Monasticism is a religious way of life in which monks live in community. The word comes from the Greek monachos, meaning solitary. Monks withdraw from the world. They dedicate themselves to prayer. They dedicate themselves to work. They dedicate themselves to study. They dedicate themselves to obedience. They dedicate themselves to poverty. They dedicate themselves to chastity. They dedicate themselves to the community. They dedicate themselves to God. They dedicate themselves to monasticism.

Monasticism is found in many religions. In Christianity, it began in Egypt in the 3rd century. Antony the Great was the first monk. He lived in the desert. He prayed and fasted. He fought demons. He inspired others. Pachomius organized the first monasteries. Basil wrote the first monastic rule. Benedict wrote the Rule of St. Benedict. It became the standard in the West. It emphasized prayer, work, and community. It emphasized stability, obedience, and conversion. It emphasized hospitality, humility, and love. It emphasized monasticism.

Monasticism in religions

• Christianity: Benedictines, Franciscans, Dominicans, Jesuits.
• Buddhism: monks and nuns, meditation, precepts.
• Hinduism: sannyasa, renunciation, ashrams.
• Jainism: monks and nuns, ahimsa, asceticism.
• Islam: Sufi orders, zawiyas, dhikr.
• Taoism: monasteries, celibacy, meditation.

Monasticism is a radical commitment. It is a life of renunciation. It is a life of devotion. It is a life of discipline. It is a life of prayer. It is a life of work. It is a life of study. It is a life of obedience. It is a life of poverty. It is a life of chastity. It is a life of community. It is a life of God. It is a life of monasticism. The monk leaves the world. He enters the monastery. He takes vows. He wears a habit. He follows a rule. He prays the hours. He works with his hands. He studies the scriptures. He serves the community. He seeks God. He finds God. He becomes God. He becomes holy. He becomes a saint. He becomes a monk. He becomes monasticism. Ora et labora. Pray and work. That is the motto. That is the rule. That is the life. That is monasticism.