Would This Be Consistent W/ A Vocation To An Order With A Contemplativ

[Shana]

Now I know charismatic prayer and contemplative spirituality aren't at odds with each other, but for lack of a better way to express this I'm going to be using "charismatic" to mean the type of prayer I've been experiencing (letting the Holy Spirit move me physcially...I don't know how to adequately describe it but I can feel the Holy Spirit, and God has physcially drawn me closer to Himself present in the tabernacle...also moving my hands ect). This has been a normal occurance for me for almost two years. For lack of a better word I'm going to be using the term "contemplative" to mean prayer that is still. I feel strongly attracted to an order where their communal holy hour, the one time I prayed with them, was prayed in stillness. I would have felt too shy to allow the Holy Spirit move me physcially...and I'm not talking about anything crazy like getting up and dancing (not that there's anything wrong with that, lol)...just letting the Holy Spirit subtly move my hands. This inhibition may just be a natural result of not wanting to make myself that vulnerable the first time praying with people. Some of the sisters of this order ARE charismatic but their communal holy hour was the way I described it. I've wondered if perhaps God is calling me to a more charismatic order, but the only two I've found that may possibly work for I don't feel attracted to as I do this first order. I was sitting before the tabernacle the other day, telling Him all this...giving still prayer a shot and I DID have an intense experience of God, more intense than normal. But that was a one time thing and I don't want to be the one telling God how He can meet me. Can anyone relate to this in any way? Any advice?

Thanks!

Edited February 3, 2010 by Shana

[AccountDeleted]

[quote name='Shana' date='03 February 2010 - 04:21 PM' timestamp='1265174508' post='2050274']
Now I know charismatic prayer and contemplative spirituality aren't at odds with each other, but for lack of a better way to express this I'm going to be using "charismatic" to mean the type of prayer I've been experiencing (letting the Holy Spirit move me physcially...I don't know how to adequately describe it but I can feel the Holy Spirit, and God has physcially drawn me closer to Himself present in the tabernacle...also moving my hands ect). This has been a normal occurance for me for almost two years. For lack of a better word I'm going to be using the term "contemplative" to mean prayer that is still. I feel strongly attracted to an order where their communal holy hour, the one time I prayed with them, was prayed in stillness. I would have felt too shy to allow the Holy Spirit move me physcially...and I'm not talking about anything crazy like getting up and dancing (not that there's anything wrong with that, lol)...just letting the Holy Spirit subtly move my hands. This inhibition may just be a natural result of not wanting to make myself that vulnerable the first time praying with people. Some of the sisters of this order ARE charismatic but their communal holy hour was the way I described it. I've wondered if perhaps God is calling me to a more charismatic order, but the only two I've found that may possibly work for I don't feel attracted to as I do this first order. I was sitting before the tabernacle the other day, telling Him all this...giving still prayer a shot and I DID have an intense experience of God, more intense than normal. But that was a one time thing and I don't want to be the one telling God how He can meet me. Can anyone relate to this in any way? Any advice?

Thanks!
[/quote]


Shana, my advice is worth what you pay for it, but I am speaking as person who has intense experiences of prayer and who has been in three different contemplative communities. You need to discuss this with your Prioress, and if she says to do so, also with your Novice Mistress before you enter unless you are intending to change how you pray or unless you can find a community where they accept this from you.

I often cry in prayer and in a very quiet and still environment, like a choir, this can be disturbing to some of the other sisters. Ic ry very silently but sometimes I have to blow my nose or sniff or even feel a great desire just to be alone. But this isn't always allowed or possible.

Over time, it may be that you can completely control your outward responses to prayer, but as you are asking yourself now, is that what you feel is the right thing to do? There are two viewpoints here (and maybe a million more). One is to follow your affinity and be in a community where you are allowed to express this style of spirituality. The other is to deny youself this type of prayer and pray for the love of God only and not for your own sense satsifaction.

I would strongly recommend two things, discussion with your spiritual advisor and total openness with any communities you are considering. This will save a lot of heartache later.

Prayers for you.

[tnavarro61]

i would like to recommend to you the Intercessors of the Lamb. Their charism is contemplative intercession and they are charismatic. They are a soon-to-be religious order (status: public assoc of faithful. www.bellwetheromaha.org

this is the only help i think i can give you aside from lots of prayers. :-) I am involved with the Intercessors. :-)

Edited February 3, 2010 by tnavarro61

[HisChild]

I am not all that experienced with the charismatic prayer movement, but I do remember during my discernment to active communities (quite a while ago) I came across this group called the [url="http://www.dljc.org/"]Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ[/url] who are charismatic. I don't know, but I would imagine, they are both charismatic and contemplative.

As for joining a community that isn't charismatic as a community, I agree with Nunsense that you need to pray and think about what you're looking to do with your prayer life. Are you looking to change the way you pray, or are you looking for a community that will accept your charismatic prayer.

Just because you don't see any charismatic 'behavior' during the time you prayed with them doesn't mean that's something they don't allow in common. I'd ask them what they believe and then pray. I would think that if God is calling you there, the Holy Spirit who is infinite in possibilities would move you in other ways, ie: the intense experience you had being less charismatic and more contemplative.

In Christ,
HisChild

[Shana]

HisChild, Yes the Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ are one of the three communities on my radar. The other charismatic community on my radar is the Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary. The Daughters of St. Paul are the one's I'm most attracted to but not sure if they are a good fit spiritually. I'm meeting with a priest tomorrow who may become my spiritual director, I hope he could help me sort through this. tnavarro61, my friend Sean Tobin entered the Intercessors of the Lamb recently...he's now Brother Sean Micheal I believe...do you know him? Strawberry blonde, great singer/ guitar player?

Edited February 3, 2010 by Shana

[HisChild]

Shana, I will keep you in my prayers that the priest will be a great match for a spiritual director and that he assists you in listening to our Lord.

BTW, the last time I really had contact with the Daughters, the seemed to really be much more ... I guess 'open' is the word... to other forms of prayer besides what one might call 'traditional' religious life. I don't know what they're like now.

Prayers!

[Graciela]

I agree with the advice to discuss this openly with your spiritual director and with any community to which you feel attracted.

I also want to mention that the Franciscan Sisters TOR of Penance and the Sorrowful Mother (in Steubenville) are contemplative active. From their pictures it seems that their prayer style might be quite open to what your experience has been. There is a picture of several sisters standing in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament exposed in a monstrance, and some of the sisters have arms upraised while other do not. Seems like they are open to prayer expressions according to the promptings of the Holy Spirit in each sister.

Their web site is http://www.torsisters.org

Grace & peace to you!

[Saint Therese]

I know of a an active order of Dominican sisters that are charismatic..

[Shana]

Saint Therese, do you know the name of the order? I'm probably not called to be a Dominican b/c even though I'm minoring in Education I feel more and more being a school teacher is not for me. Graciela, I did sort of look over the TOR sisters, I'm not really considering them right now b/c from what I can tell I don't think their apostolate/ mission really resonates with the desire in my heart to engage the culture (I'm an artist so I'm all about cultural engagement and transformation). I did fill out today and mail in a form that gave some introductory information about myself to the Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, so hopefully in my correspondence with them I will get a better idea if they are consistent with what I feel the Lord is calling me to be and do. You see I definitely feel God is calling me to evangelize with Theology of the Body through my art...and this would involve painting from nude models. This is in line with the Daughters of St. Paul and thier mission, I need to see if thier are other orders that would be consistent with this. I don't need to or necessarily want to be painting all the time but I feel that any order that is a possibility for me would need to be open to and supporting of what I can offer in this regard.

Check out my blog in my signature if you haven't yet if you want to get a better idea of the integration of TOB and art. Thanks for your prayers, they sure do help!

[Saint Therese]

I sent you a PM.

Edited February 3, 2010 by Saint Therese

[Shana]

In response to nunsense, for some clarification I do have a choice about how much the Holy Spirit moves me physically, it's not like I have no control. God has made this grace available to me whenever I choose to [u]yeild[/u] to it. I just don't want to be in a community where I feel inhibited in my prayer. The Daughters of St. Paul very well may be open to this and a good fit for me, it's just unclear to me at this point.

[Shana]

Have any of you heard of Danielle Rose. I just made a post about her in my blog. She left her career as a musical missionary to be enter the Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. If you are discerning a vocation to the priesthood or religious life you can get one of her cd's for free, on my blog I posted a link if you are interested in getting a free CD. She's beautiful!

[tnavarro61]

[quote name='Shana' date='04 February 2010 - 12:22 AM' timestamp='1265210555' post='2050395']
HisChild, Yes the Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ are one of the three communities on my radar. The other charismatic community on my radar is the Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary. The Daughters of St. Paul are the one's I'm most attracted to but not sure if they are a good fit spiritually. I'm meeting with a priest tomorrow who may become my spiritual director, I hope he could help me sort through this. tnavarro61, my friend Sean Tobin entered the Intercessors of the Lamb recently...he's now Brother Sean Micheal I believe...do you know him? Strawberry blonde, great singer/ guitar player?
[/quote]

i am very familiar also with the daughters of saint paul. one community are my friends, but the community is now separated because they were sent to different missions and houses. now the community i used to know is gone. they are very cool, they taught us how to make rosaries.

well yes i am familiar with bro sean, he jsut entered last December right? he got a beautiful story: http://www.bellwetheromaha.org/index.php?option=com_rsgallery2&page=inline&id=172&Itemid=31

[tnavarro61]

[quote name='Shana' date='04 February 2010 - 05:01 AM' timestamp='1265227294' post='2050592']
Have any of you heard of Danielle Rose. I just made a post about her in my blog. She left her career as a musical missionary to be enter the Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. If you are discerning a vocation to the priesthood or religious life you can get one of her cd's for free, on my blog I posted a link if you are interested in getting a free CD. She's beautiful!
[/quote]
yes i have read her story!

[tnavarro61]

just curious, have you been to the Intercessors of the Lamb?