Calling All Priests And Male And Female Relgious

[the171]

+JMJT+

Detatchment, how? I am called to the religious life and possibly Carmel. This particular Carmel I feeled called to has papal enclsure, the grille, the whole nine yards. I love it. But I don't know how to prepare myself for detatchment, I'm a high school freshman (entering into sophmore year in a few months or so) so I obviously have time, but from what I've heard from many priests religious and those who are about to enter relgious life or the seminary that time goes by FAST. Do you have any advice about this?

Also any more advice about discernment overall? And also, what am I to expect generally as a sister/nun? Thank you. God bless. Please pray for me. I keep all of you in my prayers.

+Pax vobiscum+

[Sister Marie]

I think the greatest detachment is what happens in your heart, not outside of it. Before I entered the convent I worked in a nursing home as a nurses aid and sometimes people were really mean. I could go into all the reasons but basically they were cranky, miserable, in pain, and just plain angry sometimes.

Some of the greatest lessons in detachment came for me during that time. I know that my greatest desire is to be liked and accepted by other people - it just is! I can't help it and it is part of me. So during that time I detached myself as much as I could from that desire by clinging more to the desire to do good to all and to do God's will in all things. So, when someone was upset with me because the last nurse didn't put the right amount of ice in her cup, I resisted the urge to say, "I didn't do it but I'll fix it right away!" so that I could be the "good one." Instead, I apologized, even though I didn't do it and fixed it, allowing the person to be mad, upset, sad, or whatever with me but still knowing in my heart that I offered a great sacrifice of myself for that person to God.

Community life, in any community, is a great exercise in detachment, but it happens in the smaller things more than in the bigger. I know that I don't own the convent I live in but it is much more obvious to me when I'm told that the curtains in my charge aren't "right" or that I can't leave my coat on the chair in the parlor. I know they are small things but in religious life you give up a lot and as humans our nature makes us try to gain more... it is a constant cycle of detachment, complacency, conversion, and resolve. Then over again, and over again.

So, to answer your question... First, know what you cling to most - is it security? power? control? knowledge? beauty? being right?...(fill in the blank?) Whatever it is, try to make a conscious resolution of how you can interiorly and consciously choose against that desire in your everyday life. Then - practice, practice, practice. At first it will be difficult if you choose the right thing but you will also feel energized by being able to "conquer" something in yourself. Whether you enter religious life or not it is still a great exercise for your spiritual life.

[the171]

[quote name='Sister Marie' timestamp='1304379808' post='2236015']
I think the greatest detachment is what happens in your heart, not outside of it. Before I entered the convent I worked in a nursing home as a nurses aid and sometimes people were really mean. I could go into all the reasons but basically they were cranky, miserable, in pain, and just plain angry sometimes.

Some of the greatest lessons in detachment came for me during that time. I know that my greatest desire is to be liked and accepted by other people - it just is! I can't help it and it is part of me. So during that time I detached myself as much as I could from that desire by clinging more to the desire to do good to all and to do God's will in all things. So, when someone was upset with me because the last nurse didn't put the right amount of ice in her cup, I resisted the urge to say, "I didn't do it but I'll fix it right away!" so that I could be the "good one." Instead, I apologized, even though I didn't do it and fixed it, allowing the person to be mad, upset, sad, or whatever with me but still knowing in my heart that I offered a great sacrifice of myself for that person to God.

Community life, in any community, is a great exercise in detachment, but it happens in the smaller things more than in the bigger. I know that I don't own the convent I live in but it is much more obvious to me when I'm told that the curtains in my charge aren't "right" or that I can't leave my coat on the chair in the parlor. I know they are small things but in religious life you give up a lot and as humans our nature makes us try to gain more... it is a constant cycle of detachment, complacency, conversion, and resolve. Then over again, and over again.

So, to answer your question... First, know what you cling to most - is it security? power? control? knowledge? beauty? being right?...(fill in the blank?) Whatever it is, try to make a conscious resolution of how you can interiorly and consciously choose against that desire in your everyday life. Then - practice, practice, practice. At first it will be difficult if you choose the right thing but you will also feel energized by being able to "conquer" something in yourself. Whether you enter religious life or not it is still a great exercise for your spiritual life.
[/quote]


thank you so much, sister. i think for the most part im very attached to security and this world at the moment. not this world as in my favorite scarf or those things, but the people. my friends, family. and right now im trying to search my heart and see what other things im attached too. before i can do that i have to learn how to pray contemplatively which is hard for me because i have the attention span of a fly. hahaha ive been trying to be like st.therese who used sacrifice or good deed beads.

Venite Adoremus:)