Tradition tells that St. Francis of Assisi climbed a mountain and found Lady Poverty who had been rejected the Papal Priests in all their pomp and precious gems; and by the monks in all their money and monasteries filled with manuscripts. St. Francis of Assisi believes he essentially married Lady Poverty and brought her back to the Church. It is an interesting story, but flawed. Poverty is the not sign of true piety. While yes our Lord Jesus Christ himself said, "foxes have dens, birds have nests, but the Son of Man has not place to lay his head," (Luke 9:58) and He told the rich young ruler, "sell everything you have and come follow me." (Luke 18:22). The latter was actually Christ dealing with the pride in the rich young ruler, who said prior, "I have kept every law, what more must I do?" (Matthew 19:16-20). This young man was full of self righteousness and spiritual pride; and so Jesus dealt with it by addressing the one area that would unravel the young ruler's yoke and system of good works, "When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth." (Matthew 19:22)
However, those two passages: Luke 9:58 "foxes have dens," and Luke 18:22 "sell everything you have.." have been the apparatus and foundation for monasticism since the First Ascetics (Desert Fathers) and Anthony of Padua (often called the first monk). The problem is that Jesus himself was not dire poor, in fact He had a Treasurer, Judas Iscariot: "Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor." (John 13:29) and the Women of Galilee supported Our Lord's ministry: "Mary Magdalene, Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod's household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means." (Luke 8:3). Therefore the austere and impoverished lifestyle monks and nuns seek to live in order to become saved and more spiritual is not what the Savior or His Apostles practiced as evidenced from these passages.
Monastics often reference Luke 9:3, which is when Jesus sends the disciples out two by two, "He told them: Take nothing for the journey--no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt." However, they forget a later passage when Christ says, "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one." (Luke 22:36). The latter passage is right before Jesus goes to Jerusalem to suffer and die on the cross. The prior passage was to teach the disciples that God will provide for their needs, but the latter passages teaches that we as disciples must also make provision if we can; its not an either or. It's prepare, but if you lack anything, God will provide.
I admired Monasticism for its singular devotion to Jesus Christ and the desire to leave the world of commerce and corruption. However, I clearly had issue with orders like the Benedictines and Cistercians who were 'contemplative orders' who observed silence and kept in cloisters in deep seclusion in the woods, mountains, and deserts. While there is something romantic about being isolated from the world and being "knights of the cloth" as Francis was called, the problem is that monastics no longer can make an impact on the world for Christ and they fail to observe the great commission of Christ himself that declares, "Go forth to all nations and make disciples, baptizing them in name of the Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 28:19). While it is conceivable cloisters could aid in this with their prayers, rather than participation directly; intercessory prayer is a great benefit in evangelism; it robs these robed men and women of actually reaching people for Christ. Later other orders known as 'Mendicant' monastics arose such as Franciscans, Dominicans, and Augustians who were more like friars and preached the Gospel to the lay person and helped people with practical needs.
Monasticism greatest flaw aside from the typical isolation and fear of the world; is a false gospel of works and strict living that comes from a Rule, not the Ruler of Heaven. Monks and Nuns believe that they can merit their way to the Maker in Heaven through pious living in their monastery and nunnery. The believe their separated spiritual life will earn them salvation. But this is a violation of the Scriptures which say, "It is by Grace that you have been saved, not by any merit of your own or works, lest you should boast." (Ephesians 2:8). This living a pious life to achieve salvation is another gospel, which the Apostle said, "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God's curse!" (Galatians 1:8). For those monks who saw Jesus in a vision or trance, or perhaps Mary Guadlope, who told them to become a monk: there are two explanations. The first is that Jesus really did tell them to enter at the time in history (300 A.D. to 1500 A.D.) to learn Scripture and the ways of the Lord like Martin Luther did before the Reformation. The second explanation for the vision that tells people, particularly people today to become a monk and merit salvation through their works is Satan. The Apostle says, "For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough." (2 Corinthians 11:4). We must beware of any spectra, spirit, or angel that would tell us we can earn and work our way to heaven; "and no wonder for Satan masquerades as an angel of light." (2 Corinthians 11:14).
A third reason someone may enter a monastery or nunnery ligitamently is that they are in dire need of safe haven and know that they cannot work their way to heaven. A person may have call to minister to the monks the Truth of God's Scripture or they may want to be in place where they can intercede in prayer for the work God is doing. In this case I do not see a problem, but believing poverty is the path to true piety and the prusuite to the Prince of Peace is a lie. Jesus Christ is for everyone, not just the Monk and Nun. The Scriptures simply say, "believe in the Son of God, Jesus Christ" and "confess Christ as Lord" and "you shall be saved."(John 3:16 and Romans 10:9). There is no clause that says, you must become poor, join cloister of monks and isolate from the whole world.
Our devotion is to Jesus Christ, not cloister or caste system of spirituality. While I do admire monks like St. Francis of Assisi, St. Dominic, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, and many others; there is a fundamental flaw in their theology which states leaving the world and doing pious works will save them. But the truth is that isolation from the world and works does not save us, it is the blood and death of Jesus Christ on the cross saves us! (Romans 5:9-10, 1 Peter 2:24).
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