within so that its light may radiate to all those you encounter.

~

If you want to learn and apply more practical wisdom like this from Catholic monks and nuns, check out the Monk Mindset app (available on iOS) to access guided content from monks and nuns, set up your routines, and block distracting apps.