Spirituality Type

[Count Claydus]

Hello? May one describe my spirituality type and order, such as Benedictine, Jesuit, Franciscan...

Description: I am heavily introverted, I like solemn prayer, community life, mass and study. I believe the study of God and his creation leads towards union with him. I love silence, cloisters, books. My favorite saints are Sts. Gregory the Great, Thomas Aquinas, and John the Apostle. I love the rosary and scripture reading. May someone describe my spirituality type?

[Swami Mommy]

Trappistine, perhaps?  Benedictine would be my second choice, although hospitality is a strong component of their charism and if you are introverted you may not like bumping into random weekend visitors staying in guest houses on retreat.

That being said, an oyster needs the irritant of a grain of sand to create a pearl.  In like manner, if we have a natural tendency in ourselves that is very strong, it is sometimes helpful to be placed in situations that push the edge of our boundaries a bit and to ‘go against type’.  For example, you mention that your interests are more mind-oriented.  To balance that out, in a monastery setting you may be assigned more physical, outdoorsy work just to bring your attention back into your body and to ground you more.  Or, if you are very introverted, you may be asked to assume a more public responsibility like doing the readings at Mass or greeting congregants at the exit afterwards if there is a local community Mass offered.  It’s easy to feel spiritual when life feeds and supports our natural inclinations, but sometimes the truest level of spiritual maturity is best assessed by seeing if we can keep or hearts open even in what we would consider to be hellish circumstances that force us to grow beyond our comfort zone.

Edited October 21, 2019 by Swami Mommy

[JHFamily]

When I read "heavily introverted", that immediately brings a question mark to my mind.  All communities will require a person to be able to fully participate in recreation and community life.  If heavily introverted means that you cannot do this, then I would say that you need to overcome that first.  However, if heavily introverted means that you are awkward around strangers and would rather avoid parties but enjoy visiting with those you know, then I would say this won't be a problem. I'm assuming the latter described you in that you are attracted to community life.

Solemn prayer, community life, Mass, the Rosary, and the reading of Scripture are common to most cloistered communities.  Benedictines have a special emphasis on the Office and Lectio Divina (scripture reading with meditation).  Dominicans are often thought of as having a special devotion to the Rosary and tend to study more than the average.  Carmelites emphasize contemplative prayer and solitude (though they still have recreation and sometimes need to work with others!).   The Franciscans are more penitential and have a great love for nature.  You mentioned attractions that belong to all of these!  But which draws you the most?

[beatitude]

Be careful not to fall into the trap of viewing different spiritualities/charisms as like filing cabinets - e.g. "If I tick all these boxes, then I file myself with the Dominicans." No one's spiritual life works like that. The truth is that there will be individuals in every single religious order who would tell you that they love books, the rosary, Scripture, studying, and so on. Bl. Titus Brandsma and St Edith Stein were both academics who studied and wrote prolifically, and they weren't Dominicans, they were Carmelites.

The best (in fact, the only) way to discern is to get in dialogue with some religious communities, develop a relationship with them, and let yourself be guided by the question, "Could being here teach me to love God and neighbour to the fullest?" You will only be able to answer that in dialogue with a specific community - you won't find an answer online, or by reading up on different spiritualities and charisms. If only you're guided by this question, then everything else will fall into place.

[Count Claydus]

Yes, that is my problem. I love to study very much and like a few Dominican saints such as Aquinas and Albertus Magnus, but I am attracted to them because of their theology, not their preaching. Is there a contemplative order which places it’s attention to study, contemplation, and prayer. 

I have a certain attraction to medieval monasteries in which they said all the divine office and had a solemn mass, but where they also put much emphasis on writing, reading, and studying. 

[nikita92]

 Putting all your *different* eggs (interests) in one basket, are not going to exactly fit the design of that basket. Take time to explore each specific community! God will ultimately let you know where you belong.

[Luigi]

Trappists, sure as shamrocks grow in Ireland! Lots of silence, communal prayer (7 times a day, and you can include the rosary), Lectio Divino (scripture reading & reflection), community life, and nature (outdoor work).

But each monastery - Trappists included - has its own emphasis and character. Thus, Beatitude's caveat not to check the boxes and narrow your choice to a guaranteed correct answer. There are currently 10 Trappist monasteries (of monks - 5 of nuns) in the US, each with their own 'flava' depending on where they are, the . http://www.trappists.org/our-monasteries/

If you're in another country, check out www.ocso.org

But there's also a Benedictine monastery in New York that raises sheep, harvests the wool, hosts knitting retreats, and so forth. Same deal as the Trappists except they have communal prayer 4 times a day. Again, see Beatitude's caveat.

The only way to figure it out is - as she said - meet & greet, get to know them, let them get to know you, see the lay of the land, large community or small community, find out what kind of work they do (grow mushrooms? grow grapes? build caskets? bake? write books? - all of them host retreats to some extent or another).

Everybody who has responded has good advice. WORD!

 

Edited October 21, 2019 by Luigi

[Nunsuch]

Keep in mind that all orders require their members to take a vow of obedience. You don't enter religious life to do things "your way." Even an order that emphasizes study, or contemplation, or silence, may ask you to perform ministries or jobs that you would not choose for yourself. [Even Trappists have guestmasters/mistresses, and increasingly work alongside secular "helpers."] Are you willing to put your preferences second to the will of God and the vows? If not, then you are not called to this form of life. 

[gloriana35]

I agree with everyone here that you would need to have contact with particular communities. I know it can be very difficult to find sound spiritual direction, but I very much hope you do. 

By 'heavily introverted', do you mean that in the sense of being one whose primary source of energy is ideas, rather than contact with others, or that you find it extremely difficult to deal with others? (Believe me, there is a difference. I am one of the friendliest people on earth, yet I'm one whom the Myer Briggs test would class as very introverted.)

[Count Claydus]

I can speak when needed, but I’d rather read the Summa than work in a soup kitchen. The Briggs Test lists me consistently as an INTP. I have a few problems with that system, but it does have a few benefits. Yes, I am more of a talker for utility, shy and doubtful of myself, I don’t speak much before others... unless we are talking about the Patristics or the Scholastics.