What the monastic commitment means

On February 10 at 10:30 a.m. in the St. John’s Abbey and University Church I will be making solemn profession. What is solemn profession? In slang terms it means getting hitched for life to a monastic community. In the language of canon law, it means establishing a permanent juridical bond. Through this act, I will become a full and permanent member of St. John’s Abbey.

In the Benedictine world, solemn profession is tied to our vow of stability. With this vow each monastic commits themselves to remaining with this one community. The vow of stability is different from an order like the Jesuits, for instance, where members may be deployed all over the place and do not have a geographically specific home. They are members of an order. While Benedictines are members of an order, their home is a specific monastery, a specific place.

Why might someone decide and feel called to plant themselves in a particular monastic community? There is more than one response to this question, but I feel compelled by the following: Benedictine stability is about committing long enough for transformation to take place. It’s about being vulnerable enough to become a new person.

Transformation is difficult amidst constant escape. How often do we tether ourselves to an uncomfortable situation or emotion to be open to what they might teach us?

This is the paradox: through stability comes transformation. By facing fears, pain, and discomfort growth can occur. Before monastic life I studied wine making and viticulture. I was taught that grape vines that are stressed due to interspecies competition for water, for example, can produce high-quality grapes. Weeds are not removed but instead are left to promote this competition for water while also providing shade to hold moisture in the ground. It forces the roots to go deeper for sources of hydration.

In a similar way, stability can train us in the arts of patience and resilience, qualities that don’t develop when you have your eyes fixed on the exit door. To paraphrase Richard Gula, a Catholic moral theologian, instead of asking “Is this benefiting me right now?” we start to ask this question: “Who am I becoming by staying engaged here?”

What exactly is the commitment to stability about? At its most basic, it is simply showing up. Being present. Listening. Paying attention to those heart spaces.

How many of us feel lonely at times? Staying committed to a specific place or situation of discomfort can establish belonging. Belonging to a community. When we make a commitment to community, which means to specific people, our capacity for mutual responsibility and care expands. It means we have more skin in the game. We move beyond surface-level interactions. This is one way to navigate living in a wounded world.

My solemn profession on Feb. 10 is not a private event. If you are free, I would welcome your supportive attendance as I profess the following vows for life to Saint John’s Abbey: obedience, conversatio morum, and stability. Peace.