Vocations Related Gaffes......

[maximillion]

That time you donated a chicken to the vegan sisterhood.....
On the live-in discernment visit, you just constantly stood as they knelt, rose as they sat, and turned nose to nose to the sister/person behind you during Prayer......

I broke a statue of St Joseph (it was ancient and hideous ) whilst twirling my veil round on the end of my finger. The veil flipped it on the floor and it shattered to a thousand little pieces. NM had me use each recreation period to very carefully piece it back together with bad glue. Once this was achieved and I had knelt in refectory cradling the statue and begging the communities forgiveness, she promptly dropped it in the trash and ordered another......

[Strictlyinkblot]

When I was doing a live in a nun bowed to me in the refractory. I bowed back, thinking that's what you do. She then laughed and explained she was bowing to the crucifix on the wall behind me. Oh, and I also spilled milk all over the table. They didn't make me kneel down to ask forgiveness for waste. Maybe they should've

[faithcecelia]

Having a shower the first evening of my first live in and completely accepting the trickle of water as 'poverty', only realising when I came to get out that i'd just not turned it on properly.

Soon after Clothing, process into Choir (first as in age in religion) bowed to Jesus in the Tabernacle...and veil flops over my face

[OnlySunshine]

During my 3 days with the Carmelite DCJ community, there was one Sister who would always greet me at breakfast with "Praised be Jesus Christ." She had such a thick accent that I had trouble understanding her, so I asked her again what she said. She repeated it. I finally heard and understood her, but said nothing in reply. She, very gently, informed me that the tradition was to say "Now and forever" when someone greets you the way she had. I felt so silly not to know that.

[AccountDeleted]

[quote name='MaterMisericordiae' timestamp='1315822144' post='2303744']
During my 3 days with the Carmelite DCJ community, there was one Sister who would always greet me at breakfast with "Praised be Jesus Christ." She had such a thick accent that I had trouble understanding her, so I asked her again what she said. She repeated it. I finally heard and understood her, but said nothing in reply. She, very gently, informed me that the tradition was to say "Now and forever" when someone greets you the way she had. I felt so silly not to know that.
[/quote]

in the UK Carmels, they say a version of this in French (their foundress was French) and was I ever confused when the Prioress would say, "Vive Jesu!" and all the nuns would reply "A jamais!'

[juchu]

During my first live-in I was really good at forgetting to pick up the "extra" papers. Things that were not in the office book, because of it being a special day, etc. ... Now I learned to really pass by the table with the extra papers before getting to my seat!

Especially if some other sister near or far from you notices it (there will always be someone noticing it...) and she gets up during that song, psalm and hands it to you

Or, my community being french-speaking, sometimes I do not get which number for the psalm they announce and keep looking forever in the office...

And of course the kneeling, sitting, etc. things... Especially during Holy Week and during Christmas.... And sitting in first row I always had to look to the sides.

Another good time was when I was sitting in front of the NM in the refectory and was doing table service. It was really crowded with a lots of guest and I hit one guest on her head with a bowl while trying to get it all out.


I think these things just happens... These woman have lived together for so long and one grows in humility while doing everything "wrong".

Though I would say that yes, it helps with humility, but also it made grow, because of the love and acceptance I felt from the community even though I am doing stupid things! It truly is a reflection of God for me. He loves me as I am and they are reflecting this love.

[Lisa]

I tried to hug a Missionary of Charity- they don't hug, and she just kind of froze. I felt horrible... but maybe they got a good laugh out of it later. Maybe.

[Caramelonion]

I was at a week long visit with an order of Poor Clares and they had me doing fairly strenuous work in the middle of August. Being unused to the heat, I was unable to be much help to the sisters. I said to one sister, "Please don't tell the council I wasn't able to do my work!" Little did I know she was the vocations director.

[icelisou68]

[quote name='nunsense' timestamp='1315822330' post='2303745']

in the UK Carmels, they say a version of this in French (their foundress was French) and was I ever confused when the Prioress would say, "Vive Jesu!" and all the nuns would reply "A jamais!'
[/quote]

This is usually "Loué soit Jésus-Christ." (Praised be Jesus Christ) to which you reply "A jamais." At least this is the way the more traditional French communities do it, I didn't know some used "Vive Jésus !".

[faithcecelia]

We used to wear headscarves and smocks for housework, and those of us who went walking after lunch would often switch to our scarves for that. One day the bell had gone for None and most of us were there when one sister arrived. We all struggled to stifle giggles until someone pointed out to her that she had her scarf on not her veil! Bless her though, she shrugged her shoulders and sat through None before getting changed, doubt I would have had the guts to do that.

[Totally Franciscan]

In the first few days of postulancy, we were having combined recreation with the novices. A group of postulants were gathered around the novice mistress, who said, "The novices just love having the postulants around". In my naivete, I asked her why that was so. She responded, "You will know when you are a novice", with a laugh and a twinkle in her eye. Later I realized what she meant. The postulants give a lot of comic relief with the funny things they do.

The first night of postulancy, we were all in the bathroom getting cleaned up. I was at the sink washing my face with the water running. I notice this brown-habited arm of the postulant mistress come around and turn the water off. We were not supposed to waste the water, a lesson learned very well that first night.

I also remember being at Lauds, after which the novices and professed would leave chapel and have their meditation by walking around the grounds in a line. Being up front in chapel, the postulants were not really aware that everyone in chapel had left except the postulants. One morning, a cricket was perched on the window sill in chapel right next to the postulants. He proceeded to make his cricket sounds as loud as any of us had ever heard, which caused us all to giggle uncontrollably. It was infectious! It was just horrible, as we were under the impression that the rest of the community was still in chapel behind us. Oh the agony!

[AccountDeleted]

[quote name='icelisou68' timestamp='1315849377' post='2303857']

This is usually "Loué soit Jésus-Christ." (Praised be Jesus Christ) to which you reply "A jamais." At least this is the way the more traditional French communities do it, I didn't know some used "Vive Jésus !".
[/quote]


Perhaps the French foundress had trouble teaching all the nuns the correct French and settled for the easier Vive Jesu?? I'm sure there were nuns from Wales and maybe Ireland, and probably a lot of other ones with strong accents who might have found the French a little tricky... just a hypothetical reason! It also could be that this was changed over the years - all I know is that it's what we said at two of the UK Carmels I was in.

[AccountDeleted]

After my clothing in Carmel, I was given three white under veils - one to wear, one for the laundry and one for the cupboard. One morning I put on this under veil, which seemed really long but I put it on anyway and then put the scapular on over it and the top veil on over that - I was still getting used to dressing without mirrors and didn't see what it looked like but it felt wrong... When I was in choir the sister behind me tried to tuck the underveil in a little from behind but I knew there was still something wrong. Later the NM pulled me aside to check it out -- the sister who was responsible for handing out the veils had accidently given me one of the old day veils that the nuns wore to cover themselves practically from head to toe... so it was acres of material - no wonder it didn't fit under my scapular properly! It was like wearing a bed sheet! It wasn't my fault of course, but it was very embarassing anyway. The good thing was that it gave us all something to laugh at during Recreation!

[Aya Sophia]

In Carmel, the oblong linen refectory napkin stretches out across the table in front of you and has all your tableware - bowls of food, utensils, "godet" of water, your coffee mug, etc. - laid out on top of it. One end if folded over a bit at the outer edge of the table, the other end you tuck in at the top of your scapular or, if you're a postulant, as I was, you pin to the front of your cape. Autumn was advancing and the days were getting shorter. Now it was dark outside by the time we were in the refectory for collation. Collation was in progress one evening when a Sister asked Our Mother's permission to close the shutters over the windows. My place at table was just in front of a window. When I heard the other shutters being closed I leaned toward our NM and asked should I close the one behind me. She nodded yes. In one deft movement I rose from my seat and swung around to the left, reaching both arms upward toward the shutters, neatly yanking the refectory napkin after me and flipping my bowl of food onto the floor! To cap it off, as the Sisters were trying to fatten me up, my supper that evening very specially included a nice fried egg with a runny yolk. (I really did intend to eat it - honest!) I glanced toward Sister Mistress and, dead pan though she was, I could see irrefutable evidence of a smile playing on her lips.

[OnlySunshine]

[quote name='Aya Sophia' timestamp='1315878697' post='2304027']
In Carmel, the oblong linen refectory napkin stretches out across the table in front of you and has all your tableware - bowls of food, utensils, "godet" of water, your coffee mug, etc. - laid out on top of it. One end if folded over a bit at the outer edge of the table, the other end you tuck in at the top of your scapular or, if you're a postulant, as I was, you pin to the front of your cape. Autumn was advancing and the days were getting shorter. Now it was dark outside by the time we were in the refectory for collation. Collation was in progress one evening when a Sister asked Our Mother's permission to close the shutters over the windows. My place at table was just in front of a window. When I heard the other shutters being closed I leaned toward our NM and asked should I close the one behind me. She nodded yes. In one deft movement I rose from my seat and swung around to the left, reaching both arms upward toward the shutters, neatly yanking the refectory napkin after me and flipping my bowl of food onto the floor! To cap it off, as the Sisters were trying to fatten me up, my supper that evening very specially included a nice fried egg with a runny yolk. (I really did intend to eat it - honest!) I glanced toward Sister Mistress and, dead pan though she was, I could see irrefutable evidence of a smile playing on her lips.


[/quote]

Oh man! I would have been so tempted to laugh if I had been a witness to that!