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Layman adopts Athonite monastic rhythm at home this winter

The speaker describes a long-standing attraction to the monastic life of Mount Athos, where days are ordered around prayer, services, work, and simple living. Because he has a partner and a son, he cannot leave them to enter a monastery. Instead, he plans to follow that same rhythm in his own house during the coming winter, treating his home as a monastery.

He intends to remove as many outside distractions as possible and center each day on his family and his connection with God. He acknowledges that this domestic practice is not the same as true monasticism but says he will share the experience with his audience. He also asks whether listeners have ever felt daily life pulling them away from God and sensed a need to draw closer to Him.

Key moments

  1. The monks of Mount Athos wake up in the middle of the night to pray, attend services and the liturgy, perform their diakonia, eat simply, pray again, and sleep early.
  2. The speaker has a family, a partner and a son, and cannot leave them to live on the Holy Mountain.
  3. He will try to live the monastic rhythm in his own home this winter, making his house his monastery.
  4. He wants to remove as many distractions from the outside world as possible.
  5. He wants to focus on what really matters: his home, his family, and his connection with God.
  6. He knows this is not the same as being a real monk.
  7. He will share with the audience how it goes.
  8. He asks if the audience has ever felt daily life pulling them away from God and needing to come closer to Him.
11 opinions in the discussion 10 participants, 3 replies to each other The opinion with the most support A monk lived in a cave. One day he asked God whether anyone lived a higher spiritual life than him. The Holy Spirit led him to a poor family (a couple with a few kids) at the edge of the village. The monk asked what they do. They said our house is always… Read the discussion
86 comments at the source Original on Instagram

Discussion · 11

Opinions are anonymous retellings of real comments from the original discussion. The same colour marks the same participant.

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  • opinion#2244

    A monk lived in a cave. One day he asked God whether anyone lived a higher spiritual life than him. The Holy Spirit led him to a poor family (a couple with a few kids) at the edge of the village. The monk asked what they do. They said our house is always open. Every traveller is welcome to sleep and eat here. Our prayer never stops in the house. When one family member is busy, another takes over, even the kids.

  • opinion#2246

    Watch the interview with papa paok and hear what Paisios told him when he wanted to go monastic.

    • opinion#2248

      It's hard to explain just with words, but in essence he said to him, my child what are you gonna do there, you are here to be with people, tell them stories, be with them.. sometimes doing what looks proper can mean we serve something else ❤️

    • opinion#2249

      Beautifully said and true 🥹🤍🙏 a similar answer was given by Saint Paisios to (now Saint) Elder Cleopa from Romania. 🥹🤍

    • opinion#2250

      Yes ⭐️ ⭐️

  • opinion#2247

    Dear brother, becoming a monk in a monastery is very difficult, it needs a calling from God and κλιση from you or me or anyone, sorry I can't explain in English the word κλιση, something like inclination or tendency I think! It must be twice for being a monk, I have heard!!! We are not all meant for that, some of us are for family, some for the monk life or something else!!! There are many paths and ways to God!!!

  • opinion#2243

    I feel my job is pulling me away from God and I don't know what to do. I deliberately stayed unemployed after my husband left me and our 11-year-old son, so I could get back on my feet and be there for my son, who was devastated. But I needed to earn money again and went back to work six months ago. Since then I pray less, read the Saints' lives less, and go to liturgy less often, and I miss it a lot. I built a prayer corner with my icons and try to pray in my room as much as I can, but it's not the same. How do you plan to balance work, family and monastic life?

  • opinion#2240

    I've often daydreamed about how lovely it would be to live in a monastery. But God had a different plan for me, giving me my wonderful family and trying with them to do our best. Of course it takes a lot of work. And always with the help of our spiritual father. Please do the same. I'm saying this because you didn't mention it. Whatever you decide to do, only with the blessing of your spiritual father. Not on your own. Because the ego is behind this...

  • opinion#2241

    Yes it's a lovely thing, but when you're married there are many distractions, so we have to get up early to pray and squeeze in a few minutes during the day too, and pray at night especially to cover our families.

  • opinion#2242

    I'm increasingly convinced that imitating the disciplined saints and monks is actually how we laymen are meant to live anyway. There's a monastery in Appalachia I'm interested in at the moment. Peace be with you, brother.

  • opinion#2245

    Three lines put this beautifully into perspective: "I decided to live that monastic rhythm, but in my own home," "I know it's not the same as a real monk," and "My house will be my monastery." Ευλογείτε, and much respect and love, αδερφέ! I was at Mount Athos exactly a year ago because of how fascinating and purposeful it was. Like you, balancing family, marriage, kids, work and the distractions of everyday life makes it hard. But your closing thought about drawing closer to God is everything! I'd love for you to ask a monk on Mount Athos whether Orthodox Christianity recognizes a spiritual path for those of us who want to embrace monastic principles while remaining husbands, fathers and working members of society. Not becoming monks, but living with that same devotion, discipline and connection to God. Would love to hear from anyone who knows more about this form of "lay asceticism" and their experience. ☦️