The Community of Monks
The main goal of the Benedictine community of Montserrat is to continue making the mountain, the Monastery, and the Sanctuary a place of encounter and prayer.
The current community at Montserrat consists of around sixty monks. As in all Benedictine monasteries, the monks of Montserrat dedicate their lives to prayer, hospitality, and work. Life in a monastery follows a structured rhythm that balances prayer and work according to the Benedictine motto: Ora et Labora (Pray and Work). The clock is a useful tool for the monk, as making good use of time is vital at Montserrat.
Monastic Life
Following the spirit contained in the Rule of Saint Benedict, the monks seek to live in praise and intercession within an adoring silence, in order to better serve men and women everywhere from the depth provided by the experience of the things of God and the knowledge of the deepest longings of the human person.
Benedictine monasticism is eminently communal, and thus the monk becomes a brother among brothers who help him in his fraternal progress, as described in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
A Community of Prayer
The monks have always strived to bring together solitude and hospitality—two elements that are seemingly mutually exclusive, but are not so at heart. The tension between the two has been fruitful over time, both for the monks themselves and for the Church and society. The centuries-old history of the Montserrat monastery is eloquent proof of this. Solitude enables a reunion with oneself in the light of the Word of God; thus, progress is made toward self-acceptance and the acceptance of God through the liturgy and private prayer. The liturgy sets the daily rhythm of the monastic day; with it, the day begins and ends.
Every day, the monks gather communally five times to celebrate the Divine Office or Liturgy of the Hours, in addition to the celebration of the Eucharist, which is the central event of the day in the Monastery and Sanctuary. Daily, the monks also set aside time for individual prayer and for reading the Word of God or other spiritual authors. However, the ideal—marked by both the New Testament and the Benedictine Rule—is to strive toward unceasing prayer.
A Community of Hospitality
The human and faith experience lived by the monks is not alien to the fundamental experience lived by any person, as it ultimately centers on the same core issues faced by every man and woman: love, solitude, personal integration, healing of the heart's wounds, inner peace, the use of freedom, interpersonal relationships, solidarity, work, the use of material goods… and, at times, weariness and even the darkness of faith.
A life of faith leads the monk to discover the presence of Christ in others, whoever they may be, and to welcome them in a sincere and friendly dialogue, feeling solidarity with everyone.
(1).JPG "Comunitat d’acolliment")
A Community of Work
At Montserrat, openness to solidarity and communication translates into various pastoral activities: basilica services, receiving groups, retreats and lectures, and attending to the guesthouse. Aside from these pastoral tasks, monastic work entails the humble services necessary for the proper functioning of the Monastery and Sanctuary. Additionally, some monks carry out scientific research in various fields: history, theology, biblical studies and translations, liturgy, philosophy…
The Monastery runs a notable publishing house that edits numerous books and scholarly or popular journals, in both specifically religious and cultural fields.
A Community of Spirit
Montserrat—mountain, sanctuary, monastery—is, through all its material and concrete aspects, a community of spirit open to all horizons in a meeting of fraternity and hope.
.JPG "Comunitat d’esperit")
Rule of Saint Benedict
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