Revisiting Vocation

A religious habit is a sign of an inward consecration. Without this consecration, I can wear every sort of wimple and every length of veil, and still I am not a nun.

God called me to a different vocation, and He has given me grace to respond to that one.  Is there anything I can learn, however, from looking at the call to religious life?   How does that particular call come, and how does a person respond?

The following stories are ones I have found inspiring.  I hope they will touch you as well.

"The love of God is the strongest driving force on earth. Thousands upon hundreds of thousands have given up their lives simply because they loved Him so much that breath and heartbeat slipped into the inconsequential by comparison.  Hundreds upon thousands of young girls have walked into cloisters and never walked out of them because their youth and liberty were the very least to give the One they loved so much."  (Mother Mary Francis PCC, A Right to be Merry. Click here for more about this book)

Links to personal stories by individuals who have answered a call to cloistered life:


A Rose Transplanted
Totally Yours, Jesus   
Prom Queen to Cloistered Nun



This is a repost from our archives. It is linked to Reconciled to You and Theology is a Verb for 'It's Worth Revisiting Wednesday.'  

Utterly for God

Sometimes
words are 
unnecessary ...























Hat tip to the Institute on Religious Life for passing along this beautiful video!

A Cloistered Christmas

Like many, we've been receiving greetings wishing us a Merry Christmas. These welcome cards and letters have updated us on the lives of family and friends, and have given us a deeper sense of connection to others who are celebrating the birth of Our Lord.

People 'out in the world' are not the only ones who offer Christmas updates. Click on the following lines to see what some of our monastic friends are up to during this holy, joyful time of year!

On Christmas eve, our Passionist friends in Kentucky shared a newsy Christmas letter.

Poor Clare Nuns of Perpetual Adoration wrote a beautiful article about 'wonder.'

Carmelite Monks of Wyoming had an Advent newsletter.
 
The Sisters of Toledo Visitation have shared some really fun photos on their Facebook page (here)!

The Benedictine Monks of Silverstream Priory published their Christmasstide schedule (their Vultus Christi website is a thing of beauty in itself)

The nuns at Tyringham Visitation gave us a "tour of (a miniature) Bethlehem!" 

And the Poor Clare Colettine Nuns in Cleveland offer a fun Facebook greeting.

Advent: We Begin in Song

To our e-mail subscribers: this post features a video, which can be seen by going to the blog itself

Sisters and Postulants and Nuns - O My!

click here for photo attribution

'The grating in a Carmelite monastery is not 

to keep the Sisters in, but to keep the world out.'

Fulton J Sheen

Did you ever wonder if there were differences between Sisters and Nuns, or between postulants and novices and aspirants? Wonder no more! Click here for a glossary of terms.  

Ever wonder about differences between monks and friars? Click here.

Photo: Turris Davidica, Discalced Carmelite at the Choir Grille. Click here for full attribution.

A First Class Motive

'Examine the daily Rule of Life of the Religious Orders. In every one of them you will find a special time set side for Mental Prayer. Why is that? Because they must lead a Supernatural Life, to go against the dictates of their own lower nature. It is an arduous undertaking, and weak men and women could not continue on bravely at the bitter work of self conquest without some very strong motive. The daily thinking supplies the motive.

'In her Convent Chapel, the nun thinks, in the early morning, of all that our Divine Lord has done, and is doing, and will do for her. The thought awakens love in her heart, and that leads her to brave resolve to love and to suffer for Him. That resolve carries her through the trials of the day. She feels the pain, but through all the suffering, there is running a deep supernatural joy that she has a chance of bearing something for Him.

'Very ordinary, second-rate motives may bring people along the road to salvation, but for one aiming at close union with her Divine Spouse, a first-class motive of love is needed. That motive will not be in our hearts unless we strive to know Our Lord intimately by constant meditation.

'As we listen silently to Him Whose Will we desire to follow in detail, we, like the dear disciples, shall become enraptured with the beauty of His words, our cold hearts will be warmed with His Love, and like them, too, we shall begin to imitate His ways and reflect His divine goodness.'

(The Living Pyx of Jesus, Pelligrini, 1941, pp. 416-417)

In Whose Hearts are the Roads to Zion

"They are happy,
who dwell in Your house,
forever singing Your praise.
They are happy,
whose strength is in You,
in whose hearts
are the roads to Zion." 
(Psalm 84)

I enjoyed yesterday's
'field trip' so much that I'd like to have another. This time we'll visit via a link, beginning by clicking here and here and here.

These last two 'field trips' have, for me, underlined some contrasts between the physically cloistered world and the world outside. This outside world is a wild, mad one, and going madder by the minute. Anyone else noticing that?  Living in the midst of it, striving to live for God in the midst of it, is challenging.

Next time here, I hope to share some of the challenges I personally face. 

I have a feeling that what comes next may be a very personal post....

You're Invited on a Field Trip....

Thanks to a recent posting from Dan Burke, I've just found a delightful little video of a Community of Carmelite nuns in New Zealand. I was particularly struck by the atheist-to-nun journey of the Prioress, and I loved having glimpses of the routine, the monastery, the habit, the grilles.

Care to join me for a look inside the walls?





To our e-mail subscribers: this post features a video, which can be viewed by coming to the blog itself.

Revisiting The Spirit of This Life

We who are genuinely interested in monastic life will almost certainly be interested in visiting this link ("A Day with the Directory"). It provides such a good look at the day to day life inside a monastery that I intend to print out a copy for my own reference.

Can I live this kind of life in the midst of the world?  No.  Not in its externals.  Nor should I try to.  To make such an attempt would only frustrate me and inhibit my growth in holiness within the call I have been given by God.   

Can I live the spirit of this life?  I think so.  In its 'internals.'

I can, for instance, intend all my actions for God, ask His grace, offer them to Him and accept in advance all the good and pain that will come.  'My God, grant me the grace to perform this action with you and through love of you. I offer you in advance all the good that I may do and accept all the pain and trouble that I may meet therein as coming from Your Fatherly hand.'  

Like those inside physical cloisters, I can begin every action by embracing Jesus. Through Him, in Him, for Him, with Him.

I hope you will be as inspired as I am by this (click to view)....

A Day With the Directory
http://www.toledovisitation.org/a-day-with-the-directory/

_______________________________________________________






This is a repost from our archives. It is linked to Reconciled To You and Theology Is A Verb for 'It's Worth Revisiting Wednesday.'  

A Morning Habit

I sometimes forget that the monastic habit is not something one puts on once and for all and for ever. Of course it isn't.

Nuns and monks dress anew in their habits every morning, usually turning even the act of dressing into an opportunity to renew their consecrations to Christ.

'Vesting ourselves each morning in the habit is a prayer and a renewal of our commitment,' wrote the Passionist Nuns of St. Joseph Monastery. Anyone interested in prayer, habits, or cloistered life (yes, I'm smiling) will surely enjoy the Sisters' article "The Clothing of a Nun" (click here to link).

And what about those of us who do not wear the pieces of a habit?

I find great richness in the following morning prayer:

    'As they begin to dress, they will make the sign of the cross and say:
    Cover me, Lord, with the cloak of innocence and the robe of love.
    My God, do not let me appear before You stripped of good works.'
    (St. Francis de Sales, Spiritual Directory)

A New Blog in Town

What a wonderful surprise I had yesterday. I discovered that the Visitation Nuns in Tyringham, Massachusetts have a (drum roll please.....) new BLOG! 

'Honey For the Soul' can be found at vistyr.blogspot.com

The Sisters' most recent post tells us how they celebrate Shrovetide, when they 'get the giggles out' before Lent.

Now, that is my kind of celebrating!

Let's go see what they're up to, shall we?  Click here to visit.











Photo: Tyringham Visitation by N Shuman,1990s

The Loveliest Beauty of All

'To eyes which know how to find it, there is in the least luxuriant season of the year a beauty which is entirely sufficient. And to the perception of a nun, the quiet and solemnity of a convent contain all the loveliness she needs. Just as there is no season without its particular beauty, so there is no health of soul without beauty; and the beauty of holiness is the truest and loveliest of all.' (Lathrop, A Story of Courage, p.2; punctuation slightly edited)

Click this line for information about A Story of Courage.

Painting: Carl Friedrich Lessing, Klosterhof im Schnee 


This post is part of our series 'A Story of Courage.' To continue in chronological order, click this line.

Because Pumpkins

How can one use pumpkin? Let me count the ways.

In the last week, through no fault of my own, my house has been filled with the glorious aromas and tastes of

Pumpkin bread
Pumpkin pies
Pumpkin flavored coffee
Pumpkin seeds (roasted)
Pumpkin pancakes
Pumpkin ice cream
Pumpkin candy
Pumpkin items that I cannot possibly remember

I feel rather monastic about it all, especially when I recall a deluge of pumpkins with which the Passionist Nuns of St. Joseph Monastery were once blessed. They posted about it here, and their Great Monastery Pumpkin Adventure is as "adventurous" today as when they first shared this story. 

November is a great time for a 'field trip,' so shall we drop in for a visit?  

I'll bring the pumpkin pie. 


Graphic made from painting by Lapage

We Have Been Created For That

'Holiness is not the luxury of the few; it is a simple duty for you and for me. We have been created for that.'

Mother Teresa of Calcutta















Painting of nun: Anton Hansch
Painting of harvester: John Faulkner Wetherbee

Visit To A Cloister Garden

'Was not this entire visible universe made for your dwelling?... The earth was adorned with flowers, groves and fruit; and the constant marvelous variety of lovely living things was created in the air, the fields, and the seas for you, lest sad solitude destroy the joy of God's new creation.' (St. Peter Chrysologus)

The Passionist Nuns of St. Joseph Monastery recently shared the above quote, along with delightful photos of their summer garden.

So what are we waiting for?

Let's visit them by clicking here!



Painting: Liebermann

Back In The Habit. A Field Trip.

It's a lovely day for a field trip. A lovely day to visit friends in the physical cloister, and to hear (anew) what the privilege of wearing a habit can mean to them.....

Click this line to find 'Clothed in Passion-Wisdom'

'I rejoice heartily in the Lord, in my God is the joy of my soul; for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation, and wrapped me in a mantle of justice.' (Isaiah 61:10)

A Thank You Note

Some years ago, I wrote the words below to a community of cloistered nuns. I was writing in thanksgiving for the Sisters' apostolate that had, over a number of years, been a steady beacon of God's love in my life.

Someone brought this letter to my attention again today, and it occurred to me: 

there may be someone in a cloister reading this very post. There might also be active Religious, or priests, whose entire lives are being used for the glory of God and the service of His people. If you happen to be one of those, I want to thank YOU for your prayer, your service, your constant witness to the love of Christ.

You will probably never know, this side of Heaven, how many lives you touch.
 
'It is good to be able to share with one another our commitment to God's will. My vocation as a laywoman committed to living Jesus in the world is strengthened by your vocation to live Jesus in the cloister. And this is the way it's supposed to work, of course. For in the body of Christ, some are hands, some are feet....'

Thank you.

Painting by Fra Angelico

TheCloisteredHeart.org

Visiting the Visitation: a Field Trip

When I came across the following video recently, I realized we haven't had a "field trip" here in awhile.

So let's take a(nother) look at the Visitation of Holy Mary, which was founded by Sts. Francis de Sales and Jane de Chantal in France in 1610. 

One of the goals of the Order is to live "in profound humility toward God and great gentleness toward the neighbor." It is a beautiful (and immensely practical) goal to strive toward for those called to serve God in the midst of the world.





'Our Congregation should hold itself among the Congregations as the violet is amongst the other flowers - low, small, and subdued in colour; happy, because God has created it for His service, and to diffuse a little fragrance in the Church. Everything that tends most to God's honour and glory must be loved and followed above all things. This is the rule of all true servants of Heaven.' (St. Francis de Sales)

Blessings of Your Holy Temple

'Blessed is he whom You choose to call to dwell in Your courts -

we are filled with the blessings of Your house, of Your holy temple.'

Psalm 65:5

Paintings in US public domain; right click on images for more information

To Give Clear Witness

'Enclosed nuns are called to give clear witness 

that man belongs entirely to God, 

and so to keep green among the human family 

the desire for a heavenly home.' 

Poor Clare Constitutions, quoted in 'Walls Around the World', p.14.  Click here for link.