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Joseph Asper wrote:

Hi, guys —

I have two questions which have a similar logic behind each so you can pick up any faults I present.

  • Can one be a layman monk?

By this I mean that you live a normal life that a layman would . . . say become a policeman or lawyer or doctor, but practice what monks do:

  • daily meditation
  • virginity with no feelings of love except to God and the Church
  • try to isolate yourself from society as to avoid sin
  • give up all material positions except necessities, and
  • help through charity.

I want to try to shoot to become a doctor as this is what God is calling me to be, but He is opening my eyes to a monk's life (as I would like to live like one except when working with the common man in curing diseases). It would be hard to practice both medicine and the functions of my priestly ordination but I do plan to read theology while I also study medicine.

Also, while this is not a denouncement of the faith, I see many parallels Jesus would appreciate in Buddhist monks.

  • Would it be fine to pick aspects of their practice and life to follow as long as it does not violate the Catholic faith?

They practice severe humility where they reach a state of wanting nothing, and God asks for this of us: "The lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want." — Psalm 23

Of course the only thing we should want is to be with God and to follow Jesus's steps and to follow the Church, but I respect how they denounce everything that is earthly, and I find this, along with a few other things, honorable by them, and was thinking of looking up to the very serious Buddhist monks as inspiration on how to live a Catholic life.

I honestly think that by picking up how they live and our own faith, we can become a true Saint of God!

Joseph

  { Can one be a layman monk and is it OK to follow aspects of a Buddhist monk's practice and life? }

Mike replied:

Hi Joseph,

Thanks for the question.

I believe what you are desiring is a third-order Oblate and Yes, we have them in the Catholic faith.

As a matter of fact, in my faith journey, I came to a much stronger faith through third-order Benedictine Oblates I met through my brother.

Oblates are people who have normal vocations in an array of fields yet at the same time are bound to:

  • read the Liturgy of the Hours [Wikipedia] on a regular basis
  • practice all the virtues you described in your questions and
  • are required to visit the monastery or convent their religious order is associated with on a regular basis, usually at least once or twice a year.

There is one question we received that was similar to yours.

At the very end of my answer I said:

You [The questioner] said:
My next question is on being an Oblate.

  • Is that limited to persons of the Catholic faith or it is open to anyone?
  • How does one become an Oblate (especially of there are no Oblates in the area)?

Since Oblates have a connection to a Catholic religious order, yes, it would be limited to those of the Catholic Faith. I'll show my bias here because I'm a Benedictine at heart. If someone wanted to become a Benedictine Oblate, he or she would find a copy of their diocesan Catholic directory to see if there was a local Benedictine monastery in their diocese. They could also check out nearby dioceses as well!

If there was a Benedictine order in your area, you would want to visit the monastery and ultimately make an appointment with the Superior of the Order to talk about the issue and what would be required on your part. In my area, it can consist of a series of required daily prayers and making periodic visits to the monastery, but this will probably vary from order to order.

The key is the spirituality and loyalty to the Holy See. I would far rather be a Dominican Oblate associated with a religious order that is loyal to the teachings of the Church than be an Oblate of a Benedictine order whose members are allowed to dissent from the Magisterium of the Church. : (

Hope this helps,

Mike

Ann, a fellow colleague replied:

Hi Bobby,

Though an Oblate is typically Catholic, apparently the term is used for some Orthodox and Protestant groups, as well.

— Ann

You said:
Also, while this is not a denouncement of the faith, I see many parallels Jesus would appreciate in Buddhist monks.

  • Would it be fine to pick aspects of their practice and life to follow as long as it does not violate the Catholic faith?

You would be able to find these aspects and more as a third-order Catholic oblate. You don't have to reject your Catholic faith to do this . . . and that's what you would be doing if you become a Buddhist monk.

I hope this helps,

Mike
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