Before joining a monastery...

Before joining a monastery every monk takes vows which he will keep in God's and the brethren's presence. "A life of fasting" is one of the most desired lifestyles for monks. The mission of monks, not least the monks of Mt. Athos, is the following: We feel this obligation entrusted to us by the Church, that prayer and propitiation to the Lord should not stop in the world for a single moment. If this happens, the end will come. "It is through monastic prayer that the world still exists," St. Silouan the Athonite