Do we stay or do we go?

... A monastic community is a community of sinners striving for holiness.

Unfortunately many newcomers to monastic life expect instant holiness on the part of the brethren without having to go through the messy but necessary process of conversion. In fact, such conversion is the object of one of our vows, the vow of conversion of life. But they are soon brought up short with reality and so enter the first crisis of monastic life.

-Fr. Stephen Verbest