Our Lady Of The Rock Benedictine Monastery

[Lisa]

[quote name='marigold' timestamp='1333384857' post='2411868']
Why do I always have this horrible sense of loss whenever someone enters? I had it with Faith and Aya Sophia as well. Happy because they're going off to do what they love most, and because nuns are great generally. But sort of sad and like I've lost something very precious.
[/quote]

The bonds that we form on VS are really interesting, I think. Although we are all trying to detach from the world, there's something special about "meeting" so many other people that just want to give themselves completely to Jesus through the religious life. I feel the same way!

[AnneLine]

Marigold and Lisa touched on something I have been thinking and praying about.... the feelings of loss when people from VS go into religious life. I almost wonder if this shouldn't have it's own thread.... but I'll start it here.

I've lurked on VS for almost 5 years (horrors!) before becoming a member, and I've watched it for a few years. Usually this would happen in the fall after many communities have their entrance days. It was as if so many people left all at once that VS almost got silent. And it got sad. I know it really hit IgnatiusOfLoyola when her friend LC / Sr M Catherine entered.... I'm not sure she even checks in on VS any more -- it is just too hard I think, that she might lose someone else.

And yet... it is wonderful to see so many enter, and to have a place to ask questions, get help, and support vocations as they come in and sometimes as they come out.

It makes sense to me that we have mixed feelings when we see someone go in. On one hand - we are thrilled for the person, because they are doing what they want to do, taking the next step, following our Lord.... and so we are happy for them.

But we feel a loss. We miss their tangible presence among us, the wisdom, the humor the fun! It's especially tough when we know someone won't be able to post after entering... or they just disappear. We are grieving for them -- no one has died, but there are many kinds of loss and grieving.

We do keep actual contact (as much as we can!) with those who go in, and we connect with them whenever we pray -- we are all connected to and through God, and that is the strongest of all bonds.

And we share their stories, and their wise suggestions...

And a few of us (including me!) are not planning to go anywhere, and so I would hope will help to keep some continuity here.... but yeah, it's hard....

I've found myself thinking about AyaSophia and FaithCecilia and LC and TNavarro61 within the last week.... and knowing how much we will miss Juchu and Marigold and Nunsense and so many others in the coming months.... and wondering about the ones who just drop off the boards.....

I'm glad for all of those who go in... but BOY I miss their tangible presences!

Edited April 2, 2012 by AnneLine

[maximillion]

[quote][color=#282828]I've found myself thinking about AyaSophia and FaithCecilia and LC and TNavarro61 within the last week.... and knowing how much we will miss Juchu and Marigold and Nunsense and so many others in the coming months.... and wondering about the ones who just drop off the boards.....[/color]

[color=#282828]I'm glad for all of those who go in... but BOY I miss their tangible presences! [/color][/quote]

Me too! I miss them all and have this ambivalent thing, soooo pleased for them, yet sad for me.
I guess the only way I can cope is to know that they are in Christ and so I continue through His heart to have a connection, even if we never manage to 'speak' to each other again. I also am privileged to know the joy of being lost to all save Him, a very special joy and one I would NEVER wish they didn't experience..............

[MargaretTeresa]

Looked at the monastery's webpage.
Don't be surprised if I show up one day.

[AccountDeleted]

I'll try to write some more tomorrow but just wanted to say Happy Easter to all the VSers. This whole week has been amazing, and tonight was such a beautiful culmination... and yet tomorrow there is still Prime first thing and then Mass again before most of the guests leave. We have had a full house of Benedcitine Oblates here for Holy Week and the activities have been hard work plus a lot of fun.

Tonight's vigil was so sweet. We have a wonderful priest with us for a week, he is from SOLT and he is so contemplative and the way he offers the Mass is so reflective. His homilies have been inspiring. Tonight the vigil was so full, and it included not only our baptismal promises renewed, but also each nun called out her name (in Latin) and then they renewed their vows as well. Then a baby lamb was brought in from the farm wrapped in a blanket and Father blessed the lamb and all on the farm, and spoke about the symbol of Christ as the Lamb of God.

After the service, the Oblates and Father and I all went back to the guest house to have a little celebration (the nuns were having their own in the monastery). I just left a few minutes ago and need to get ready for bed, but I wanted to stop by here and share my joy with you all.

Also, Mother Hildegard put up some new posts on their blog, about different saints and saintly people.
[url="http://islandlife-inamonastery.blogspot.com/"]http://islandlife-inamonastery.blogspot.com/[/url]

May God continue to bless us all on this most Holy of Holy Days. Alleluia, the Lord has Risen.

[BarbTherese]

Happy Easter, nunsense - and to all!
Thank you for the post and update and on your beautiful liturgy. Ours was a beautiful liturgy too. Our celebrant was an Italina Scalabrinian priest (also on Good Friday) and only about 5ft tall and I was amazed at the power of his voice flowing from such a small frame. He celebrated so beautifully and in a really holy manner, while his homily was both powerful and funny, but rich in important points. I asked him what Order he was from. A friend of mine later told me she had double checked to make sure I had asked. His reply: "Yes, and I told her I belonged to the Mafia Community" We dont have a pp and so we are getting loan priests and often a priest new to us as this priest was.
Thank you for sharing your experience and looking forward to your next post. Trust your Easter Celebration with Father and the Oblates went well. Sleep well!

Edited April 8, 2012 by BarbaraTherese

[AccountDeleted]

Yes, thank you everyone, Easter was lovely and after I get back from Vespers I want to write a few things. Father and I spent a great part of this morning looking for the hot water heater because we didn't have any hot water here in this house and he thought I had used it all and I thought he had used it all so we didn't say anything to each other, but today it came out that neither of us has hot water!! Lol Well, after much running around under the house and conversations with nuns, we finally found the heater and all it needed was the re-set button pushed, and now - voila! hot water again. So much for being humble and not wanting to make a fuss - lol.

[AnneLine]

Penance is good... .but hot water is a gift from the Risen Lord!

[AccountDeleted]

The day to day practicalities of life sometimes take up so much time! Yesterday the land program Intern and I took the ferry to Friday Harbor (on San Juan Island, about an hour ferry ride away from Shaw). We each had business to do, she had to pick up frozen meat that had been butchered from the monastery pigs and a steer a few weeks ago and I had to go to the DMV to change my licence from California to Washington. We also had banking and some shopping to do. We took the car on the ferry because there was a lot of meat to collect and that was an adventure because it was her first time driving onto the ferry and she was a little nervous (I did it last time I was here so I know how she felt). She dropped me off at the DMV office which is only open on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month for a few hours. When I got there, I was ticket number 41 and they were serving 33, so it didn't seem too bad, but about ten minutes later, all of their computers went down and they couldn't do anything. *sigh* So either I have to wait another two weeks or I can try over on the mainland where they are open four days a week, but that involves taking a car again and usually we try to do that only when more than one person wants to go off island as it gets expensive to pay fares for cars back and forth.

We did get the meat and do banking, but I couldn't get the external hard drive I wanted to back up my computer (my income work is on it), and I can't order what I want online because most places these days don't want to deliver to a PO Box and we don't have street delivery on the island. *sigh again*. I will work it all out, but it is these little things that take so much time, isn't it? No escaping the details, even on an island monastery!

...

I read back a few posts and I see that Barb, you asked a question about my status here. Well, the Benedictines do things a little differently from the Carmelites, or perhaps they just use different terminology. At Carmel, I did a 'live-in' visit of three months before I entered, and that is pretty much the same here, but they call this time the 'pre-postulancy - as it is basically preparing for entrance, rather than just discerning. The first visit I made back in January was for discernment, and this live-in time is to get ready to move into the enclosure. I still have to make my habit, but I am going to need help from one of the sisters with that and everyone has been very busy over Easter. Also, everytime they want to do something like business or shopping, it requires a trip off-island and that is very time consuming, as you can imagine. The ferry service is not the best, and one can even go inter-island (between the San Juan islands) and still have to wait a long time before there is a return ferry. For example, right now, on the Spring Ferry Schedule, there is no late night ferry back from Friday Harbor. Last time I was here, in the winter, there was one late ferry, so we could go across to Saturday night Confession and Mass and still come back home again, but now we won't be able to do that until the Summer schedule starts. If I had known that the priest who was here for Easter was doing Confessions for the nuns, I would have asked him to hear mine too, but I missed that opportunity. That means I can't commit any mortal sins now since I can't get to Confession!

Anyway, during this three months (approximately) period, I am learning things and preparing to move into the enclosure. At the end of the three months, there is still a chance that either side will change their mind, of course, but that's true every step of the way. Just before we do get to that point, I might take a trip to California to stay with my brother again just to have a little distance and perspective, but I feel pretty confident that I am where God wants me to be right now.

As for the habit I have to make, the postulants here wear the same habit as the sisters, but not all of it. They wear the tunic, or dress part with a belt, and they wear a modified short black veil. Then when they become Novices, they get the wimple and headpiece, the scapular and a longer white veil. It looks like this picture here.

[img]http://i860.photobucket.com/albums/ab166/nunsense/4943554165_4361bce7d8_z.jpg[/img]

[jumpfrog]

Why do you need to go off-island for Mass and Confession...isn't there Mass daily at the monastery?

[BarbTherese]

[quote name='nunsense' timestamp='1334251538' post='2416433']
The day to day practicalities of life sometimes take up so much time! Yesterday the land program Intern and I took the ferry to Friday Harbor (on San Juan Island, about an hour ferry ride away from Shaw). We each had business to do, she had to pick up frozen meat that had been butchered from the monastery pigs and a steer a few weeks ago and I had to go to the DMV to change my licence from California to Washington. We also had banking and some shopping to do. We took the car on the ferry because there was a lot of meat to collect and that was an adventure because it was her first time driving onto the ferry and she was a little nervous (I did it last time I was here so I know how she felt). She dropped me off at the DMV office which is only open on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month for a few hours. When I got there, I was ticket number 41 and they were serving 33, so it didn't seem too bad, but about ten minutes later, all of their computers went down and they couldn't do anything. *sigh* So either I have to wait another two weeks or I can try over on the mainland where they are open four days a week, but that involves taking a car again and usually we try to do that only when more than one person wants to go off island as it gets expensive to pay fares for cars back and forth.

We did get the meat and do banking, but I couldn't get the external hard drive I wanted to back up my computer (my income work is on it), and I can't order what I want online because most places these days don't want to deliver to a PO Box and we don't have street delivery on the island. *sigh again*. I will work it all out, but it is these little things that take so much time, isn't it? No escaping the details, even on an island monastery!

...

I read back a few posts and I see that Barb, you asked a question about my status here. Well, the Benedictines do things a little differently from the Carmelites, or perhaps they just use different terminology. At Carmel, I did a 'live-in' visit of three months before I entered, and that is pretty much the same here, but they call this time the 'pre-postulancy - as it is basically preparing for entrance, rather than just discerning. The first visit I made back in January was for discernment, and this live-in time is to get ready to move into the enclosure. I still have to make my habit, but I am going to need help from one of the sisters with that and everyone has been very busy over Easter. Also, everytime they want to do something like business or shopping, it requires a trip off-island and that is very time consuming, as you can imagine. The ferry service is not the best, and one can even go inter-island (between the San Juan islands) and still have to wait a long time before there is a return ferry. For example, right now, on the Spring Ferry Schedule, there is no late night ferry back from Friday Harbor. Last time I was here, in the winter, there was one late ferry, so we could go across to Saturday night Confession and Mass and still come back home again, but now we won't be able to do that until the Summer schedule starts. If I had known that the priest who was here for Easter was doing Confessions for the nuns, I would have asked him to hear mine too, but I missed that opportunity. That means I can't commit any mortal sins now since I can't get to Confession!

Anyway, during this three months (approximately) period, I am learning things and preparing to move into the enclosure. At the end of the three months, there is still a chance that either side will change their mind, of course, but that's true every step of the way. Just before we do get to that point, I might take a trip to California to stay with my brother again just to have a little distance and perspective, but I feel pretty confident that I am where God wants me to be right now.

As for the habit I have to make, the postulants here wear the same habit as the sisters, but not all of it. They wear the tunic, or dress part with a belt, and they wear a modified short black veil. Then when they become Novices, they get the wimple and headpiece, the scapular and a longer white veil. It looks like this picture here.

[img]http://i860.photobucket.com/albums/ab166/nunsense/4943554165_4361bce7d8_z.jpg[/img]
[/quote]


Thank you for sharing something of your journey to date again, nunsense. A few sighs there and I dont blame you, although I think I would have problems resigning my response to a peaceful sigh!!!

Reading about your trips to the mainland made me smile again with those who wonder what nuns DO ALL DAY. I dont think I was every so occupied as when in religious life - always something to be done including Opus Dei. I almost got tired reading about your time to date. I smiled with the need to avoid mortal sin until your next Confession!

I hope there wont be any problems with the license.

Oh my, make your own habit!!! It is a penitential life, isn't it. But I think the concept of the postulant habit being the same as the basic habit in the tunic part with belt is wonderful. This would give one a feeling of real belonging in the community. Thank you for the pic of the postulant - I really do like the habit. When I entered both times, I felt neither this nor that since neither had a postulant habit of any kind. I didn't feel in the world, but then I did not feel as if I really belonged in with the 'not of this world'. I stuck out like the proverbial sore thumb. It is wonderful too that prior to postulancy nowadays it seems candidates or aspirants are given such an opportunity to find out what religious life is all about before postulancy. Both times I entered I had an interview and came away with my entrance date and that meant straight into postulancy on that date. I was truly overcome the second time I entered monastic life in my forties as it truly was like one moment being in the 20th century and the next moment in the 15th with walking through the enclosure door. It was a shock to both intellect and senses.

Wherever God leads, I am very confidentis there you will be. But my prayers and money are on Our Lady of The Rock Monastery.

God bless - Barb

Edited April 13, 2012 by BarbaraTherese

[AccountDeleted]

[quote name='jumpfrog' timestamp='1334315856' post='2416918']
Why do you need to go off-island for Mass and Confession...isn't there Mass daily at the monastery?
[/quote]

Not right now, no. They have alwasy had a residential priest (that's why they have a priest's house) but the last one got sick after he had been here only a short time and the Bishop hasn't been able to find someone who wants to live on an island with very little to do apart from saying Mass and Confession for the nuns. There actually is a lot for a priest to do if he wants to help out at the neighbouring islands but so far, they have only had some temporary ones (like the one we had for Holy Week at Easter).

Without a priest, the nuns must make do with only daily Communion Service, which Mother Prioress leads, and the nuns do the readings. I have been off-island to go to Mass, but as I said, the journey takes a long time when you take into account the ferry schedule at this time of year. I understand that during the summer, when there are tourists coming to the islands, there are a lot more ferries, but right now there just aren't very many.

So we are all praying that the one who came at Easter, and who seemed to like the solitude very much, will come back and spend a year with us.

[AccountDeleted]

I wanted to start up a blog about my life at the monastery here but I have been too sick to do much of anything so there is nothing to write! Tonight I did manage to crawl out of bed and made it to Vespers and Mother Prioress gave me this bottle of drink that has lemon and ginger and echinacea in it, and she said it is good either hot or cold, so I heated it up and had it a few minutes ago and it was so strong (must be the ginger) that I really wondered if I should have added water to it to dilute it. Maybe next time I will.

Most of the community has had this bug and they have been doing the Office with reduced numbers off and on as one gets sick and another gets better. They have taken very good care of me, and it's nice to know that if I ever get sick, they are very understanding. I got cabin fever a little today from being in my room so much (and I started to have weird dreams about the animals on the farm getting loose and other silly things) so today I dragged myself out of bed to do little things like laundry and even managed to get to the guest house for the evening supper (I have been too sick to leave my room except ot heat up some canned soup in the priest's house downstairs (we have no priest right now).

Tomorrow I am going to make the effort to get to Terce, even if I can't get to Lauds and Prime - we will see how my body is in the morning. It always seems to feel worse first thing in the morning and last thing at night. I am definitely not a good sick person, I get cranky with myself when I am sick because I really dislike it so much. I really have such admiration for those who are chronically ill, especially those who can bear it without getting cranky like me. I have been very blessed with good health so when I do get sick, it almost seems like someone must have made a mistake

Anyway, I think the worst is over, at least I hope it is. I don't wish me being sick on anyone else and yet they have all been so good to me. So I owe it to them all to get well soon. At least, that's the reason that sounds best.

[InPersonaChriste]

I pray that you feel better soon!

[OnlySunshine]

[quote name='nunsense' timestamp='1334724460' post='2420032']
I wanted to start up a blog about my life at the monastery here but I have been too sick to do much of anything so there is nothing to write! Tonight I did manage to crawl out of bed and made it to Vespers and Mother Prioress gave me this bottle of drink that has lemon and ginger and echinacea in it, and she said it is good either hot or cold, so I heated it up and had it a few minutes ago and it was so strong (must be the ginger) that I really wondered if I should have added water to it to dilute it. Maybe next time I will.

Most of the community has had this bug and they have been doing the Office with reduced numbers off and on as one gets sick and another gets better. They have taken very good care of me, and it's nice to know that if I ever get sick, they are very understanding. I got cabin fever a little today from being in my room so much (and I started to have weird dreams about the animals on the farm getting loose and other silly things) so today I dragged myself out of bed to do little things like laundry and even managed to get to the guest house for the evening supper (I have been too sick to leave my room except ot heat up some canned soup in the priest's house downstairs (we have no priest right now).

Tomorrow I am going to make the effort to get to Terce, even if I can't get to Lauds and Prime - we will see how my body is in the morning. It always seems to feel worse first thing in the morning and last thing at night. I am definitely not a good sick person, I get cranky with myself when I am sick because I really dislike it so much. I really have such admiration for those who are chronically ill, especially those who can bear it without getting cranky like me. I have been very blessed with good health so when I do get sick, it almost seems like someone must have made a mistake

Anyway, I think the worst is over, at least I hope it is. I don't wish me being sick on anyone else and yet they have all been so good to me. So I owe it to them all to get well soon. At least, that's the reason that sounds best.
[/quote]

Maybe you should try making a tea out of the drink. Two-thirds solution and one-third water. Is there any honey available or a lemon? That might help mask the flavor a bit. Natural honey has antimicrobial properties so it really helps with colds and flu bugs. I've used it for coughing because I thought I was not able to take regular cough suppressant and it worked surprisingly well. It coats the throat, too. Hope you feel better!

Edited April 18, 2012 by MaterMisericordiae