Why Is Religious And/or Religious Life So Interesting?

[A Yearning Heart]

I'm fasinated about religious and religious life...not sure why....but looking at so many topics in the vocation forum i gather alot of you our there are as well...I was wondering why do we find religious nuns/priests and their lifestyles/ life stories are so interesting?
I thought you guys may have some thoughts to share...

[Gemma]

[quote name='A Yearning Heart' post='1430637' date='Dec 7 2007, 02:23 AM']I'm fasinated about religious and religious life...not sure why....but looking at so many topics in the vocation forum i gather alot of you our there are as well...I was wondering why do we find religious nuns/priests and their lifestyles/ life stories are so interesting?
I thought you guys may have some thoughts to share...[/quote]

The answer isn't easy.

Your PM ID may express it best: a yearning heart. As St. Augustine says, "Our hearts are restless until they rest in you, O Lord."

How we manage to get so far away from Him in the first place is perplexing. I was blessed with two parents who had great faith, but even my three sisters "took off on their own." I grew up Baptist, but due to encounters with Jesus and Mary, entered the Church at 16.

Sometimes our fascination with religious and religious life stems from Him calling us to Himself so that we will eventually belong to Him by way of the evangelical counsels.

Other times, He is drawing us to Himself through the catalyst of the religious life.

We are living in the time of the Culture of Death, which subverts everything that God set out for us to have as a means of finding Him. Our fascination with religious vocation stories helps us discover what He's doing in our own lives.

That's the purpose of discernment. Our vocational stories are as unique as our fingerprints. What works for one person's discernment will likely not work for another.

At any rate, the only thing a soul can do to know God's will is prayer: Mass, rosary, adoration, and scripture reading. Having a spiritual director is imperative. Forums like Phatmass are a tool.

HTH.

Blessings,
Gemma

[A Yearning Heart]

Thanks Gemma,
That's a great response. Plenty to think about.
God bless!

[Lena]

Maybe people are fascinated because it represents such a commitment, especially to remove one's self from the outside world (if you're cloistered), and all that's familiar. I find it fascinating to hear about the lives of nuns, because the structure of their lives is so radically different from my own. I don't like to romanticize, because I'm sure there are many hardships to endure.

[Starets]

the hardest part about living in cloister is that you live with the same fallible humans 24x7

[AccountDeleted]

[quote name='A Yearning Heart' post='1430637' date='Dec 7 2007, 12:23 AM']I'm fasinated about religious and religious life...not sure why....but looking at so many topics in the vocation forum i gather alot of you our there are as well...I was wondering why do we find religious nuns/priests and their lifestyles/ life stories are so interesting?
I thought you guys may have some thoughts to share...[/quote]



Well, habits are pretty cool to look at.


(Now, don't all jump down my throat - habits just are fascinating!)

I was fascinated with nuns long before I ever knew that I was yearning for God, or even knew that Catholicism was a religion! My neighbors were Catholic (my mother said we were "agnostics" but I didn't really know what that meant when I was very young) and at age 5, I used to sneak next door at dinner time to pray the rosary with them. They did this regular as clockwork every night. And the first time I saw a nun, I was with their family, and their daughter gave me all these rules about being with nuns (don't stare, don't touch your hair because they don't have any!, don't scratch yourself etc etc etc). Mind you, this was pre-Vatican II and the habits were fantastic for all nuns! I just thought they all looked like angels and with all these strange rules (yes, we can laugh now, but little kids are very confused about most things), well, these beautiful creatures belonged to God!

So, It's no wonder that most of my life I yearned to be just like these angels, even though it didn't occur to me at first that this could ever be possible. Then at age 24, I thought I would join Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity, and was graced to become a Catholic, but God had His own plans and way of doing things and religious life wasn't on His agenda for me at that time. Now I am 55 and still yearning for religious life. I guess I am just one of those "slow learners" - perhaps "spiritually challenged" is the right word for me?

Anyway, one thing I am absolutely certain of - God uses whatever He can to fascinate us, because He knows that the greatest good a soul can experience is to be in love with Him. And He isn't shy about using whatever it takes to seduce each soul, whether we end up as religious or not. Religious life is just another weapon in His arsenal of love!

[praxedes]

Fabulous banner, whoever creates these things...Andy fo' posterity, I am referring ta' tha' April Fool's banner.

+

I would like ta' answer your question.

I believe "religious life" iz a tangible expression oven 'dat which we AARRGGH!!! ALL called ta' live...a life oven holiness, total surrender ta' God, Andy an ever deepening relationship wit' Him Andy all 'dat He iz.

We often see tha' Church, Andy our Triune God as described (if a description iz possible) as all 'dat iz life, love, truth, goodness Andy beauty. We, as a people Andy a Church, got given tha' world these gifts in corporeal ways.

tha' beauty oven tha' habit - a "real" habit, 'dat iz - iz breathtaking. It iz a profound, deep archetypal beauty 'dat touches tha' very recesses oven our souls. Andy as we encounter 'dis profound beauty, we respond - consciously or not - Andy 'dis response carries wit' it tha' desire ta' know more, a yearning, an ache, a longing ta' fully understand ninja what!? habbo been touched within us. ninja what!? iz 'dis? we ask, Andy like it wuzzup pointed out above, our hearts will not rest until vey rest in Him. (Augustine oven Hippo)

I know many oven YOU!!! here got watched "Into Great Silence." I would invite YOU!!! ta' watch it again, Andy 'dis time, just take in tha' sheer beauty oven not only tha' Charterhouse, but tha' archetypal imagery found in tha' monks' habits. A simpler exercise would be ta' find tha' thread in here on habits Andy look at tha' pictures, Andy reflect - almost like a visual Lectio Divina, as it were - on ninja what!? your response iz.

In closing, I would like ta' add 'dat aside from tha' profound beauty oven tha' habit from tha' archetypal perspective, I believe tha' habit mirrors tha' very response we encounter from Mother Church. By tha' habit, tha' cowl, tha' mantle -we AARRGGH!!! enclosed. We AARRGGH!!! comforted, we AARRGGH!!! wrapped (in love), we AARRGGH!!! secure. We AARRGGH!!! in community ... fo' in dressing alike, we become lost in our individuality Andy strengthened by our sameness. We learn ta' love one another not fo' our fine wardrobe or tha' fabulous figure, but fo' tha' shining eyes 'dat sparkle wit' love Andy tha' tender smile 'dat comes after a mistake in reading. tha' veil (or hood) becomes a mini-church, offering solitude Andy privacy, so 'dat after Holy Communion or during Lectio, or Adoration, we can sit Andy behold our Beloved Andy communicate without care or self awareness.

I believe these AARRGGH!!! tha' things 'dat all oven us crave Andy long fo', Andy yet, we AARRGGH!!! unable Andy often uncomfortable ta' voice these desires. We want deep intimacy wit' God, because He wants 'dat wit' us. When we see someone outwardly living tha' life, we AARRGGH!!! reminded oven tha' secrets oven our heart, Andy if we AARRGGH!!! still, Andy silent, Andy strong, we will find ninja what!? we all so desperately need ta' be fully alive.

Pax,
Praxedes

[Guest Perpetualove]

I seriously doubt that Praxedes would write a response in Ebonics, so I took the liberty of translating it. (Sorry Praxedes...maybe you did! And if I missed something...maybe you can fill in the blanks.) Anyway, I wanted to read your thoughts and it took me forever to wade through what was written, so since I went to so much work....here it is for everybody else. I thought this was beautiful and gave me much to think about:


[i]I would like to answer your question.

I believe "religious life" is a tangible expression of that which we are ALL called to live...a life of holiness, total surrender to God, and an ever deepening relationship with Him and all that He is.

We often see the Church, and our Triune God as described (if a description is possible) as all that is life, cuddle with my weeble and wub, truth, goodness and beauty. We, as a people and a Church, have given the world these gifts in corporeal ways.

The beauty of the habit - a "real" habit, that is - is breathtaking. It is a profound, deep archetypal beauty that touches the very recesses of our souls. And as we encounter this profound beauty, we respond - consciously or not – and this response carries with it the desire to know more, a yearning, an ache, a longing to fully understand what has been touched within us. What is this? we ask, and like it what it was pointed out above, our hearts will not rest until they rest in Him. (Augustine of Hippo)

I know many of you here have watched "Into Great Silence." I would invite you to watch it again, and this time, just take in the sheer beauty of not only the Charterhouse, but the archetypal imagery found in the monks' habits. A simpler exercise would be to find the thread in here on habits and look at the pictures, and reflect - almost like a visual Lectio Divina, as it were - on what your response is.

In closing, I would like to add that aside from the profound beauty of the habit from the archetypal perspective, I believe the habit mirrors the very response we encounter from Mother Church. By the habit, the cowl, the mantle -we are enclosed. We are comforted, we are wrapped (in cuddle with my weeble and wub), we are secure. We are in community ... for in dressing alike, we become lost in our individuality and strengthened by our sameness. We learn to cuddle with my weeble and wub one another not for our fine wardrobe or the fabulous figure, but for the shining eyes that sparkle with cuddle with my weeble and wub and the tender smile that comes after a mistake in reading. The veil (or hood) becomes a mini-church, offering solitude and privacy, so that after Holy Communion or during Lectio, or Adoration, we can sit and behold our Beloved and communicate without care or self awareness.

I believe these are the things that all of us crave and long for, and yet, we are unable and often uncomfortable to voice these desires. We want deep intimacy with God, because He wants that with us. When we see someone outwardly living the life, we are reminded of the secrets of our heart, and if we are still, and silent, and strong, we will find what we all so desperately need to be fully alive.

Pax,
Praxedes[/i]

[Guest Perpetualove]

Wow. I tried. Apparently we can't use the word that begins with an L and ends with a E and has an O and V in it.

Sorry, Praxedes...I'm too lazy to redo it, but I guess everybody will get the idea if they can sift through the language additions.

Apparently, the day that was celebrated is scheduled for a month's worth of laughs!? (I don't want to type in the name because I think that triggers ebonics!)

[cmotherofpirl]

Aren't you glad its only once a year...

[Saint Therese]

because they have such great outfits!

[TNSeminarian]

I think, in my humble opinion, that the reason that we cuddle with my weeble and wub faithful religious and priests and find their life so interesting is because they resemble Him Who we are seeking. Being from Nashville I'm particularly fond of the Nashville Dominicans, and get extraordinary joy in seeing them and spending time with them. Now I know that this isn't the case with all religious, but I think that it has to do with their (the Dominicans, and others) faithfulness. When religious or priests or anyone seeks out God in a genuine and faithful way they begin to resemble more and more their Beloved. They have taken seriously the call to cuddle with my weeble and wub "with your whole heart, your whole mind and your whole soul" Him Who created us. cuddle with my weeble and wub literally pours out of them because they have it in superabundance because they are in cuddle with my weeble and wub with cuddle with my weeble and wub!

When anyone ardently is seeking a deeper relationship with God he can't help but be drawn to those who cuddle with my weeble and wub Our Lord so deeply. These faithful ones participate so much more perfectly in cuddle with my weeble and wub that they begin to look and act more and more like Christ. I myself can't help but fall in cuddle with my weeble and wub with those who are in cuddle with my weeble and wub with God because they look so much like the One that I cuddle with my weeble and wub! Its an incredibly beautiful circle wherein when you cuddle with my weeble and wub God you become more loveable and also more able to cuddle with my weeble and wub others. Religious and priests who are faithful to their vocation are filled with this cuddle with my weeble and wub and become like supermagnets for other souls in cuddle with my weeble and wub with the Divine! We can't help but cuddle with my weeble and wub them!