Active/contemplative Or Cloistered How Do You Know Which Is For You?

[VeniJesuAmorMi]

[quote name='emmaberry' timestamp='1345326344' post='2469814']
When the soul is called to the cloister, it is hard for for it to be content with the day to day life that active people must live. In a sense, this everyday world the active must deal with is their burden, whereas the complete [i]lack[/i] of the world is both the contemplative's greatest joy and greatest burden as well.
[/quote]

This really struck me because I believe also that this is true; you described it so well!

I have read before in an interview with a Mother Prioress of a cloistered community about the cloister: [size=3][b]"[font=Verdana]Regarding our cloistered life, one must have a certain thirst for God, a need for silence and prayer and the grace to understand that behind the apparent inactivity is hidden, in pure faith, an inexhaustible richness of life. In a more active life, that soul would wilt and waste away; she would not give all that she could give. It would seem to steal God from her."[/font][/b][/size]

[emmaberry]

[quote name='curiousing' timestamp='1345341265' post='2469926']
Most of the active sisters I talked to, when I asked them if they had considered contemplative life, responded with something like, "Oh gosh, no way! Not for me!" But a lot of the cloistered sisters had thought about active life. So possibly, if one is a good fit for active life, then the cloister is NOT an option. But cloister-fits may think both are an option at first.
[/quote]
Interesting. So cloistered nuns generally rule out active life before entering the cloister, so they tend [i]not[/i] to pursue that option after leaving. Active sisters usually don't really consider the 'extremeness' of the cloister, so they are more likely to reconsider/feel called to it after the active life. That is a really good theory-and I love having concrete numbers behind it, in the form of the sisters you interviewed!

[color=#222222][font=Helvetica Neue', Arial, Verdana, sans-serif][size=4][background=rgb(255, 255, 255)][quote name='VeniJesuAmorMi' timestamp='1345342274' post='2469933']
[size=3][b][font=Verdana]In a more active life, that soul would wilt and waste away; she would not give all that she could give. It would seem to steal God from her."[/font][/b][/size]
[/quote]
Thank you for sharing that! It is beautiful, and I love what Mother said about the wilting soul, and that feeling that in the active life, the contemplative could not give all the love she has in her heart. It is difficult and somewhat confusing for me to even reword that quote, yet she expresses it so perfectly!

Must be the silence and serenity of the cloister...they express themselves very well. Then again, so do active sisters. Must just be the whole 'spouse of God' thing then. [/background][/size][/font][/color]

Edited August 19, 2012 by emmaberry

[Strictlyinkblot]

For me, I thought I'd enter an active order, I'm a chatter box and I've spent many years as a nurse. Gradually I felt the pull towards contemplative life going stronger and stronger. I think you just have to keep prayers and looking. It will gradually come clear. God know where He wants you to go but sometimes He wants you to wait a little while. After many years of searching I believe I've found where I belong. Nothing is certain of course but the place I've found for me in the words of Goldilocks is 'just right'. Not perfect, but the sisters feel like family.

[maximillion]

Do you experience a desire to be close to Christ alone, in and for His Own sake, or do you delight in His people?
The Little Flower was the greatest missionary because she was so given to Him..............
Mother Theresa is a saint (and a missionary) because she was totally given to Him in and through His images here on earth.....
Which makes your heart leap within you?

[LittleWaySoul]

[quote name='maximillion' timestamp='1345363456' post='2470076']
Do you experience a desire to be close to Christ alone, in and for His Own sake, or do you delight in His people?
The Little Flower was the greatest missionary because she was so given to Him..............
Mother Theresa is a saint (and a missionary) because she was totally given to Him in and through His images here on earth.....
Which makes your heart leap within you?
[/quote]
I personally think I have a passion for the Truth, and making the Truth known. I'm friends with many atheists, and I have this desire to spread the love of Christ to as many people as possible who don't recognize his existence. I'm very interested in theology and Church teaching. I think, if I am to be a sister, I will be an active one

[mantellata]

[quote name='LittleWaySoul' timestamp='1345424169' post='2470344']
I personally think I have a passion for the Truth, and making the Truth known. I'm friends with many atheists, and I have this desire to spread the love of Christ to as many people as possible who don't recognize his existence. I'm very interested in theology and Church teaching. I think, if I am to be a sister, I will be an active one
[/quote]

The Dominican motto is "Truth"

Just saying..............

Edited August 20, 2012 by mantellata

[LittleWaySoul]

[quote name='mantellata' timestamp='1345424530' post='2470349']
The Dominican motto is "Truth"

Just saying..............


[/quote]
Are the Dominicans contemplative? Or cloistered?
If so, how are they able to directly communicate to the uninformed or misinformed atheist or secular civilian? That's what I want to do. I heard of an order of nuns who literally walk the streets of a certain city, just speaking to people and sharing their joy. That's something I'd love to do

[Strictlyinkblot]

There are both Dominican nuns who are cloistered, and Dominican sisters who play a more active role.

[emmaberry]

[quote name='LittleWaySoul' timestamp='1345427121' post='2470373']
Are the Dominicans contemplative? Or cloistered?
If so, how are they able to directly communicate to the uninformed or misinformed atheist or secular civilian? That's what I want to do. I heard of an order of nuns who literally walk the streets of a certain city, just speaking to people and sharing their joy. That's something I'd love to do
[/quote]

Are the Sisters you mention from Rosalind Moss's new community? Daughters of Mary Mother of Israel's Hope, I think. There are both cloistered and active Dominicans. The active most popular Sisters are usually school teachers though. I don't know how much street evangelizing they do.

Edit: You may also look into the Sister Servants of the Eternal Word, who's active apostolate is catechesis retreats. They are very enthusiastic about Church teaching and learning how to pass its beauty onto others. They are semi contemplative, though.

Edited August 20, 2012 by emmaberry

[mantellata]

The Sisters of St. Cecilia (Nashville) and the Sisters of Mary (Ann Arbor) are active-contemplative Dominican communities. Their primary focus of evangelization is in teaching. At least with the DSMME's (not sure about Nashville - though I believe they do as well) there is also opportunity for other forms of evangelization including retreats, theology-on-tap and summer missions to parishes.... as well as various talks to University campuses.

I just saw your affection for the proclamation of the Gospel, and being slightly biased towards Dominican spirituality, I couldn't help but throw my two cents in.

As far as how the Dominican nuns preach (after-all they are part of the Order of Preachers) and yet are cloistered - I would point you to the following:
[url="http://nunsopsummit.org/life-mission/common-life"]http://nunsopsummit.org/life-mission/common-life[/url]
and
[url="http://nunsopsummit.org/life-mission/hearing-studying-and-keeping-the-word-of-god"]http://nunsopsummit.org/life-mission/hearing-studying-and-keeping-the-word-of-god[/url]

[OnlySunshine]

[quote name='LittleWaySoul' timestamp='1345424169' post='2470344']
I personally think I have a passion for the Truth, and making the Truth known. I'm friends with many atheists, and I have this desire to spread the love of Christ to as many people as possible who don't recognize his existence. I'm very interested in theology and Church teaching. I think, if I am to be a sister, I will be an active one
[/quote]

Just out of curiosity, have you checked into orders like the Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma or the Dominicans in either Ann Arbor or Nashville? You sound like a Dominican at heart.

[OnlySunshine]

You might want to also check into these order
[quote name='LittleWaySoul' timestamp='1345427121' post='2470373']
Are the Dominicans contemplative? Or cloistered?
If so, how are they able to directly communicate to the uninformed or misinformed atheist or secular civilian? That's what I want to do. I heard of an order of nuns who literally walk the streets of a certain city, just speaking to people and sharing their joy. That's something I'd love to do
[/quote]

You might want to also check into these active/contemplative orders who preach the Gospel:

[url="http://db.religiouslife.com/reg_life/irl.nsf/org/387"]Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal[/url] (work a lot on the streets with the homeless)

[url="http://www.clavermissionarysisters.org/?page_id=315"]Missionary Sisters of St. Peter Claver[/url]

[url="http://db.religiouslife.com/reg_life/irl.nsf/org/21"]Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate[/url]

[url="http://www.cmswr.org/member_communities/DLJC.htm"]Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ[/url]

[url="http://www.cmswr.org/member_communities/SLVM.htm"]Servants of the Lord and Virgin of Matara[/url]

[PhuturePriest]

[quote name='Mary's Child' timestamp='1345311327' post='2469738']
This may be something that has been discussed before but its something I have been wondering about. How do you know if you are being called to an active community or one that is cloistered/monastic? Can this change as you research and learn more about yourself and draw closer to Jesus. I have been discerning for a little over 2 years for the first year and a half I thought I was called to an active/ contemplative community and I was sure I knew where it was. But a few months ago it became apparent that this community was not where I was called. Because of this I had to do some serious thought and prayer about what my true vocation is, and now I feel more drawn to the cloistered life. So how do you know for certain which type of community you are called to? Is it just an undeniable certainty like when you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are called to the religious life?
[/quote]

Luckily for you, my spiritual director and I just had this talk. He said to not put them against each other like this. Instead of asking "Contemplative, cloistered or active?", ask "How am I supposed to love God?" We love God through our vocations, and each vocation has a special way of loving God. Ask God and discern which way you are to love him instead of putting them at odds with each other.

Also, when discerning he said to imagine the ugliness of each vocation. We can make anything seem like Rainbow Land in our mind, but nothing is Rainbow Land, especially when it comes to vocations. If you are drawn to Carthusians, for instance, think not just about the great things in it, but think of the not-so-great things. You will pray in solitary confinement for hours each day, almost never getting to talk except to pray, and worst of all, as is the worst with every Community, you have to live with [b]other people[/b]. This is not a particularly bad thing, but a Saint once said the hardest thing in Religious life is living with other people. "Bingo!" a Benedictine Monk on EWTN once said about that quote. Religious life seems great when we think about living with nice easy-going people, but personality clashes, differences in opinion, sometimes going to absolute loathing for another person, this is all a part of Religious life. Do you feel your prompting go out when you think about these things, or can you see past these things? The same goes for active life, but I must say the Rosary soon so I cannot type up an example. Just think about these things and be open to God's will, for only in His will can we be happy, even if this means we must give up our original plans.

[TheresaThoma]

I briefly discerned cloistered life with a Benedictine community and a Cistercian community. Both times it didn't just "click", I really appreciate the beauty of the life but I just couldn't see myself there.
It really helps to get in touch with both types of communities to get a better idea of where you might be called to. Remember as St Thomas Aquinas said, Grace builds on nature. Really get to know yourself, what style of prayer you find the most fruitful, what are your strengths and weaknesses. All of these will help you discern where you are called.

[LittleWaySoul]

[quote name='emmaberry' timestamp='1345430249' post='2470411']
Are the Sisters you mention from Rosalind Moss's new community? Daughters of Mary Mother of Israel's Hope, I think.
[/quote]
Yes! That's the one

Also, thanks for all the suggestions, everyone! I haven't really looked into many orders at all yet, but I'll keep those in mind when I do! Your help is greatly appreciated!