Nazareth House Apostolate Blog: skete

St. Simeon Skete, Taylorsville Kentucky USA

With St. Simeon, the God receiver, as our patron, the skete seeks to practice the ideals found in our Rule, The Thousand Day Nazareth. In simplicity and poverty, the skete embraces the struggle of inner life through the practice of the Prayer Rope.

See our website at www.nazarethhouseap.org

Donations should be addressed to: Nazareth House Apostolate, 185 Captains Cove Drive, Taylorsville, Kentucky 40071.

Important Notice: All writings, posts, graphics & photographs in this blog are the copyrighted property of (unless otherwise indicated) Nazareth House Media, a division of Nazareth House Apostolate and cannot be copied, printed or used without written permission from NHA Media, Taylorsville, KY.

Showing posts with label skete. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Desert

The desert is much more than a geographical zone to the hesychast. The modern day city can certainly have the characteristics of a desert. This arena is the site of encounters with the Divine, and a spiritual testing ground. For the hesychast the desert is a religious ('religio' -bringing together) heartland. Hence, the definition of the desert word "skete" is "the measure of the heart". This meaning implies the testing of one's mettle which living in the desert affords. For the hesychast, a desert location legitimates the spiritual experiences which occur there. Yet in saying this I must also say at the skete, in the desert there is no attachment to outcome, only holy abandonment to a beginningless beginning and an endless end.

We do not struggle to become a hesychast, an ascetic, for virtues are not goals in the life of strugglers; our one and only "goal" is theosis. All other virtues are the effects caused by this reality, this theosis. It is a matter of an effervescent preoccupation with God, (Mt. 6:33). God in turn interacts with His children in two ways, or on two levels:

Fulfilling their needs
Reducing their needs

Here in this wonderment overflowing, we have been guided in a strange way to this "unknown" hesychastic place of struggle, the skete/desert where the Offices are 'silent' with the Prayer Rope because "the Name comes from afar" (Isa. 30:27). Here is led a simple and most humble life according to the typikon: long hours of prayer; fasting, watchings, manual labor and services with the Prayer Rope. This is a place long looked for, a place of hesychastic conditions, a place of struggle, of hardships and casting aside the constant self-pampering of the Western lifestyle.

As I close I remind you the modern day city may be your desert. In the mid 70's I spent time praying the streets of Chicago. I came across an elderly woman, and in my mind a hesychast. She had spent her life in a highrise apartment overlooking the city. Daily she would pray out over the city, walk the streets, ride the "L" invoking the Holy Name of Jesus. Hidden away as a resident force of prayer making possible at some level the ongoing existence of the world. May we in the sphere of our lives follow her hidden example of prayer. -Seraphim

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

A Day at the Skete

Daily Prayer Rule (The Eleven)

Our Mornings begin very early at the Skete. The First three of "The Eleven" begin at 3:20 AM in our individual cells. It is the stepping into the stream of prayer, one Office flowing into the other.

1. Prayer Rope (first strand): 3:20 AM EST – free

2. Prayer Rope (second strand): free

3. Prayer Rope (third strand): free

As the ongoing prayer flows throughout the wee hours of the morning; at the Fourth Office, Lauds with the Lord's Supper, the community comes together at 4:40 AM in the Chapel. ...and the prayer continues

4. Lauds with the Lord’s Supper: 4:40 AM EST. – fixed

5. Little Office of the Incarnation: 6:00 AM EST – free

6. Little Office of the Incarnation: Noon – free

7. Prayer Rope (second strand): 3:00 PM EST – free

8. Vespers (Prayer Book Office) and Prayer Rope (third strand): 5:00 PM EST -fixed

9. Little Office of the Incarnation: 6:00 PM EST – free

10. Compline: 7:30 PM – fixed

11. Prayer Rope (first strand): 8:15 PM EST – free

Notes:

1.The First Five of “The Eleven” is a continuous flow, a stepping into an ongoing river of prayer. (Ps 46:4; Ezek. 47:1-12).

2.In addition to “The Eleven” the Nazareth Rosary (third strand of the Prayer Rope) is prayed daily. The Nazareth Rosary is praying all 20 Mysteries at one setting whereas the Prayer Rope following Vespers is the chaplet of the day.

3. Hesychasts of the Skete spend what time left in manual labor and study.

4. Those who are able observe the Typikon of the Eleventh Hour, one meal a day after 6 PM Office.

By request from those in various areas of the world who want to be in prayer with us at the Skete but are unable to be physically present, we have posted the above schedule. Please note we are in Eastern Standard Time (EST) and adjust accordingly.

It is is important for people to know that there is a place where prayer is going on continually for them as they go about their daily activities in the world. When they are distracted, struggling, rushing from place to place, laughing or crying – there is someone here remembering them in prayer – praying them through their day.

Those living in residence at the Skete are required to attend The Eleven. “Free” means, “on your own in your cell”. ”Fixed” means, “together in a fixed area – The Meeting of the Lord Chapel”.

Those visiting the Skete are expected to attend the “fixed” Offices beginning with Lauds at 4:40 AM. FIXED Offices are opened to the public.

Thursdays are "Desert" days in which we remain in silence and contemplation until the shared Evening Meal meeting together only at the Fixed Offices.

Fridays at the Skete, the Jesus Prayer Office (400 Rule) begins at 4:40 AM EST rather than Lauds and The Lord's Supper.

At 3 PM EST, every Friday we participate in the Stations of the Cross. This is ongoing year round and not only a Lenten Devotion.

Monday, November 7, 2011

The Wailing Wall at St. Simeon Skete

As Autumn settles in at St. Simeon Skete,

we’ve now completed a full year in Taylorsville, Kentucky.

Much has been accomplished in establishing this space of prayer, yet; there is still much yet to do.

Upon purchasing the property, there was (and still is) many physical projects necessary to aesthetically conform the grounds to the atmosphere necessary for a skete. That is ... an atmosphere of prayer.

We are working on these projects one at a time as funding, labor and weather permits.

It cannot be said too often, or stressed enough that St. Simeon Skete is about prayer, everything we do stems, circulates and grows from that prayer.

It is the heart of Nazareth House Apostolate which enables the blood to circulate through the body.

Without the work at the Skete, the mission work in Sierra Leone could not continue.

That work, the ongoing prayer, has been going on way before we relocated to Taylorsville, there has been no change in that, only the location is different. It is at this new setting that we hope to expand that prayer with vocations. Those who will give up all of the world to come and live this life of prayer at the Skete.

There was a time when people believed that prayer at this level was necessary and vocations were plentiful. As the world became more materialistic, vocations began to drop.

At Nazareth House Apostolate we believe that it is the lack of places such as St. Simeon Skete, that the world is in such decline.

People need to know that there is somewhere in the world where people are praying.

When they are stuck in traffic, already late for work and suddenly their car overheats

- people need to know that in the midst of their struggle there are those who are praying for them at the skete.

On Sunday, November 6th, we officially opened the Wailing Wall of St. Simeon Skete.

The Wall, containing a shrine with pieces of mortar from the original Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, lies hidden beyond the fencing

overlooking Taylorsville Lake.

Yesterday, it was blessed and the first prayers were inserted into the cracks.

The Notice on the Wailing Wall at St. Simeon Skete reads:

“This wall is inspired by another wall, the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem.

Here generations have cried and prayed out their needs before God.

Indeed to this day little pieces of paper with prayers and petitions are rolled up and inserted in the broken mortar between the bricks of the wall.

This wall serves the same purpose.

It is here in order that needs, prayers and petitions may be stuck in the crevices that as they’re seen they will be prayed for.

Also, you may take a petition from the wall, keep it for a week and pray for the unknown writer whose heart may be broken.

Then you might initial and date it and put it back again so that the person who put it there originally may know that he or she is not alone; that someone gave comfort, sympathy and concern.

In any case, the Wailing Wall stands here as a shrine, a special place at St. Simeon Skete

where we stand with deep devotion with you as we raise our hearts and minds to God with longing, tears and confidence.

Feel free to stick your needs in the cracks and look over other’s needs.

Most of all, stand, kneel or prostrate here with reverence, faith and quiet that deep sympathy and mercy always demands of us.

Jesus Mercy dear friend.

Now it is time to go into the marketplace, do so with this commission: “...go ye and learn...I will have mercy, and not sacrifice.” -St. Matthew 9:13”