The Monk Within You

The life of St. Benedict offers a path for discovering the “monk within us.”

The word “monk” is derived from the ancient Greek monachos and simply means someone who is alone. A monk is therefore someone who chooses a certain solitude, who consciously lets go of what hinders them, and even enjoys being alone because in this state they discover themselves, new things, and God.

Everyone knows loneliness, for at certain points in their life, for example, in decision-making situations, they are completely alone. In this sense, every person is a monk and recognizing and accepting this leads to serenity. The lives of those who chose the monastic state can show us how to discover, accept, and live this monk within themselves. For this is not a state, but a path.

The Monk Within You focuses on the life of Saint Benedict (c. 480–547) who had a profound influence on intellectual, church, and cultural history. Just over 40 years after his death, another monk, Gregory the Great, set about transforming his life—not according to our current standards—but rather to present an example that can serve as a model for others. In this way, we see how Benedict develops, which offers us the opportunity to develop our own lives—and to recognize the "monk within us.”

Mauritius Wilde, OSB, is an author, lecturer, and spiritual director. He currently serves as abbot of Maria Laach Abbey in Glees, Germany. From 2016 to 2025, Fr. Mauritius served as prior at the Abbey of Sant’ Anselmo in Rome, Italy. Before his service in Rome, he was prior at Christ the King Priory in Nebraska, and director of the abbey's publishing house Vier-Türme-Verlag in Münsterschwarzach. Learn more at wildemonk.net.