Emmaberry's Pcc Countdown

[emmaberry101]

Recently someone asked where I was entering and, on hearing Roswell, said "That's a real place?" They thought Roswell was a fictional place schemed up by Sci Fi nerds to accommodate the alien hype of the time. Crazy!

[quote name='Chiquitunga' timestamp='1351143526' post='2497459']
Praised be Jesus Christ! No worries, emmaberry! I had been meaning to reply to VJAM's post for the longest time too. It was so wonderful to read!

But wow, that must have been hard having all of those people there wanting to see you enter.. and hugging your parents and saying final goodbyes in front of them. I know of another one who entered a Carmel who described her experience as something like this too. She said some people just wanted to talk to her and get to know her while there was so little time and this was the final time with her family, etc.

But for the one who entered after Vespers it was entirely private

Carmelites, and I think all cloistered communities really, have the 15 minute mandatory thanksgiving also. But still, though the Sisters may have the 15 minutes, the one entering might not .. or if she does, it might kind of have to get split with saying goodbye to family .. there might be that pressure, especially if there are others there watching .. lol, I thought that emoticon expressed it well!

God's will either way! But if I end up entering where you have to enter pretty much right after Mass/it's their custom, etc. I will make sure to get some private time with family beforehand, and to let them know. Thanks again for sharing your experience!

p.s. I laughed at brushing "our teeth" too I know it's this way in Carmel, no my's, but that phrase never occurred to me

I suppose they would say it this way when speaking for instance with a dentist also .. or at least in Valparaiso where they have their own dentist visit the enclosure.

Sister: Doctor, our teeth have really been hurting lately..

Dentist: Really, the whole community's?


[/quote]

I am not sure if the same rule applies in PCC communities, but I have heard Sister Sacristan, Portress, and Mother say, 'my.' Perhaps they just adopt this 'banned' word when speaking with the general public. Wouldn't want to scare an aspirant away by saying, "I wore contacts in [i]our[/i] youth." The Portress did say this with the 'my' inserted when I asked if that was her on the gift shop brochure without glasses.. Nuns are so cute when they are forced to talk about themselves! You can tell it is just so foreign to them, which I find to be a very refreshing change from the general run of society (myself included!) In fact, on my application under 'what are your weaknesses?' I put that I talk about myself far too often. And there I go again!

[quote name='MaterMisericordiae' timestamp='1350947021' post='2496063']
When my friend re-entered the active/contemplative Carmelite order, she entered at 7pm the night before the Feast of the Sacred Heart which is traditionally the Sisters' recreation time. I would imagine it went much smoother this time than the first time since the first time she entered was in the morning after Mass. I don't know how the Sisters handle newcomers but I would hope that every order starts out slowly so the postulants can become accustomed to the time.
[/quote]

Thank you Mater! It does seem like her second entrance would have been much smoother, what with the different timing and her experience!

I would hope for the same as well! In fact, I was reading in some book (I think it was either Barefoot Journey or Spring Comes Barefoot) but a Poor Clare postulant met with Mother Abbess and said,
"I do not have a Poor Clare vocation. [b]The life is not hard enough[/b]."
The Mother Abbess replied with, "Are you keeping the whole horarium?"
"No."
"Do you rise for Matins every night?"
"No."
"And are you saying the full Divine Office?"
"No."
"Are you going barefoot?"
"No."
"Well then."

The postulant stayed, long story short. Anyway, the postulant life is a pretty mitigated form of the PCC life, but I think this is so wise, as you said! I don't know enough about other communities/orders to know their procedure for postulants, but I would hope the life would not be as rigorous as the professed as well.

[quote name='nunsense' timestamp='1350944955' post='2496043']
emmaberry - I don't have my PM turned back on yet but thought I would respond here. The time you enter is really something to decide between you and the community. I prefer to enter in the afternoon because it is a more quiet time for the community (mornings are busy with Mass and work and other business) and because it gives me time to settle in while things are a little quieter but this could vary for each community. When I went for my live-in this time, the Prioress took me to visit the Blessed Sacrament first and then we took my things to the cell. My angel came to the cell soon after that to take me on a tour of the convent and show me where everything is (some things had changed since I was there last). I was shown my stall in choir and things like procession and routine were explained to me (and a timetable given to me). Then I was taken to Our Reverend Mother for a little chat and to go over anything that was necessary. Then I was given some time alone to unpack and get things organised in the cell before my angel came again to take me down to Vespers that first evening. One hour of Mental Prayer followed Vespers then Supper and dishes and finally Recreation with the nuns. After Recreation, the other nuns went to choir for the Office of Readings, but Mother told me not to attend on my first night, so I was free for the rest of the evening, and could either read or get washed and go to bed early, whatever I wanted to do. I found this a very relaxing way to begin, so when I go back to enter, I hope to enter in the afternoon again. I don't know about your community, but with the Carmelites it is a very long day, and there is usually some stress and excitement associated with one's first day, so starting halfway through the day just seems sensible to me. It somehow makes it easier (for me) to start with a half day and then make my first full day with waking up in the convent the next day. But I know these things are very personal.

Blessings on your entrance.
[/quote]
Thank you for the response nunsense-don't worry about the PM, I only put that there because I hoped that if a more private person or lurker type read it, then they would feel comfortable helping me out. Yes, many Carmels I have looked into have extremely long days. The Carmelite horarium reminds me of [i]My Beloved[/i] where she speaks of the main penance as being fatigue! I can definitely see the advantage of entering in the afternoon, or after Vespers (as Chiquitunga said) since these are the quieter times. You said mornings are busy with work and Mass, and I am sure Sunday is the busiest morning of all in the Monastery (Sunday is when I enter.)





As I said before, I am visiting Roswell Monday with my grandparents (they're so excited, it's cute..and they're Protestant! ) and then again for Sister Maria Jose's first profession just three days later. I hope to hear more concrete details of my entrance on the visit(s). Whatever time it is, I will be truly fine with. A quieter time has so many previously stated advantages, so that would be wonderful for myself and my family. Then again, if it is after Mass, I will be more than happy to let those gathered share in my joy. I know how excited I would be to be party to an entrance ceremony, especially as a stranger to the new postulant! So, whichever it is, there will be much cause for joy!

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experiences on entrance times, pham.

Edited October 26, 2012 by emmaberry101

[AnneLine]

Emma,

You can share this with your Roswell sisters..... something I have laughed about with friends on more than one occasion....


all those Roswell Alien 'sightings' were the same year that the Poor Clares moved to Roswell.

I've often wondered if what people saw weren't the Sisters who came scouting for the monastery... and they have never been seen again because their enclosure was established!

AND YES, I am being SILLY!!!!


But...

There really is a bit of a resemblance....

[img]http://morriscourse.com/elements_of_ecology/images/alien_face.gif[/img][img]http://poorclares.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/the-mystery-of-mary.jpg?w=258&h=450[/img][img]http://poorclares.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/urged-on-by-love.jpg?w=296&h=450[/img]

[Chiquitunga]

AnneLine!!!! ...... ..

[AccountDeleted]

emmaberry - the good thing about Sundays is that it is a day of rest, so even though it is busy in the morning, it won't be as busy as during the week - just assuming it is the same for the Poor Clares as the Carmelites. And yes, tiredness is something that one learns to deal with - but it is such a great way to learn surrender to God. It's a lot easier to be cheerful when you're not tired - the real gift to Him is to be that way when you are exhausted because it takes more effort and therefor merits more grace!

[AnneLine]

Glad you enjoyed that, Chiqui! Exactly!!!! DO kind of look like the PCCs without a veil!

Absolutely agree, Nunsense....

[VeniJesuAmorMi]

[quote name='emmaberry101' timestamp='1351222817' post='2497836']
The Carmelite horarium reminds me of [i]My Beloved[/i] where she speaks of the main penance as being fatigue!
[/quote]

This reminds me of some great advise I once received about becoming more mortified; its great advise for any way of life, but especially for those entering the cloister.

Just some examples; but say you were just so fatigued and you wanted to say this to your Superior in the hope of getting extra rest, or maybe you have a headache and you want to take medicine, perhaps your knees and legs hurt from kneeling so much and you would prefere to stand or sit. Even the times that your frustrated and irritated. Well before deciding to say anything to your Superior, or doing something to make you more comfortable, say to yourself, "Jesus, I'll go a little bit more with You." Little steps up the mountain are very important, sometimes if we take big steps and go so fast we end up all the way at the bottom again. If we choose to do this, we'll find that we can bear it longer as time goes on without bringing it to the attention and notice of others. It actually brings an interior joy when we do this because we are suffering this thing, however little it may be, just between you and Jesus and nobody else knows. Also by doing it this way; if Our Lord sees that you need anything, the Superior will give it to you without your even asking for it.

I know in some Carmelite communities if you do have any pain or something else that perhaps may be harmful if nothing is done about it, you have to say something to your Superior if its still there after three days of having it.

[OnlySunshine]

I remember when I was visiting my former hopeful community (a Carmelite order) for a vocation retreat. The day I got there, I was exhausted and I asked the novice mistress (also the retreat mistress) if I could go take a nap. She gave me permission, but I got to the guest room and realized that no one else would be taking a nap and I would miss part of the retreat. I ended up going back out there and explaining that I didn't want to miss anything. I'm glad that I didn't take a nap because I slept well that night.

[Chiquitunga]

[quote name='VeniJesuAmorMi' timestamp='1351260600' post='2497923']
This reminds me of some great advise I once received about becoming more mortified; its great advise for any way of life, but especially for those entering the cloister.

Just some examples; but say you were just so fatigued and you wanted to say this to your Superior in the hope of getting extra rest, or maybe you have a headache and you want to take medicine, perhaps your knees and legs hurt from kneeling so much and you would prefere to stand or sit. Even the times that your frustrated and irritated. Well before deciding to say anything to your Superior, or doing something to make you more comfortable, say to yourself, [b]"Jesus, I'll go a little bit more with You."[/b] Little steps up the mountain are very important, sometimes if we take big steps and go so fast we end up all the way at the bottom again. If we choose to do this, we'll find that we can bear it longer as time goes on without bringing it to the attention and notice of others. It actually brings an interior joy when we do this because we are suffering this thing, however little it may be, just between you and Jesus and nobody else knows. Also by doing it this way; if Our Lord sees that you need anything, the Superior will give it to you without your even asking for it.

[b]I know in some Carmelite communities if you do have any pain or something else that perhaps may be harmful if nothing is done about it, you have to say something to your Superior if its still there after three days of having it.[/b]
[/quote]

That you so much for sharing this! I have always wondering especially about what you mentioned at the end. Of course the Carmelite nun suffers with her crucified Spouse, but the [b]requirement[/b] to say something after three days I think is very good and I had never heard that before.

And that advise about going a little bit more with Him .. thank you for sharing that too!!

[emmaberry101]

So much good advice in this thread! Thank you for your words of wisdom (gained from hard earned experience!) I am not sure about the PCC procedure on reporting pains to Mother, but I am sure there is a cautionary measure in place. It is good to hear this is the case in Carmel, so thank you Veni!

AnneLine: Darn! I forgot to tell the nuns that they came to Roswell the day of the sightings-I am sure they would have loved that!

Nunsense: That's a great point about Sunday.. Don't be surprised if I pop in on you and beg you for more information on entrances and religious life in general, though I know how busy you are with trying to get back to your Sisters! Thank you for the info.

I also really love the bit about going the extra distance with Jesus. It reminds me of running, which is a favorite hobby of mine.

The visit yesterday went so well, and it was so good to see Mother again! I was telling the Portress that, in a paradoxical way, visiting gets sweeter and sweeter each time I come, but leaving afterwards becomes increasingly difficult. She was very empathetic and, with a glassy look in her eyes, said "We have all been there." Little things like this make me realize in a deeper way how much the enclosed nun loves the whole world. Not in the way many peace activists seem to love the world as a shapeless mass of humanity, but really caring for each individual soul. It's a testament to my slowness that I am always surprised by the overwhelming loving-kindness of the nuns.

On another happy note, my grandparents and I went to listen to the nuns pray the hour of None (usually at 1:40 but I believe they changed it to 3 so Mother would have a good chunk of time to visit with us-very thoughtful). Throughout most of the day the Blessed Sacrament is exposed and adored, so He was there when we went in to pray, and my grandparents prayed and kneeled! Alleluia. They have a lot of outside pressure to not become Catholic, but I am praying very much that they might become Catholic in God's time. It's painful being Catholic and having the infinite joy of Mother Church and seeing other's either passively or actively resisting this joy..usually due to misunderstanding.

The new website should be up any day now. In fact, Mother and the NM both thought it was up already! Their Sisters in Holland are doing the domain work for the site, and they sent them the site coding (?) a month ago, so it should be any day now! Also, the new site will be located at: www.poorclaresroswell[b].org[/b] , [u]not[/u] [b].com[/b]. The .org domain has not been secured yet, so your computer will not allow access if you attempt to reach it (I should know!)

It was very reassuring to hear that the nuns are offering extra penances, sacrifices, and prayers for the upcoming election. I know we are all very anxious about this election, and thinking about the nuns everywhere interceding on America's behalf is so encouraging. Mother, when speaking about a politician, was so candid and forthright in saying that he was a disgrace to our Catholic faith. She is such a true Poor Clare, since Clare was a light of truth illuminating the darkness of the world. The clarity and truth with which she spoke reminded me very much of Mother Teresa as well! She was not afraid to stand in front of, say, the Clintons and say (paraphrasing), "Abortion is a grave wrong and you must end it." Same with contraception. This kind of candidness is like water to a parched throat.

I was also reminded of a book I read about St Therese, where an Anglican man went to visit Lisieux after St Therese's death. He met one of her blood sisters there (Celine, I think) and, upon remarking that he was an Anglican, she said (paraphrasing), "You need to renounce that heresy and become Catholic." He was probably miffed at the time, but he went away and did just that! I think something about the separation of the religious allows them to see and speak of truth in a clearer light than we are prone to see and speak of it. Anyway, it is so refreshing and very different than our politically correct speech out here in the world. Of course, Mother Francis always emphasized tact as the virtue of the strong, so that must factor in!

(Last thing, I promise!) I tried on 'my' postulant outfit! I say 'my' because I really shouldn't refer to it as mine, and it's not mine, it is actually Sr. Maria Jose's! Hopefully her sanctity and perseverance will carry over to me through the common garb. My grandparents wanted to take a picture, which I would've posted here, but..well, I'll just tell you how it went down.

Grandad: "Can we take a picture?" (As I'm walking out of the parlor to the turn to retrieve the garb) I thought he was asking if he could take a pic of Mother!
Mother Abbess and NM look at each other: "Uh.."
Grandma: "We won't post it on the internet!"
So, yeah.. Can't post the pics.

I also got my list! I don't think I need help finding anything, as I already have most of the stuff I need. (Yay for that!):
[img]https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-exUixnn2Big/UJA-POLjpnI/AAAAAAAAAbg/11-Y0f46zIA/s512/list%2520edited.jpg[/img]
[spoiler]The edited section concerns undergarments.[/spoiler]

'The last thing' promise? I lied. I know some of you were curious about the use of screen instead of the traditional grille, so here's a picture from the PCC Eindhoven Facebook:
[img]http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/37246_1158816347336_1450623_n.jpg[/img]

I'm so sorry for this monster of a post.

Edited October 30, 2012 by emmaberry101

[OnlySunshine]

I'm breaking my silence again to tell you if you need help finding anything, please don't hesitate to use my website or contact me through the suggestion box form.

http://nuntrunk.weebly.com/

[Mary's Margaret]

Please don't apologize, Emma. It's a privilege to share in your journey and excitement. I'm sure your experience is an encouragement to other discerners, as well as an opportunity for those who have travelled that path before to share knowledge and memories. This kind of sharing is what makes this site a community.

[TheresaThoma]

Emma that is so exciting! Thanks for sharing all of this!

[nikita92]

I enjoyed it,and actually thought it gave great insight..especially after seeing a actual list. How hard is it to find Long sleeve Summer night gowns??

[AccountDeleted]

Emma - we are all feeling you joy - so feel free to post them as long as you want to! If you are going to 'drop in on me' it will quite a long drop since your profile says you are in the The South and I am in the Extreme South (at the bottom of the world) but drop away!

By the way, I have always loved the Poor Clares and especially their habit - it is so simple and so beautiful. If I weren't a Carmelite (and I were young enough) I would love to be a Poor Clare.

[VeniJesuAmorMi]

[quote name='emmaberry101' timestamp='1351630719' post='2500488']
I tried on 'my' postulant outfit! I also got my list! I don't think I need help finding anything, as I already have most of the stuff I need. (Yay for that!):
[img]https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-exUixnn2Big/UJA-POLjpnI/AAAAAAAAAbg/11-Y0f46zIA/s512/list%2520edited.jpg[/img]

[/quote]

This is really exciting, Emmaberry! Its so nice that you share your joy about your soon to be entrance. Its one of the best parts of coming to Vocation Station to rejoice with others over their discernment. I think it makes others excited for what could be coming for them too!

May God reward you for sharing (and the others who do also!)