No Greater Love dvd

[MarysLittleFlower]

I saw a bit of the DVD.. Has anyone else? one thing I'm wondering is why do some of the Sisters have modified habits and some have the traditional habits? I assume its something about the specific community? 

[marigold]

I was given a copy of it and have watched it several times. I am also acquainted with a couple of people from the community. They decided to compromise on the veils, so the sisters who wanted to keep the full ones did, and the ones who wanted to adapt to the new one did that. It was agreed that the new sisters coming in would wear the new veil, so it would phase in over time. They did make an exception for one new sister who was used to wearing the full veil.

Personally I think it speaks to a great trust and flexibility that a community would agree to compromise like that.

[katherineH]

I hadn't heard of this documentary before, will pick it up from my library today. Thanks for sharing

[MarysLittleFlower]

Ooh I see.. Thank you! I'm just curious why the new veil is preferred in this case? My understanding is that the modified veil is typical for more active orders whereas many contemplative orders have the traditional veil... This is like an exception? (If its not public information about this community, don't have to share it, I'm just wondering in general about any community :)). To be honest I do like the traditional veils myself - its like being hidden with Our Lord as its more over the face.

[Nunsuch]

MLF, in the US, you do realize that most communities don't wear any veils at all? And that even some contemplatives don't? So it varies tremendously from congregation to congregation. And in quite a number, the habit (or not) and the veil (or not) is up to the individual. 

[MarysLittleFlower]

I guess this is a pretty subjective reason but one of the reasons this is sort of new for me is because I'm looking at communities that do wear full habits and veils, not because of that, but because they typically have other things I'm looking for (like a very traditional liturgy and for Carmelites, the 1990 Constitutions). Very subjective but that's one of the reasons I had this question so I'm not very familiar with communities with no habits or veils just from my own discernment 

[veritasluxmea]

4 hours ago, MarysLittleFlower said:

Ooh I see.. Thank you! I'm just curious why the new veil is preferred in this case? My understanding is that the modified veil is typical for more active orders whereas many contemplative orders have the traditional veil... 

That is how it usually plays out but there's no hard and fast rule, like Nunsuch pointed out. It depends on the community. 

[orapronobis]

7 hours ago, MarysLittleFlower said:

Ooh I see.. Thank you! I'm just curious why the new veil is preferred in this case? My understanding is that the modified veil is typical for more active orders whereas many contemplative orders have the traditional veil... This is like an exception? (If its not public information about this community, don't have to share it, I'm just wondering in general about any community :)). To be honest I do like the traditional veils myself - its like being hidden with Our Lord as its more over the face.

The "mixing" of veils seems to be a common trend among British Carmels, I just think that the 1991 Carmels in this country may have reached a consensus as a federation that they should phase out the traditional veil- Rather like how the Carmels of St. Joseph in America have agreed as a federation to employ the Rule as written by St. Teresa as closely as possible.

I'm not an expert on this though, this is simply my guess  

[marigold]

9 hours ago, MarysLittleFlower said:

Ooh I see.. Thank you! I'm just curious why the new veil is preferred in this case? My understanding is that the modified veil is typical for more active orders whereas many contemplative orders have the traditional veil... This is like an exception? (If its not public information about this community, don't have to share it, I'm just wondering in general about any community :)). To be honest I do like the traditional veils myself - its like being hidden with Our Lord as its more over the face.

That's something you'd have to ask them.

I am with you on the full veils. For us, there is just no question of changing ours - we like them the way they are and there is no movement to change anything about the way we dress. It works for us. And I know that you qualified your statement by saying that a full veil often goes along with other things you're interested in. Someone on here once said that the way to test a choice, either of spouse or community, is to consider them old, toothless, penniless, needing help going to the bathroom etc., ... or for communities, living in an ugly decrepit flat instead of a beautiful monastery, in t-shirts and jeans instead of a habit with 'full coverage', with no money and nothing going for them in a worldly sense. The person or community you'd still want to be with when they have nothing attractive is the one for you.

You're in Ole Canadia so I don't know if you're considering this community. But as far as I can give a seal of approval to a community in a different church*, they have mine. Why? Because they don't care what people think about them, and they are super dedicated to their life of prayer. Which is what you will be doing if you become a contemplative nun. Literally praying becomes your whole life. 'Pray and die', as the monastic saying goes. With that in mind, it's more important to choose based on prayer life, whether you can see yourself growing in prayer with a group of women when you're 40 and feeling the squeeze of not bearing children, 55 and have other interests you want to pursue, 70 and things are starting to creak and hurt... Prayer life above even liturgy or constitutions. There are a lot of things you find you can put up with if that's in place

I don't know why I've ended up typing out this whole thing, as I know you're bright enough to question your own motives for things, and I don't think you'll follow some whim of what you think's more attractive. Maybe I'm writing it for myself. Anyway write to Notting Hill if you've got more questions, or ask Mags to pass them on for you!   

 

 

* because I don't know everything about you guys, not because I think I'm above you.

[graciandelamadrededios]

The 1991 Constitutions has provisions to adopt the headdress according the needs of each sister.  The 1990 Constitutions stipulated that toque, wimples, and full veils has to be worn by each sister as it was prescribed by St. Teresa.

The "mixed" veil is also common in the Philippines, the chapter of each monastery are free to decide what type of veils to be worn.

 

 

For more information about 1990 and 1991 Constitutions, please pm me.  Thanks!

[vee]

I have not watched the full DVD but only a couple of clips and had wondered about the difference in veils myself.  My guess was that perhaps a Carmel with too few sisters to sustain itself had to close and the remaining sisters went there.  From what I understand from this thread though they simply voted on it.