WELCOME TO THE ONLINE ABBEY!
The intent of this order is to foster a contemplative spiritual life within the laity and clergy of the Church. We are a Religious Order open to men and women, single and coupled. We are a part of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta and under the supervision of The Rt. Rev. Neil Alexander, Bishop of Atlanta.
CALL FOR HELP!
Due to a foul up with our filing as a non-profit under the Diocese of Atlanta, we have recently been stuck with property taxes for a town home that was generously donated to us in order for us to later purchase a larger facility for our Order. Unfortunately, we have no means within our budget to cover this very unexpected expense. Thus we are looking to our friends and patrons of the Order for help. If anyone is able to offer even a small amount to help us cover this cost, every little bit is a great blessing to us.
To help, checks can be made out to The Order of Saint Anthony the Great, O.P.C. and mailed to our Order's residence at 9 West Ferry Court / Atlanta, GA 30319.
Thank you in advance for your help and support and God's Peace and blessings be upon you all!
UPCOMING EVENTS:
The Order of St. Anthony will be hosting three separate book studies each week from September through October. Meetings are on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights at 7:30 pm beginning September 1st.
The Tuesday night book study is on What Jesus Meant by Garry Wills – In a short and straight forward format, Wills shows how radical the outward teachings of Jesus really were and what he was trying to accomplish within religious identity. He also shows where the Church has been trying to cover up, overshadow, and outright ignore a lot of his radically inclusive message while claiming to be the “embodiment of Christ on earth.” A good “back to the basics” book for any Christian contemplative.
The Wednesday night book study is on The Wisdom of the Desert: Sayings of the Desert Fathers of the Fourth Century by Thomas Merton—A concise collection and excellent introduction into the sayings of the early Christian hermits as compiled by one of the 20th century’s best known contemplatives. Each small reading offers a wealth of material for prayer and contemplation. Each week we will discuss and meditate over the various teachings that present the foundation of our contemplative and monastic tradition.
The Thursday night book study will be an inter-religious group discussion on Meditation Without Myth by Daniel Helminiak – Dr. Helminiak, a former Roman Catholic priest, is now a professor of psychology at West Georgia College. By initially “taking God out of the equation” for teaching centering/meditation, he offers a good introduction to the very basic practice while showing the benefits both physical and psychological. At the end of the book, he brings God back in, showing the greater depth one can achieve through the basic practice of being still. His simple instruction and medical explanation shows how all of us are wired for centering, and what to expect when we begin doing it on a regular basis.
All books are easily available through the Cathedral Bookstore (404-237-7582). Meetings are held at the residence of the Order of St. Anthony the Great: 9 West Ferry Court, Atlanta GA, 30319. For more information and directions please email Br. Kenneth at br.kenneth@gmail.com.
Silence. From the start of Christianity, silence and the solitude that comes from silence have been key fixtures within the prayer life of our religious tradition. It is in silence that we find the true battle ground of our souls. It is in silence that we find a true need for God in our lives. It is in silence that we find and experience God and His loving presence. And only when we quiet our hearts and fall fully into that silence can we hear what the Holy Spirit is saying to us.
Just as Christ prayed alone in the desert, from the early days of Christianity, the Desert Fathers fled the cities and the bustle of society to find solitude in the barren landscapes of Egypt and Judea. There, alone but for their Temptations and God, the Desert Fathers looked within rather than without for the assurance and guidance of God. It is from this example that the tradition of contemplative prayer follows in our Church.
The importance of silence is to stop the constant noise and chatter, the vicious judgments and accusations that fill our lives. We must ask ourselves, how can we openly hear God in our lives if we do not take the time to listen? We have to set time aside each day to simply put God in the center of our lives. Monks have traditionally done this by creating their new lives in the protective walls of the monastery. But this option is not always open to us. Still, we must strive to find a place for that monastic setting within the walls of our urban society.
Monks take various vows upon entering a monastery, each with the intent of fostering a more nurturing environment for a contemplative life.
These vows typically include:
Stability / Obedience
Solitude / Silence
Poverty
Chastity
Through this group, it is our aim to discover how we can implement each of these into our daily lives, and create for ourselves a life of contemplative prayer. The answers to the question “How do we do this” are not yet written, and indeed the answers may be different for each person, but it is through this group that we discover them.
In the beginning, there is but one requirement, and that is the vow of stability. A group of this nature can only work if we are able to rely on each other. The path to silence is difficult, and there will be times when you want to turn away, but even in those times, especially in those times you should continue to take part in this Order.
We are called by Christ to place God at the center of our lives, let this be the first step.
Silentio Coram Deo,
Br. Kenneth Hosley O.P.C