The Struggle/The Continuation

[BarbTherese]

Read the following - had a giggle - and then lost it.  I have re found it and some funny and down to earth stories from the noviciate and one professed sister:

Quote

 

http://sistersofthegoodshepherd.com/call/

The Struggle

There are stories about the struggle. One of our contemplative sisters had a car and on the day of her entrance into the community she parked her car under a tree outside the wall behind the convent. Anytime she wanted or needed to see her car she would go to a second floor window and look at it.

Another story is about a novice who often experienced great desires to leave the novitiate.  At such times she would go to her formator to tell her.  Each time she would find herself saying that she had a headache and did the formator have an aspirin. Eventually the novice had a line of aspirin sitting on her window sill.

Sharon O’Grady, RGS, has worked in a number of Good Shepherd Ministries that help women and girls overcome addictions, homelessness, domestic violence and life’s challenges. The ministries have led her into deeper experiences of the Good Shepherd’s love for each and every person.

When I was growing up in the fifties, a movie star by the name of Dolores Hart — a young Grace Kelly lookalike who had a blooming career and was engaged to be married — went off to a Benedictine convent and became a contemplative religious.

She is now the Prioress and was recently interviewed on 20/20. (You can find the interview on YouTube).  When asked if she ever thought about leaving during the novitiate, she responded “At least seven times a day.”

 

The Continuation

Another point about the Call is that it did not occur years ago.  It continues. It wakes us up each morning, moving us away from needing to see the car, moving us beyond our lines of aspirin and away from that great Dolores Hart career — away from the many things that divide our hearts.