Monastic Routine

I know people who go to the same place and do the same tasks every day. Not me.

It is a challenge for me to do the same work day after day for very long. It is easy for me to start feeling stuck and begin looking for something new. My personality and perspective have combined to give me a background of varied experience.

In a moment that changed my life, someone once asked me about a particular spiritual practice. I explained I had tried quite a few methods, and moved on to something new when things got routine. They asked me, Why do you think it gets boring?

I almost reacted aloud with, “I didn’t say it was boring!” The truth they uncovered sparked new insight for me. It is not that things just get boring; it is there is so much more depth to explore.

We may be reluctant to put too much faith in routine.

Most of the monks I know stay in the same place and follow the same schedule every day. Stability is one of the values Benedictine monks promise to hold throughout their lives. Even so, they do not seek, nor lead, boring or monotonous lives. Though the pattern of their days may be incredibly similar, they approach each day as a new discovery.

Monastic routines are organized to create opportunities for monks to explore sacred truths. Monastery days and years are built with structure which includes flexibility.

We take comfort and support from our routines, but do not allow them to restrict us. Each day follows a similar pattern, and each day is uniquely valuable.

How do the routines you have established support your own exploration of deep truths?

When, and why, do you start to feel bored by routine?

[Image by Genista]