Maron - Monastic Spirituality

Monastic Spirituality

Maroun's way was deeply monastic with emphasis on the spiritual and ascetic aspects of living, contrasted by the fact that the 'Khoury,' or, 'priest' of the Maronite rite can marry. For Saint Maroun, all was connected to God and God was connected to all. He did not separate the physical and spiritual world and actually used the physical world to deepen his faith and spiritual experience with God.

Saint Maroun embraced the quiet solitude of the mountain life. He lived his life in open air exposed to the forces of nature such as sun, rain, hail and snow. His extraordinary desire to come to know God's presence in all things allowed Saint Maroun to transcend such forces and discover that intimate union with God. He was able to free himself from the physical world by his passion and fervour for prayer and enter into a mystical relationship of love with God. He was also a holy man. The Maronite church can occasionally accept a married man to become a priest in the event the marriage itself took place before the concerned individual pronounces the required vows and certainly before being ordained.

Consequently, married priests can only perform ministry duties for the rest of their lives and would never be allowed to occupy higher positions within the church itself.