SilentJoy Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 I have a Labrador-complex; I need to take care of people, be with them, protect them, serve them, and have a job to do. (I also hear what people say but not always what they don't say -- for example, if the dog is in the room and grownups are talking, they have to spell out certain words like W-A-L-K so that the dog doesn't get excited and think he's been promised something; this can make human interaction a little more difficult than it has to be, especially since Labradors aren't used to talking much anyway.) I went on a live-in at a Carmelite monastery (they don't accept Labradors) and while I was there I noticed that one of my primary desires for entering that community was to take care of the Sisters. I wanted to be a Sister, of course, but mostly I just wanted to live with the Eucharist and serve the Sisters. I am wondering if that is just my personality or if it is actually a signal of a more specific vocation. Is this something that an Extern might possibly do? I know that communities have Externs but I've never heard anything about discerning that particular vocation; I only hear about discerning the cloister itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pia Jesu Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 What a "dog-gone" good question, Silent Joy! The extern vocation is one of beautiful service and yes, it may seem to appear as secondary to a cloistered/monastic call--but is so important! There is an excellent article--written in April--about the externs at the Monastery of the Blessed Sacrament (Farmington Hills, Michigan) at: http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20140412/NEWS06/304120015/cloistered-dominican-nuns-farmington-hills-embrace-a-life-of-prayer-adoration-service/ The Dominican's website is: http://www.opnuns-fh.org/ Please know that they have 3 dogs--and one is a Lab! God bless you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlySunshine Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 (edited) I have a Labrador complex, too, because I'm an ISFJ (the Protector/Guardian). I discerned with a couple of Carmelite monasteries before realizing I wasn't called to a cloistered life. When I asked about externs, I was told they were reserved usually for the older vocations and that one preferably had to have an extroverted personality. I'm introverted and like silence so I don't think that would work for me. One monastery told me that their externs greet guests and answer phone calls. They are members of the community but usually pray on the public side of the chapel. They do not take the vow of enclosure. They are able to drive the other Sisters to doctor's appointments, if necessary. Mostly, they are apart from the community except for rest and supper in the refectory. This is just one monastery, though, and I don't know if it's the same for all. Edited April 19, 2014 by MaterMisericordiae Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlySunshine Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 Here are some websites that explain the extern Sisters better: http://lorettocarmel.org/content/extern-sisters-guardians-enclosure http://opnuns.org/formation/extern-vocation/ And an older thread: http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/topic/103556-extern-sisters/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sr Mary Catharine OP Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 It could be a sign of an extern vocation but an extern serves the community more by going OUT, phone, shopping, special masses, etc. A big part of monastic life is service to the community. At least from a Dominican perspective I would say that serving the sisters and being with the Lord sums it up quite well. The Augustinian approach to monastic life sees the community as vitally necessary in our life of communion with God. If you want, please email me and perhaps we could talk if you'd want to. BTW, in most Dominican monasteries (including mine) the extern sisters fully live with the community and live the life of the nuns as much as possible, including participation in the government of the community, choir, etc. A blessed Easter! Sister Mary Catharine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krissylou Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 I saw this and thought of someone, hmmm, I think it was FaithCecilia who was talking about her monastery and their dog and he would play around in the enclosure garden even though "the dog is an extern." (Explanation: the main purpose of the dog was to keep the extern company.) I'm not sure what breed that dog was but maybe he's a labrador. And that dog has an extern vocation! However, you are not a dog so that is utterly different. :) Anyhoo. What I have picked up is that monasteries vary a lot as to how integrated the extern sisters are with the rest of the community. Sometimes they are quite separated off and live in a little apartment outside the enclosure. (Hence getting the extern dog to keep the extern human company. I could be totally misunderstanding but I think the extern dog went inside the enclosure a whole lot more often than the extern human did.) FOR ME (and you are not me) that idea of being neither-fish-nor-fowl seems quite difficult. In other monasteries the externs are much more integrated with the rest of the community. When someone needs to go out, the extern is the one who does it. And that will sometimes mean she misses some prayers that day -- that's fine because that's her vocation. But there are days when there isn't a need for anyone to go out and if you don't happen to be going out that day then your life looks quite like the choir nuns. I'm not trying to say either way is better or worse -- but be very very clear what sort of thing you're talking about early in the discernment process with any given monastery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilentJoy Posted April 22, 2014 Author Share Posted April 22, 2014 be very very clear what sort of thing you're talking about early in the discernment process with any given monastery. Um...you thought I knew what I was talking about? :hehe2: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilentJoy Posted April 22, 2014 Author Share Posted April 22, 2014 Thanks, everyone, for taking the time to respond! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beatitude Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 I saw this and thought of someone, hmmm, I think it was FaithCecilia who was talking about her monastery and their dog and he would play around in the enclosure garden even though "the dog is an extern." (Explanation: the main purpose of the dog was to keep the extern company.) I'm not sure what breed that dog was but maybe he's a labrador. And that dog has an extern vocation! He's not a lab. I'm not sure what he is (a mixture of everything?!) but I do know that he is certainly a sociable and gregarious personality and when I tried to get from the guesthouse to the chapel in the middle of the night he nearly frightened the life out of me by rushing up in the dark and inserting his wet nose into my palm. The extern sister, on the other hand, is always more decorous in how she greets people. :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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