If we only let people see that we are living upon a truth,
and loving it, they will soon catch the life.
- Richard Meux Benson (founder of SSJE)
Catch the Life: Monastic Life Today
A Job or a Calling?
Engaging Reality
Giving God our All
Sights and Sounds of Our Life
Explore the tabs below to experience some of the richness of our daily life as Brothers. Stroll the cloister with Br. Geoffrey. Listen to the journey from the hustle of Harvard Square into the silence of the Monastery. Chant along with our prayer. Or share our practice of listening to the words of our Rule, read aloud.
Explore a day in the life of Br. Geoffrey Tristram. We're grateful to the Office of Communication of the Episcopal Church for producing and sharing this evocative glimpse into our life.
What might draw someone to embrace the radical possibility of monastic life today?
Learn more about why we Brothers came to the Monastery – and why we stay, day by day.
Why We Came, Why We Stay
Where Prayer Has Been Valid: The Gift of Our Home
Radical Vows. Total Commitment.
We are made bold to embrace alternative values to those the world uplifts because we have known in our own lives the radical embrace of God. “We love because first he loved us.” In the face of God’s love, we Brothers feel called to respond with out lives, taking three vows: poverty, celibacy and obedience. Such an extreme commitment to living a life of prayer and service is challenging. We are far from perfect; we don’t always reach our goals, or live up to our Rule of Life. An old saying goes, “A vistor asked a monk outside his monastery, ‘What do you do all day in there?’ The monk answered, ‘We fall down. We get up.’” By living together in our vows, we help each other to get back up.
Poverty
The poor are blessed, Jesus says, and theirs is the kingdom of heaven. We are likewise blessed, when the circumstances of life compel us to recognize our poverty and need, and turn to put our whole trust in God.
-Br. David Vryhof
Celibacy
Celibacy reminds us that there are ways to intimacy that do not take us through the bedroom door. Celibacy and temperance are not simply about abstinence, they are about recognizing the inherent dignity of both yourself and the other person.
-Br. James Koester
Obedience
Father Benson summarizes the vow of obedience as a call to love. Whatever it is that we are being called to be and do, it is ultimately not the satisfaction of some juridical rule or code, but rather a response of love.
-Br. Curtis Almquist
Meet the men who made us
Daily we feel inspired to live in the legacy of the visionary men who built our Society as well as those who, throughout the generations, have continued to lead our community into God's future. Whether through the vibrant witness of those who lived bold lives in public, or through the quiet witness of those who have lived profound lives of prayer, we are encouraged in this life by our forebears. We invite you to learn more about Richard Benson, Simeon O'Neill, and Charles Grafton, our founding three members.