Monks of MT. Athos

This past week Barb and I were watching a 60 Minutes program about the monastic life on Mount Athos. They have 20 monasteries with a total of about 900 monks that live on the property that is completely owned by these monasteries. The monastic life is intriguing to me. They wake at about 4 am and live on about 3 hours of sleep a night. They are in constant communication with God through prayer. As they worked you could see their lips moving as they continually conversed and some even said they prayed during their 3 hours of sleep. Their worship services are all about communicating with God and their chants are from voices that could be part of a Broadway musical.
These monasteries are almost completely self sufficient, decreasing the need for connection to the outside world. They have no newspapers, televisions, radios and only a few phones. Their whole life is spent drawing closer to God and preparing themselves for the next world. These monasteries were built on the side of the mountain, a task that would be complicated even with the advanced engineering available today, and they are beautiful. You might think this would be a dying practice, much like the convents here in America, but not so. I can’t remember what they compared it to but the number of applicants to the monasteries is astronomical.
Why would so many men consider a lifetime commitment to this role in the world today. I thought that possibly it was to escape the world we live in with all of its pain and suffering, but I don’t think that is their motive. I really believe they truly want to do everything they can to draw as close to God as possible. They want to immerse themselves in the writings and discipline themselves in their prayer life, to the point that nothing will distract their focus on God. I am not only amazed but also a little envious.
Wouldn’t it be great if we could find that kind of focus on God in our lives and our busy schedules? I know it sounds almost impossible with all the distractions our society provides but I don’t think it is improbable. Maybe we don’t have to dedicate 21 hours a day, but can’t we begin by setting aside a half hour or an hour a day without the radio or television? Can’t we find a place of solitude that would be free from interruption for that short period of time to read, study, converse, or just listen to God? I am sure most of you are like me and don’t want to get up at 3 or 4 am but how about 6 or 7 am? How about those times in the evening when you could be out on the back deck enjoying the creation and listening. I encourage you to set aside your most valuable gift to God, your TIME.