What do we call monasticism?
Monasticism is the Christian struggle of a celibate life with the aim of observing chaste abstinence and a more convenient, than in marriage, passage of earthly life, perfection, and attainment of salvation.
How does the Church relate to people who wish to lead a monastic life?
The Church blesses this struggle with a special sacred rite and beseeches for the one receiving monasticism the grace of God, helping him to successfully undergo this struggle of Christian perfection.
How should we regard monasticism?
Monasticism should be regarded as a high struggle, glorified by God. Even in the Old Testament, the Lord spoke of the glorification of the monastic life. In the prophet Isaiah we read: "For thus says the Lord: 'To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths, and choose what pleases Me, and hold fast My covenant, even to them I will give in My house and within My walls a place and a name better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off'" (Is. 56:4-5). By "eunuch" here are meant monks who observe celibacy, who, like eunuchs, do not lead a married life and, besides this, as the Lord predicted, "choose what pleases Me," i.e., take vows pleasing to God and "hold fast My covenant."
How did the Savior relate to the struggle of monasticism?
The Forerunner of the Lord lived like monastic ascetics and was exalted by the Savior. Christ the Savior Himself blessed and sanctified the celibate, monastic life by His Divine example and in His teaching recognized the godliness of the monastic life.
With what words did the Lord recognize monasticism?
When the Lord spoke of the difficulty of leading the Christian life in marriage, "His disciples said to Him, 'If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry.' But He said to them, 'All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given: for there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it'" (Matt. 19:10-12).
Why did the Lord call them eunuchs?
Because when God in the Old Testament prophesied about the glorification of the monastic life, He called monks eunuchs, i.e., castrated ones. In accordance with this, the Savior also calls persons leading a celibate, monastic life—eunuchs.
Can the Savior's words about "eunuchs" be understood as the Skoptsy sectarians understand them, who castrate their sexual organs?
No, they cannot, because if one understands the Savior's words as the Skoptsy understand them, i.e., in a literal sense, and not allegorically, then to be delivered from other sins, one would also need to destroy other organs of the human body, for example: hands, feet, eyes, and the like, because it is written in Scripture: "And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire" (Matt. 18:8-9). Yet neither hands, nor feet, nor eyes are "cast away" even by the Skoptsy themselves, although they very often and greatly sin with them.
Is it really impossible to kill the passion of lust at once, like the Skoptsy, i.e., through the removal of the sexual organs?
It is impossible, because the sin of lust, like other sins, depends on the sinful soul. So the Savior explained: "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies" (Matt. 15:19). And indeed, repentant Skoptsy always admit that after castration, lustful thoughts almost never leave them, and they are almost constantly distracted by lustful imaginations. This is because the Skoptsy do not kill the sin itself, like the monks, but only the instrument of sin.
How, then, should the words of the Lord Christ about castration be understood?
These words must be understood allegorically, spiritually, in the sense of spiritually killing in oneself the passion of lust. So the good monks understand the Savior's words. They kill in themselves the passion of lust by prayer, strict abstinence, and withdrawal from female society.
In what way is the monastic life better than the married, family life?
The Apostle Paul explains this, praising the monastic life: "But I want you to be without care. He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord—how he may please the Lord. But he who is married cares for the things of the world—how he may please his wife. There is a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares for the things of the world—how she may please her husband. And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on you, but for what is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without distraction" (1 Cor. 7:32-35).
How did the Apostles teach Christians about the monastic celibate life?
The first Christians asked the Apostle Paul about this, and the Apostle answered thus: "Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman... For I wish that all men were even as I myself am (the Apostle Paul was a celibate monk). But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that. But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am; but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry... Now concerning virgins: I have no commandment from the Lord; yet I give judgment as one whom the Lord in His mercy has made trustworthy. I suppose therefore that this is good because of the present distress—that it is good for a man to remain as he is... But if any man thinks he is behaving improperly toward his virgin, if she is past the flower of youth, and thus it must be, let him do what he wishes. He does not sin; let them marry. Nevertheless he who stands steadfast in his heart, having no necessity, but has power over his own will, and has so determined in his heart that he will keep his virgin, does well. So then he who gives her in marriage does well, but he who does not give her in marriage does better. A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. But she is happier if she remains as she is, according to my judgment—and I think I also have the Spirit of God" (1 Cor. 7:1-2, 7-9, 25-26, 36-40).
How did the Lord prove the high dignity of the monastic struggle?
By the fact that in His Church, after the martyrs, the most glorified by God are people who bore the struggle of monasticism, as the Lord predicted (Is. 56:5).
Is it not better, without entering into marriage, to live without the monastic struggle as well?
No, it is not better, because without the grace-filled prayer of the Church and without struggles, an unmarried person will be far from Christian perfection and will seek all kinds of empty, sinful amusements.
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