Earlier this year five men—each in the midst of personal crossroads—agreed to take a leap of faith and leave families and jobs, to spend 40 days here at Christ in the Desert. But they weren’t simply staying at our Guesthouse. These five men entered fully into our life of prayer and work, living in community among us. Also as our guests for that period was a crew capturing this experience on film.
For the duration of their stay these five men of varied backgrounds and faiths agreed to the Monastery’s rules and our regimen of “Ora et Labora,” that is, prayer, study, reflection and manual labor as set out by St. Benedict 1,500 years ago. The men featured in the series THE MONASTERY come from all walks of life. Despite their different backgrounds and journeys, all the participants share hope that this journey will provide a new perspective for their daily lives.
As an “observational documentary,“ THE MONASTERY offers a rare glimpse into a contemplative monastic community that follows an ancient discipline. Each of the five hour-long episodes follows the men as they struggle with the rigors and challenges of our monastic life.
Our Abbot Philip Lawrence guided the five participants. He assigned each participant a monk as a mentor with whom to share his experiences and daily struggles. The participants also were furnished with private video cameras in their rooms to record each night their personal thoughts, reactions and reflections during the process. The men’s journeys are authentic; their experiences and revelations heartfelt and genuine.
Beginning Sunday evening, October 22 at 10:00 p.m. (ET/PT), a five-part series, broadcast on The Learning Channel, will follow their lives. (Please check your local television listings for exact broadcast times).
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