Coming to Monastic Life —
More Details: Rule and Life
“This Order is a monastic institute
wholly ordered to contemplation.” - Constitution 2
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Gethsemani, as part of the Roman Catholic Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance (OCSO), follows the Rule of St Benedict as interpreted by its own Constitutions and Statutes.
It is a monastery under the rule of an abbot.
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Ora et Labora is stamped on every box of fruitcake that goes out of the monastery. In English, the phrase means "Pray and Work," two imperatives.
These are the two broad categories under which most of our activities fall.
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Under prayer we would find the daily Mass, the centerpiece of the day, the recitation of the psalms through our daily offices, lectio divina, or scriptural reading, and private prayer.
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Our work is manual labor for the most part. We support ourselves by making fruitcake and fudge. In addition, the monks take turns with housekeeping chores.
There is some internal work as well, cooking, laundry and so forth. Those in formation will attend regular classes.
The OCSO does not engage in traditional parish work.
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