Dad Doesn't Want To "lose" Daughter To Convent

[Gabriela]

I just read this at vocation.com (http://www.vocation.com/QandAItem.aspx?id=5458&terms=mark) and thought it might interest some of those PMers concerned about their parents' reaction to religious life:

 

 

 

I don't want to lose my daughter to the convent. What do I do?

Mark asks:

My daughter is 15 and she is so spiritual. Ever since day 1 and she always reads spiritual books and goes to mass twice a day and makes holy hours and goes to healing mases and is always asking really, really deep questions! About a week ago she said she feels like she our Lord is calling her to be a cloistered nun and she said it is like a real deep feeling especially after communion! She is so great I do not want to lose her to a convent. What do I do?

Dear Mark,

God has his ways and his times. The great challenge of every parent is to respect those times and those ways, continuing to take care of their children while giving them the freedom they need to blossom and find their own path. Usually this reaches fulfillment when they marry and set out to form their own family, but in you and your daughter's case it will be at the time of her spiritual marriage with Christ, and her dedication through prayer to her spiritual children.
There is something beautiful about your fear too, and I believe it has the potential of bringing you spiritually more close to your daughter than you ever thought possible and participating more closely in her vocation.

First, I would say you should bring to your prayer the same sincerity and love and attachment to your daughter, and express yourself to Christ in the same direct terms as you wrote your message to me. He had a mother who loved him and whom he loved with a human heart like I don't think anyone else is capable. He knows the price God sometimes asks of us to do his work. When you receive him in Communion, he is the one person who can understand your struggle.

Second, realize in prayer that it is Him she is choosing and He is the one you are giving her to. If you were walking her up the aisle to get married you would show her your love by walking proudly, your farewell kiss, your firm handshake to the man who was going to give himself to her, and love and cherish her as her husband. It would be all about her, and his, happiness. That is what you do spiritually when you give your daughter your blessing to consecrate her life to Christ, to become his Bride. So right away, given your attachment to her, that establishes a new relationship between you and Christ. You could say that your not only letting her go, but your willing to let her go, is key to the fullness of both their happiness. The happiness of both of them means so much to you that you give her away.

You might also want to read the life of St Therese, the Little Flower, to understand her vocation and grow in your own love for it.

God bless. Be sure of my prayers,

 

[ToJesusMyHeart]

and goes to mass twice a day and makes holy hours and goes to healing mases and is always asking really, really deep questions! 

Is this common? I didn't know it was normal to do this. Is it recommended? 

 

I would certainly like to receive Jesus twice a day, but I am unaware of the "rules" or normal suggestions for this. 

[FutureCarmeliteClaire]

Is this common? I didn't know it was normal to do this. Is it recommended?

I would certainly like to receive Jesus twice a day, but I am unaware of the "rules" or normal suggestions for this.

My understanding is twice a day is the max...

[ToJesusMyHeart]

My understanding is twice a day is the max...

 

You are correct my dear! :) I was wondering why there is a limit, and I found this: 

 

"It is the Church’s ancient discipline and practice that, except for very special occasions like Christmas and All Souls Day, her priests celebrate only one Mass a day. So august is God’s gift of the Eucharist, so important is the spiritual preparation for it, so careful and attentive must its celebration be, and so essential the thanksgiving to be made afterward as priests carry forth its grace to the rest of their ministry, that the multiplication of this central act in a priest’s daily life runs the risk of diminishing the value he places on it. Such a danger imperils the whole community of faith along with its priest. The law, therefore, is not an arbitrary one. It provides an essential means of fostering the holiness of the Church’s faithful."

 

I imagine that the lay faithful would run the same risk if they received Communion too many times each day.

 

The rest of the letter can be read at http://www.dioceseofscranton.org/Bishop's%20Pastoral%20Letters/MultipleMasses.asp

[Cherie]

Remember, though, even if she went to Mass twice every day, it doesn't mean she receives Holy Communion at both Masses. Attending Mass doesn't oblige you to receive Holy Communion; in fact, if you are not Catholic, are in mortal sin, or are otherwise not properly disposed, you should NOT receive Holy Communion, but are still welcome to attend. ;)

[Mary's Margaret]

I believe the teaching is that we are not to receive communion at two regular daily masses on the same day.  However, it is permissible to receive communion at a regular daily mass then again on the same day if you go to a funeral or wedding or vigil mass, and of course, should you become gravely ill, to receive communion with the anointing of the sick.  

[NonNovi]

I believe the teaching is that we are not to receive communion at two regular daily masses on the same day.

According to canon law you can receive communion twice a day if you attend two masses, no matter what kind of mass (so even 2 regular daily masses). In case of mortal danger you even could receive a thirth time (without the necessity of attending a mass), but that's of course an exceptional case.