“Let our loins then be girt with faith and the observance of good works, and let us, gospelled, pursue His paths, that we may be worthy to see Him Who has called us unto His own kingdom.” RB Prologue 21

Our house has a 900-year-long tradition: this can be a burden as well as an opportunity upon which one can build.

As a devout community we want to consciously keep moving towards the future, ready for the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and prepared to constantly reconsider our path: through dialogue with one another and by dealing with everything that happens around us. By staying alert to what the Scripture tells us, we want to understand what God wants from us. Previously the motto was, “The monastery thinks in centuries”. However, we want to be prepared to do what God asks of us today.

We want to be open for all people who come to us and we want to ask ourselves if God sends them so that we can reassess our own place and purpose. We want to see and hear the good things other people see and do. This happens in the school, in our parishes, in the workplace of our employees and even with the tourists who simply come to visit the building.

We seek to use everything which is gifted to us and everything our business operations generate to fulfill our tasks: school, parishes, building maintenance. In addition to that we don’t want to close our minds and hearts to the misery or suffering of others.

We consider ourselves members of the Church, but we are also trying to set an example by living alternatively so that the institution doesn’t become an impediment for the Spirit of God. We don’t want to stand still or tread water, but we want to keep moving towards the freedom of God’s children.

Abbot em. Dr. Burkhard Ellegast OSB
Melk Abbey, January 2009