Cloister "vs." Active

[Thomist-in-Training]

I know... I should have a spiritual director.

Leaving that aside, does anyone have some general signs that one ought to consider more seriously the cloistered life or the active life? Or know of books or articles on this topic? I did a search but didn't see much on this so thought I would go ahead and start a thread.

[IrishSalesian]

Do you like to work with your hands, and with people, or would you rather be in the Chapel all day? An Active Order's prayer, is the work that they do, they still meet for prayers, and meals, but alot of their prayer is in their work

[Luigi]

Another indication is how much you want to work on your own spiritual development versus how much you want to serve other people. I've heard it said that Benedictines are trying to make themselves into better people and that Dominicans are trying to make others into better people - while still working on their own spiritual development, of course.

If you have special skills - nursing, teaching, social work, etc. - you might be able to use them in serving others within a monastery, but you'd definitely be able to use them in an active order that ministers in those areas. I guess it's really a question of whom you want to serve and how.

[Laudem Gloriae]

As for myself, I am a nurse. When I got my call, I knew in my heart I was to be a contemplative because I felt nothing for an of an active vocation. I even wrote a few (to do due diligence in case I was mistaken) active nursing orders but I felt not a thing!

Also - this MY thoughts and feelings! - to me, I feel the active vocation doesn't have enough prayer, Divine Office hours, solitude, silence, etc. that I need and desire and feel called too. I know I need more of these things to feed, nourish and bring me in closer union with God. For me, I want an order that prays all 7 of the Divine Office hours. That is usually not possible with active orders or even semi-active and, in fact, there are some enclosed orders that don't pray all 7 hours. I also didn't want to be with/work with lay people - other than at the parlor grille! This is just ME. I know others can become saints and very holy in active orders as there ARE lots of saints and blesseds from them!

But I have just always known I was a monastic, enclosed vocation. Now as a nurse, I can't seem to be able to do my job and keep God present, be in His presence continually. To me my job and out-in-the-world daily duties distract me and keep me from God so I know I am not an active vocation! I feel my way of helping and aiding people is through praying for them and this way I can also reach, aide and help MORE souls than I ever could if I nursed my whole life!

I guess just think of mentally or make a list of all the things related to a vocation you are attracted to and/or know you want. Ex: is a lot of prayer and silence important to you? Would you rather not deal much with lay people and if so maybe you are to be a semi-enclosed order? And just a ton of other things.

If you are not sure, investigate various orders of monastic enclosed, semi-enclosed and active and see if you feel a stronger pull or attraction to one or even 2 and then whittle down to the order by calls, emails, letters, visits and lots of prayer! Especially before the Blessed Sacrament in adoration!

Then of course, a spiritual director could help you too.

[cathoholic_anonymous]

In my experience, the one that you're most frightened of is usually the one that you should be taking a good long look at. I was petrified of the very thought of monastic enclosure at one point. Then I took my courage in my hands and went to stay with some Carmelite nuns. Twice. The first time I came away thinking, "That's beautiful, but I could never do it." Six months letter I was writing a letter to the prioress and asking if it would be possible for me to...

I am not sure whether I am called there, but I do know that those wonderful sisters have flushed the fear of enclosure out of my system. Even if I were to end up married with nineteen children (this is just a hypothetical) I would still have benefited from my experience in the cloister. I don't know whether you can be happy in any way of life if you harbour some deep fear about another.

[the lords sheep]

I've always known that I was to serve actively in some capacity. I find God in the presence of others, in speaking with others, in being with them. I have discerned, that while I may prefer more contemplative orders, that God has asked me to be in the midst of the dirt and the grime world, not hidden from it.
I think the cloister is a very beautiful vocation- to be hidden in the heart of Jesus, a flower whose fragrance is for Him alone! Beautiful!!! But I am also relatively certain that it is not my vocation.
How to discern? See which communities, in the silence of your heart, are attractive to you. Look at one of each type- active, active-contemplative, and cloistered, and live their life for a week, or even a long weekend, and see if any of the lifestyles feel right in your soul. Ask yourself the questions that are hard to ask- What scares me about each lifestyle? Could I really live this way, not only for a weekend, but for the next 50, 60, 70, or even 80 years? How much community time do you need? Silence do you need? Ask the Sisters these questions: what are their struggles? Be as honest as possible and ask the Spirit for guidance.
A very wise Sister once told me that God doesn't play games with us. If we are seeking, and honest with ourselves, he will show us, in HIS time, where we need to be. Trust in His providence and goodness!!!
In Jesus and Mary,
Lauren

[stlmom]

[quote name='the lords sheep' post='1588954' date='Jul 2 2008, 06:13 AM']I've always known that I was to serve actively in some capacity. I find God in the presence of others, in speaking with others, in being with them. I have discerned, that while I may prefer more contemplative orders, that God has asked me to be in the midst of the dirt and the grime world, not hidden from it.
I think the cloister is a very beautiful vocation- to be hidden in the heart of Jesus, a flower whose fragrance is for Him alone! Beautiful!!! But I am also relatively certain that it is not my vocation.
How to discern? See which communities, in the silence of your heart, are attractive to you. Look at one of each type- active, active-contemplative, and cloistered, and live their life for a week, or even a long weekend, and see if any of the lifestyles feel right in your soul. Ask yourself the questions that are hard to ask- What scares me about each lifestyle? Could I really live this way, not only for a weekend, but for the next 50, 60, 70, or even 80 years? How much community time do you need? Silence do you need? Ask the Sisters these questions: what are their struggles? Be as honest as possible and ask the Spirit for guidance.
A very wise Sister once told me that God doesn't play games with us. If we are seeking, and honest with ourselves, he will show us, in HIS time, where we need to be. Trust in His providence and goodness!!!
In Jesus and Mary,
Lauren[/quote]

An excellent response to the question, Lauren!

[Caramelonion]

Praised be Jesus Christ!

I have always felt called to a cloistered community. It's almost as if I have been living a cloistered life all my life...always behind the scenes, wanting to be humble and having the need to serve others. Of course I would do anything that the Lord asked me, but he's never made me feel that the cloistered life was not what he wished for me.

[EWIE]

It is important to remember that one can transfer from an active order to a cloistered one but never from a cloistered order to an active one.

[Thomist-in-Training]

This is interesting so far, thanks guys. It's tricky too because some non-cloistered institutes have days that are still chock full of communal prayer, so you (I) have to think about whether that satisfies most of what I had been thinking about in enclosure.

[tnavarro61]

pray and feel what God wants. Your heart will feel if you have the call to live a life of prayer or to be an active religious. meditate on what you want to do.

[tinytherese]

I agree with visiting the communities that are attractive to you and staying away from the ones that repel you. Just keep in mind that things can change. Time will tell. I know of one young man who wanted to become a carmelite monk. He was turned down both because of the dangers of doing so at the time (WW II) and he was just the type of man that the Church needed in the outside world tending to the people of God. Later he entered the seminary and was ordained to the priesthood. That man was POPE JOHN PAUL II. Just imagine how different the world would be without him out in the world!

[Chiquitunga]

[quote name='EWIE' post='1589056' date='Jul 2 2008, 09:21 AM']It is important to remember that one can transfer from an active order to a cloistered one but never from a cloistered order to an active one.[/quote]
Really? I've never heard this.

[puellapaschalis]

[quote name='Margaret Clare' post='1591796' date='Jul 5 2008, 08:23 AM']Really? I've never heard this. [/quote]

Me either

[gloriagurl]

[quote name='EWIE' post='1589056' date='Jul 2 2008, 12:21 PM']It is important to remember that one can transfer from an active order to a cloistered one but never from a cloistered order to an active one.[/quote]

Ewie,

Is this because of the juridical concerns surrounding solemn vs perpetual simple vows? Could it be that a person could be released from their solemn vows (properly so by seeking dispensation fromthe Vatican) and can then transfer to an active order? Like a couple of others, I've not heard that it is a "never" situation either.