What Are Some Resources We Can Point To Online

[TotusTuusMaria]

I am in desperate need of some resources online that I can direct people to in order for them to receive a good explanation of cloistered contemplatives or even consecrated life in general.

I thought: [url="http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_jp-ii_exh_25031996_vita-consecrata_en.html"]Vita Consecrata[/url] and [url="http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccscrlife/documents/rc_con_ccscrlife_doc_13051999_verbi-sponsa_en.html"]Verbi Sponsa[/url], but I want something simple and that is [i]very easy[/i] to understand, however accurate, and not intimidating. And as wonderful as Vita Consecrata and Verbi Sponsa is (and I may still use them), it is not cutting it in its simplicity.

I want something too that will be simple and easy to understand for Protestants.

Edited April 25, 2010 by TotusTuusMaria

[Cherie]

[url="http://www.cloisteredlife.com/"]http://www.cloisteredlife.com/[/url] seems like a good resource -- but it's more geared toward people discerning than people who need an explanation.

Some cloistered nuns' websites have a brief explanation of their cloistered life, but then go into their specific charism as Poor Clare, Dominican, etc.

I will try to look for more!

Edited April 25, 2010 by CherieMadame

[aalpha1989]

[url="http://www.religious-vocation.com/index.html"]Religious Vocation[/url] is a really good one.

[vee]

One of my favorite and simple explanations of what contemplatives do comes from Raymond Arroyo who said "you know when you cross the street and that car doesn't hit you, that's what contemplatives do.". Sorry it's not a website but I hope it might help you or someone else to explain that vocation.

[Thomist-in-Training]

[quote name='vee8' date='25 April 2010 - 02:57 PM' timestamp='1272221824' post='2099805']
One of my favorite and simple explanations of what contemplatives do comes from Raymond Arroyo who said "you know when you cross the street and that car doesn't hit you, that's what contemplatives do.". Sorry it's not a website but I hope it might help you or someone else to explain that vocation.
[/quote]

That's amazing!

Consecrated life in general the Nashville Dominican website basically taught me about. Even though it's 'their' website a great deal of the information applies to other communities as well.

What I always throw at people is the book "A Right to be Merry."

'But Thomist, that's not online.'

'I know, but it's the best resource for explaining in a simple, humorous, American, likable way who contemplatives are, what they do, and that they are happy. And at least it's in print!'

[Thomist-in-Training]

Also, a priest just gave me a booklet whose beginning has a simple definition of it, which you can see online here:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_tAqWiinl-sM/Sm6Oyi0C89I/AAAAAAAAAAw/aIgi6_QmUOQ/s1600-h/LCLP.jpg

(main page: http://ihs-ihm.blogspot.com/2009/07/little-catechism-of-life-of-prayer.html )

Q. 3 is useful too:
What place does prayer hold in the contemplative life?

Prayer occupies the first place in the contemplative life, and practically, the contemplative life is a life of prayer. Hence contemplative Orders devote much time to prayer. [...]

[laetitia crucis]

[quote name='Thomist-in-Training' date='26 April 2010 - 12:05 AM' timestamp='1272251129' post='2100105']
That's amazing!

Consecrated life in general the Nashville Dominican website basically taught me about. Even though it's 'their' website a great deal of the information applies to other communities as well.

[b]What I always throw at people is the book "A Right to be Merry."
[/b]

'But Thomist, that's not online.'

'I know, but it's the best resource for explaining in a simple, humorous, American, likable way who contemplatives are, what they do, and that they are happy. And at least it's in print!'
[/quote]


I second the suggestion for [i]A Right to be Merry[/i]. It definitely helped me in my discernment concerning the contemplative vocation -- and was so very enjoyable to read! You really feel like you get a bit of a "sneak peek" into the lives of contemplatives. It's like an extended "Come and See" in a book.

Edited April 26, 2010 by laetitia crucis

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

Here is a link to a Web site called "A Day Within the Walls" that describes the daily lives of cloistered nuns of several different orders: [url="http://www.cloisteredlife.com/a-day-within-the-walls/"]http://www.cloistere...thin-the-walls/[/url]

Also, Time online did a photo essay (with commentary from the nuns on why they have chosen to live a cloistered life) called "Radical Love: The Sisters of Summit, NJ". [url="http://www.time.com/time/audioslide/0,32187,1873724,00.html"]http://www.time.com/time/audioslide/0,32187,1873724,00.html[/url]

Edited April 26, 2010 by IgnatiusofLoyola

[EJames2]

http://www.pathsoflove.com/books/what-is-a-vocation.html

http://www.religious-vocation.com/discerning_religious_vocation.html
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http://www.vocationanswers.com/religiouslife_contemplative.htm
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http://www.franciscan-archive.org/franciscana/vocation.html
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http://www.pathsoflove.com/Vocations-Doyle.html
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http://vocation-station.blogspot.com/search/label/Contemplative
=

[ExCorde]

Hoping this can still be useful for someone, I found the english TV program on BBC called "The Monastery" quite interesting. It's a quality reality show where 5 men from different walks of life went to be with a benedictine monastery for 6 weeks. There's a series of episodes on YouTube that you can share with almost anyone for them to [i]see[/i] what it's all about:

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uX4HXQDFcE&playnext=1&list=PL754E88D725A5A846"]The Monastery 2005 part 1 of 18[/url]

Edited February 7, 2011 by ExCorde

[Pax_et bonum]

[quote name='vee8' timestamp='1272221824' post='2099805']
"you know when you cross the street and that car doesn't hit you, that's what contemplatives do."
[/quote]

New favorite quote!