New Jersey Poor Clare Receives Habit!

[Nunsuch]

Blessings to Sister Lydia.

http://monasteryhappenings.blogspot.com/2015/01/january-12-2015-sister-lydia-receives.html

 

[Makarioi]

How nice! It appears that this community accepts belated vocations.

[Carla]

Beautiful many prayers for them. :saint2:

[Jennifer]

Many prayers for Sr. Lydia  and all at St Clare's Monastery.

Thank you for sharing this lovely news.

[Obonitas!]

Congratulations!

On their website they wrote:

Sister Lydia received the Poor Clare habit today after one year as a Postulant. Sister Miriam and all the Sisters voted on Sister Lydia to receive the habit and Sister Miriam, the Abbess, gave her the habit today in the name of our patroness, Saint Clare. The Tradition goes on for as Saint Clare says in chapter II of her rule," If any one, moved by Divine inspiration, should come to us wishing to embrace the life, the Abbess is bound to ask the consent of all the Sisters, and the person having despised the world with all its pomps and pleasures, and following in the footsteps of Christ and His most Holy Mother, chooses to live in Highest Poverty and in enclosure in order that she may be free to minster to God, - let her live this life together in community with all the Sisters. (End)

Seeing this part of St. Clare's rule sort of shocked me. Why are there so many restrictions, namely age. I really hate it when I see the term "belated vocation." Were Sarah and Elizabeth belated mothers to Isaac and John the Baptist? No. God gave them the children they desired when HE wanted to, in His time. Why don't we follow St. Clare's Rule? Where is the Holy Spirit in allowing women to test their vocation?

I would love to hear thoughts on this.

Thanks.

Edited for a typo. You might find more! It's late!

Edited January 15, 2015 by Obonitas!

[marigold]

Hi, Obonitas! Haven't seen you before, so welcome! :)

 

And I can sympathise with your reaction. Part of me wants to be like, 'Anyone should be able to enter a monastery!' and I used to be quite critical (hopefully in the privacy of my own thoughts) of all the different communities' regulations I'd read about on here. But... I can also see why they have them. If a community is going to take you on for life, then it has to a) know it can support your needs, b) be confident that you moving in will contribute to the harmony and good future of the community. I'm inclined to think that those two factors play a more important role than just ageism (not ruling that out though). I know a sister in her 50s who was turned away from one monastery because the abbess was selecting younger women in order to secure the future of the community. Was it a bit harsh, yes, but it was the abbess's prerogative - responsibility, actually - to do what she considered best for the monastery. I think the way forward is to have more monasteries with a range of capabilities and resources...

[brandelynmarie]

One monastery I had written to replied that of all the forty & over postulants they have had, not one persevered. Mother Prioress said that if I felt the Holy Spirit was really pulling for me to be with them, I could write them again. I sort of took this as a "thanks but no thanks" response to my inquiry. :blush: I also took it to mean that it was not in His Will for me to be there either! ;)

Edited January 15, 2015 by brandelynmarie