Butterfly Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Hi! I was wondering if communities still use prayers for putting on the habit, the veil. I am working right now on the scriptures of our congregation and we had such official prayers in our old constitutiones. Some of our sisters pray them with the old words, some of them in a modified way. I was wondering if other communities still have such traditions and I would be interested in having examples for modern prayers. I know that many carmelites communities still use them. How was the use in your communities? Thank you Butterfly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catherine Therese Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 We most definitely had them in my former community (part of the broader Dominican family)... I dont have a copy of them, I'm sorry. I have a vague recollection ot the symbolism of each piece of the habit, but it has been too long since i prayed them regularly to be able to recall the words of the prayers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sr Mary Catharine OP Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 We have prayers only for putting on the veil and scapular. Scapular: Deign that I may praise you, holy Mother of God. Give me strength against thy enemies. Veil:He as placed a sign on my brow that I may admit no other lover but Him. Those are the 2 items that are blessed for the habit for Dominican Nuns. (Once I found myself praying the veil prayer while tying my shoes!) :unsure: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IteAdJoseph Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 (edited) In case anyone is wondering the source of the veil ejaculation that Sr Mary Catherine cites, it comes from Pseudo-Ambrose's Passion of St Agnes, Chapter 3, which you may find (in Latin) at PL xvii 735b. It was taken up as the second antiphon in the Matins of St Agnes. According to Martimort, the line also appeared as an antiphon in some medieval Masses for the Consecration of Virgins as well. The Latin reads: Posuit signum in faciam meam ut nullum praeter ipsum (or, eum) amatorem admittam. A beautiful depiction in art appears on the commemorative card of Sr. Celine's taking of the veil at the very bottom of the page here http://www.archives-carmel-lisieux.fr/english/carmel/septembre-1893/images/tous_les_pdf/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=379&Itemid=234 with a letter from the Little Flower to Sr. Genevieve on the dorso. Edited July 23, 2014 by IteAdJoseph Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catherine Therese Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 (edited) The two that Sr Mary Catharine said were quite similar to what we prayed for the scapular and veil, unsurprisingly, but not exactly the same. I also remember that when placing on the cape, we said something to the effect of "Make a clean heart in me, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." I think thats close, but not the exact words... its been a while. :) When placing on the belt it was a prayer to do with chastity. When placing on the tunic, it was something to do with clothing in a garment of purity I THINK.... I REALLY wish I could remember, now! Vexing ;) Edited July 23, 2014 by Catherine Therese Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sr Mary Catharine OP Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 CT we never had prayers for each item of the habit. Even for the clothing ceremony there wasn't anything. However, there is an old ceremonial from about the 14th c. that had something for each part of the habit when given during the ceremony. It's interesting you had a prayer for the cape since the Sisters took on the cape after they stopped wearing the coif. It's so interesting to see the changes of the Sisters' habits through the last century. The OP SIsters who came from Germany had a very tiny guimpe and then it got longer and longer. The American OP sisters had a sort of cape like guimpe and that got longer and longer into a "friar" cape with the coif separate (much easier for laundry!) I love the cape but the nuns never wore it so if we wore it would be vanity! Even the friars were accused of vanity in the early days as their hood "collar" (I don't know what it was called) got longer and into a cape. Considering how fabric was woven and how narrow fabric was in the middle ages it was probably considered against poverty as it would have meant a waste of fabric. The nuns were not allowed according to our constitutions to have the pleats that the SIsters have in their tunic. But I hear it's like having yards inside your belt! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fr. Antony Maria OSB Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 We have prayers when we put on our habit (Benedictine monks, so no veil for us ;) ): Tunic: Clothe me, Oh Lord, with the new man, who was created according to God, in justice and holiness of truth. Amen. Girdle: Gird me, Oh Lord, with the girdle of purity, and extinguish in my veins the passions of lust, that the virtues of continence and chastity may remain in me. Amen. Scapular: Oh Lord, Who has said "My yoke is easy, and My burden light," grant that I may carry it in such a manner as to obtain Thy grace. Amen. Capuch (hood): Enclose my head, Oh Lord, in the helmet of salvation, that I may overcome the attacks of the devil. Amen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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