"If any man
would come after me,
let him deny himself
and take up his cross
and follow me.
For whoever
would save his life
will lose it;
and whoever loses his life
for my sake
and the sake of the gospel's will save it."
Mark 8:34-35
1. You should be a Catholic, unmarried, free of family obligations, etc.
2. You should be in good physical and mental health. The monastery must be assured that you can respond to the demands of close community living and contribute toward its need to earn its daily bread.
3. Since monks take a vow of obedience, you must be able to live with good will toward authority.
4. The monk is vowed to a celibate life, and his need for love and friendship must be found within the monastic life.
5. One of the monk's most challenging ascetical practices is to learn to accept his brothers as they are and to be open to their criticism of his own faults. For this reason, the person who aspires to live monastic life must be able to let go of his own ideas and preferences when the majority of his brothers want to move in a different direction.
