Contemplative Life

Our Institute, in addition to having houses of apostolic life, also has houses of contemplative life, where religious consecrate their existence totally to God and only to Him, in prayer, silence and penance.

Those who, moved by God, embrace this way of life within our religious family^[1], will consecrate their lives to contemplate and to live the mystery of the Incarnate Word^[2], especially in the maximum expression of their self-emptying, which is the cross. Invited to retire in the desert: Come apart into a desert place (Mk 6,31), they will leave everything for Him, take up their cross and follow Him, because He himself has said: If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. (Mt 16:24)

The monasteries are the vanguard of our Institute and the guardians of its spirit, showing to all the primacy of love for God and the value of the virtues of mortification: silence, penance, obedience, sacrifice and oblative love.

Prayer -liturgical and personal-, formation, silence, cell and community life are the essential elements of the life of a monastery.