enclosed life

[Butterfly]

Dear Phatmass-readers,

I know that a lot of you have tried or live a contemplative-enclosed life. I would love to deepen this aspect of my vocation and I know that beside my active ministry I have also an contemplative desire, but something is hindering me from living it or I simply don't know how to express or to establish it in my life. I tried often to reduce the contact to outside, to pray more in a contemplative way but I never find really peace with it although I have a great desire for that since many years. By the way i am a very extroverted person, I take my responsibilities very serious, I "know" how to live, so don't want to escape from something. It is more like a "the contemplative dimension is missing in my life" I find the contemplative way really affascinating and I promptly understand the importance of silence, of contemplation of exploring the freedom of being really focused on God. But I must also say that in my head there are voices, who are saying: But isn't it very selfish? You can't let alone all your beloves (in fact there are not alone and I don't let them alone, so my thinking is a little bit unrealistic). i can't express it more clear. Maybe you can help me? Please give me an insight in your thoughts; thank you

Butterfly

[Sr Mary Catharine OP]

Butterfly, I think you are confusing ENCLOSED with CONTEMPLATIVE and CONTEMPLATIVE with CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER.

Enclosure is a GRACE given to us by the Church. It is really creating an "artificial" dessert or wilderness so that one can live ones life more directly focused on God. It is NOT an escape. In fact, it can be a place of great struggle much as Jacob wrestled with the angel. One may initially think she is entering cloistered life for herself but very quickly she finds that in fact she is engaged in this particular type of life for others.
I find it interesting that the question of "selfishness" is posed so quickly in regard to the cloistered life when 99% of peoples lives are lived according to what they want (pretty much) and yet no one says, "That is selfish."

Being extroverted or introverted really has nothing to do with whether one can live the cloistered life. It is a GRACE given by God. Extroverted or Functional Extroverts tend to have an easier time of it, actually.

This "contemplative dimension" or "contemplative way" is a very modern thing. I'm not exactly sure what it means to be honest. Infused contemplative prayer is a gift of God. We can't "MAKE" it happen. But we can exercise (as in create a good habit) a contemplative approach very simply. Just putting yourself before God and gazing on him in Love is contemplation. You might not feel anything, you might even be bored! But in the depths of your soul God is working on you. IF we truly love God we will be present to Him BECAUSE of who he is not for what we get out of it.

Don't force it. Don't try to be something you're not supposed to be. On the other hand don't be afraid if God is calling you to something you're not quite comfortable with yet. Trust Him in patience.

After living enclosed for almost 25 years I have to say that it is a wonderful gift and freedom given to us by the Church!

[MarysLittleFlower]

Butterfly, welcome to phatmass! I'm having a bit of a difficulty understanding what you mean.. Do you mean that you are discerning to be a contemplative nun (like a Carmelite) or that you are a lay person living in the world who wants to pray more?

In the first case there is an enclosure.. In the second case, - what I've found helpful as a person in the world is following a rule with my spiritual director. It includes a schedule and a way of life and really structures your life well including times of prayer. I don't know if you have a spiritual director but this could be really helpful. We can try to fit in more prayer with daily Mass, Adoration if possible and vocal prayer, but also mental prayer.

Do you mean also that you would like to do more mental prayer? Contemplative prayer is a part of this... But it is a grace, as Sr Mary Catherine said. The way to dispose yourself to it is spend time in mental prayer and do meditation, and eventually meditation leads to contemplation but it is a gift that only happens if and when God wants.

Meditation is reflecting on Scripture or the truths of the faith and making resolutions from it, and contemplation is when you've 'found' God and spending time with Him. Both are mental prayer. 

Probably you already do mental prayer. I did it before I knew what it is. Maybe you do contemplation too but aren't sure how to make it a bigger part of your life. Here I would recommend following a daily schedule discussed with a good priest who knows you.

I would also recommend the book Soul of the Apostolate which is available from TAN publishers - its a great book about the importance of the interior life in an active ministry and how to find it largely through mental prayer. Another book is called Ways of Mental Prayer also by TAN which outlines how to do meditation and the different types of contemplation (acquired and infused).

Mental prayer or contemplative prayer is not at all selfish. Not only does it transform the active life and keeps it safe from error and subtle reliance on human effort, it is also a way of loving God. Is it selfish to love God?  Of course not!

I was taught, our first duty is to help ourselves reach holiness. We can't reach it without much prayer. This is doing God's Will too. Its important to help others, but helping them without a strong interior prayer life is less effective. St John Vianney helped many convert not through his own efforts alone but by God working through him, and he got there through much prayer and union with God. Jesus wants to live in and through us.. Helping others is important for growth because it demonstrates charity and so its a way to be more holy. But this needs to be based on a union with God found in a deep prayer life - otherwise we are more social workers than saints.

 It is not selfish i think because Jesus wants it and really it comforts Him when we let Him act in us in mental prayer. There is much He wants to give us that we receive in this way, and learn to listen to Him, and love Him... Make it about Him, not you only, and then for sure it won't be selfish for example, Jesus is always alone in churches. We can go and spend time with Him to honour Him there. Hope this helps a bit, God bless you!

Just to add, in addition to cloistered religious life or being a person in the world with a Rule of life, there are also people in the world who live sort of like hermits or recluses. This is more 'contemplative' than the lay people with a Rule. 

As another example, there are members of Third Orders like St Catherine or St Rose, who weren't hermits but lived a very hidden prayerful life in the world while also doing acts of charity. However discerning all this should be done with much prayer and spiritual direction  

Edited August 17, 2015 by MarysLittleFlower

[Gabriela]

It is really creating an "artificial" dessert...

You mean like making a pie with vegetables in it and calling it "dessert"?

Sorry. I couldn't resist!

[End hijack.]

[Sr Mary Catharine OP]

You mean like making a pie with vegetables in it and calling it "dessert"?

Sorry. I couldn't resist!

[End hijack.]

DESERT!

An artificial dessert is Mock Apple Pie with Ritz Crackers!
Does ANYONE ever make that any more!

[Feankie]

I made it once for my kids when they were little (I'm a fossil, so that was decades ago!).  It didn't fool them for a second.  However, I did make an "apple" pie for my husband with zucchini instead of apples.  He loved it and didn't even realize it wasn't apples.  So much for being a brilliant doctor