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'Let my beloved come into His garden,' says the spouse of the
Canticles... Now, the Divine Spouse comes into His garden when He
comes into a devout soul, for since His delight is to be with the
children of men, where can He repose better than in the soul that He has
made in His own image and likeness? In this garden He Himself plants the loving delight that we have in His
goodness, and on which we feed our souls.' (St. Francis de Sales)
Painting at top: Mańkowski, Sister of Charity
Painting at bottom: Cesare Laurenti, 1892
The habit of a cloistered heart is a habit of seeking
God's will. It is a habit of prayer, of virtue, of choosing Our Lord
above all. It is a habit of holy actions acquired over time, through
repetition.
'Clothe me, O eternal Truth,
clothe me with yourself, that I may run my mortal course with true obedience
and the light of holy faith…' (St. Catherine of Siena)
'Not only in body but in heart as well, no ornament becomes like humility, modesty and devotion.' (St. Francis de Sales)
Painting of nun: Marianne Stokes
Painting of laywoman: Joseph DeCamp
Text not in quotes © Nancy Shuman
thecloisteredheart.org
'The Grille of a Cloistered Heart
is the will of God. As some monasteries have grillwork through
which those in the cloister interact with the world outside, we can have
spiritual 'grillwork.' We can practice
seeing and responding to every person and every situation through God's
will as revealed to us in Scripture and the teachings of the Church.'
© Nancy Shuman
thecloisteredheart.org
'The Monastery of a cloistered
heart is the person's own life. A monastery is a place consecrated to
God, a place of prayer, a place where God is loved and served. Our
lives can be all of these things. Just as any building can become a
monastery by being dedicated to God, so our lives can become
'monasteries' by such dedication.'
'Even now we are called to be a dwelling
for the Most Holy Trinity. 'If a man loves Me,' says the Lord, 'he
will keep My word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him,
and make our home with him.' (John 14:23)' (Catechism of the Catholic
Church #260)
© Nancy Shuman
thecloisteredheart.org
'The Enclosure of a Cloistered Heart is within the will of God. As a cloistered nun or monk lives within a
specific area known as the cloister, we can make a specific choice to live
within the will of God. We can actively
embrace the boundaries of God’s will as these are revealed in Scripture and
Church teaching.'
© Nancy Shuman
thecloisteredheart.org
