sr.christinaosf Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 "Christmas in the convent" this year was interesting for me... kept me on my toes. Decorating chapel and having tons of people here for our Mass...coming down with a little cold...going to Midnight Mass at the local parish...working as personal care aide in the evening, not a dull moment! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AveMariaPurissima Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 I'm torn because I really want to ask the Sisters what Christmas is like in the convent and what they do to celebrate, but I also wonder if it would be better to keep it a surprise if that is indeed where God is calling me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spem in alium Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 4 hours ago, marigold said: I am having such a wonderful Christmas at home, but there's the thought in the back of my head that I can't wait for (God willing) next year, when I can experience it in the monastery. Glad you are having a good one I pray for you to be able to experience that. Glad you are enjoying yours too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikita92 Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 12 days of vegetables scares me!! I'm not a big vegetable eater... Peas and onions especially! I can't imagine only having them to eat day after day!! Salads no problem though! Lol For the enclosed contemplatives... how do they manage to "gift" their sisters?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sr Mary Catharine OP Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 8 hours ago, nikita92 said: 12 days of vegetables scares me!! I'm not a big vegetable eater... Peas and onions especially! I can't imagine only having them to eat day after day!! Salads no problem though! Lol For the enclosed contemplatives... how do they manage to "gift" their sisters?? We don't. At least we don't here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sr Mary Catharine OP Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 1 hour ago, Sr Mary Catharine OP said: We don't. At least we don't here. I hit the enter key too soon and got called away. We choose by drawing, the name of another sisters at the beginning of Advent and our gift is to pray for her especially. We can do hidden, (sneaky) little charities, etc. but we decided not to do gifts. Partly because by our vow of poverty we don't have anything. We all have little do-dads (or as the English say, bits and pieces) given to us that we may keep but usually we keep those to give to someone for a special feast day, or for some special reason to someone outside the monastery. For example, one year I received a really lovely tiny crucifix on a chain but someone who thought I could wear it under my tunic. I saved it and got permission to give it my niece for her graduation. I think most of us like to do the female thing: baking or cooking something special for a sister for her feast day or birthday, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikita92 Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 Make do with what you have as they say! Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pia Jesu Posted December 28, 2015 Share Posted December 28, 2015 Christmas and New Year blessings to all! I'd like to post this before the Solemnity of Mary...so, I'll frame it (a little) like the poem, "The Night before Christmas"... 'Twas the night before Christmas when all through the (mother) house, not a creature (nun) was stirring...except for me, a very homesick postulant. Instead of being "nestled all snug in my bed" with visions of being a white-veiled novice-soon-to-be-a-Bride-of-Christ in my head, I gazed outside my third-floor window onto a nearby freeway...wishing I was heading to Starbuck's (for a latte) in my old Toyota! Lo and behold, I heard a knock on my door. It wasn't St. Nick...but my postulant mistress asking me if I would please go down to the chapel and help decorate the creche and Christmas trees! Someone had obviously told the provincial council that I had an "artistic eye." The holiday homesickness disappeared--along with the insecurities of getting used to (mostly forgetting) the many rules and rituals of religious life--of not feeling fully integrated into community life, of communal prayer, (lots) of cleaning, classes, etc. I dressed, headed downstairs only to find one junior professed sister and all of the council members working in the sanctuary! We worked until 1:30am...when (wonderfully!) our Mother Superior brought us all a plate of cookies and milk! I felt truly at home. With what the sisters called "good" tiredness, I went back to the novitiate thinking only of Psalm 27...simply, "One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life..." So, again...as the poem ends (and St. Nicholas says) "Happy Christmas to all and to all a Good Night!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vee Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vee Posted December 29, 2015 Share Posted December 29, 2015 Btw that Carmel is in Iceland! http://www.karmel.is/eng/index.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marigold Posted December 29, 2015 Author Share Posted December 29, 2015 10 hours ago, Pia Jesu said: Christmas and New Year blessings to all! I'd like to post this before the Solemnity of Mary...so, I'll frame it (a little) like the poem, "The Night before Christmas"... 'Twas the night before Christmas when all through the (mother) house, not a creature (nun) was stirring...except for me, a very homesick postulant. Instead of being "nestled all snug in my bed" with visions of being a white-veiled novice-soon-to-be-a-Bride-of-Christ in my head, I gazed outside my third-floor window onto a nearby freeway...wishing I was heading to Starbuck's (for a latte) in my old Toyota! Lo and behold, I heard a knock on my door. It wasn't St. Nick...but my postulant mistress asking me if I would please go down to the chapel and help decorate the creche and Christmas trees! Someone had obviously told the provincial council that I had an "artistic eye." The holiday homesickness disappeared--along with the insecurities of getting used to (mostly forgetting) the many rules and rituals of religious life--of not feeling fully integrated into community life, of communal prayer, (lots) of cleaning, classes, etc. I dressed, headed downstairs only to find one junior professed sister and all of the council members working in the sanctuary! We worked until 1:30am...when (wonderfully!) our Mother Superior brought us all a plate of cookies and milk! I felt truly at home. With what the sisters called "good" tiredness, I went back to the novitiate thinking only of Psalm 27...simply, "One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life..." So, again...as the poem ends (and St. Nicholas says) "Happy Christmas to all and to all a Good Night!" This is the loveliest thing on this thread so far Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4LoveofJMJ Posted December 30, 2015 Share Posted December 30, 2015 (edited) This was a question that kept coming to me this Christmas much to my surprise. I have been trying not to think about the idea of religious life lately since I wanted to take a break from discerning and focus on my family, my friends, and my job. The idea of belonging completely to God, living under His roof so to speak on the eve of His birth just made my heart fill with peace and joy. This idea usually tends to pop up at this time of the year. I don't know if I'm over romanticizing this or not but I don't doubt it's special. Edited December 30, 2015 by 4LoveofJMJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marigold Posted December 30, 2015 Author Share Posted December 30, 2015 17 hours ago, 4LoveofJMJ said: This was a question that kept coming to me this Christmas much to my surprise. I have been trying not to think about the idea of religious life lately since I wanted to take a break from discerning and focus on my family, my friends, and my job. The idea of belonging completely to God, living under His roof so to speak on the eve of His birth just made my heart fill with peace and joy. This idea usually tends to pop up at this time of the year. I don't know if I'm over romanticizing this or not but I don't doubt it's special. Sigh, I know... I am not usually very fluffy or romantic but Christmas in the convent just seems idyllic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now