Monastery News
Many of the laity may wonder how to make the principles of monastic life their own. The Christian life and struggle of laymen and monastics are lived out differently, but their essence is the same: the Person and work of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ. His incarnation, passion, and resurrection were for every single person.
One of the defining features of Lent is the penitent prayer of St. Ephraim. It is said at every weekday service, even at the smaller office of the hours. Of the three petitions that comprise this short prayer, this final one is the most important. As the parable of the Publican and Pharisee teaches us, we can have all the virtues, but if we do not see ourselves as sinners, we are spiritually dead. By stretching us to our limits, the season of Lent trains us to see ourselves as we really are—sinners.
