has anybody ever heard that kind of question. "the church needs to be active in the world, not locked up in a cloister..." etc.
It seems there are some ladies here that might be called to that sort of thing, which i find to be a truly beautiful calling. The contemplative and eremetic callings go back centuries in the church, and should be validated likewise.
Besides, i think the world wouldn't be half as screwed up as it is today if there was much more cloisted sisters and hermit priests in mountains and the wilderness constantly praying for the needs of the church militant. I would even want to be a hermit, but i don't feel called to that.
SHALOM
Full Version: prayer apostolate
QUOTE(MC IMaGiNaZUN @ Sep 11 2005, 11:07 PM)
has anybody ever heard that kind of question. "the church needs to be active in the world, not locked up in a cloister..." etc.
It seems there are some ladies here that might be called to that sort of thing, which i find to be a truly beautiful calling. The contemplative and eremetic callings go back centuries in the church, and should be validated likewise.
Besides, i think the world wouldn't be half as screwed up as it is today if there was much more cloisted sisters and hermit priests in mountains and the wilderness constantly praying for the needs of the church militant. I would even want to be a hermit, but i don't feel called to that.
SHALOM
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It seems there are some ladies here that might be called to that sort of thing, which i find to be a truly beautiful calling. The contemplative and eremetic callings go back centuries in the church, and should be validated likewise.
Besides, i think the world wouldn't be half as screwed up as it is today if there was much more cloisted sisters and hermit priests in mountains and the wilderness constantly praying for the needs of the church militant. I would even want to be a hermit, but i don't feel called to that.
SHALOM
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It will always be an "eternal" question. It was when I was a little girl and it still is. People just do not or will not understand. I have spoken to many nuns over the years they deal with this on an almost daily basis. I am sure they are tired of it.
The best explanation I have heard is that "prayer is like electricity, where would we be without it?" It has always been my opinion that if it were not for our monks and nuns the world would be in worse shape than it is. SCARY THOUGHT.
WE NEED THEM.
QUOTE(ofpheritup @ Sep 12 2005, 06:50 AM)
It will always be an "eternal" question. It was when I was a little girl and it still is. People just do not or will not understand. I have spoken to many nuns over the years they deal with this on an almost daily basis. I am sure they are tired of it.
The best explanation I have heard is that "prayer is like electricity, where would we be without it?" It has always been my opinion that if it were not for our monks and nuns the world would be in worse shape than it is. SCARY THOUGHT.
WE NEED THEM.
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The best explanation I have heard is that "prayer is like electricity, where would we be without it?" It has always been my opinion that if it were not for our monks and nuns the world would be in worse shape than it is. SCARY THOUGHT.
WE NEED THEM.
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I know- ppl will never really understand b/c being a contemplative (either cloistered or eremetical) is so unbelievably counter-cultural. He who has ears will indeed hear, however. And I believe that understanding is an extraordinary gift.
QUOTE(MC IMaGiNaZUN @ Sep 11 2005, 11:07 PM)
has anybody ever heard that kind of question. "the church needs to be active in the world, not locked up in a cloister..." etc.
It seems there are some ladies here that might be called to that sort of thing, which i find to be a truly beautiful calling. The contemplative and eremetic callings go back centuries in the church, and should be validated likewise.
Besides, i think the world wouldn't be half as screwed up as it is today if there was much more cloisted sisters and hermit priests in mountains and the wilderness constantly praying for the needs of the church militant. I would even want to be a hermit, but i don't feel called to that.
SHALOM
[right][snapback]720129[/snapback][/right]
It seems there are some ladies here that might be called to that sort of thing, which i find to be a truly beautiful calling. The contemplative and eremetic callings go back centuries in the church, and should be validated likewise.
Besides, i think the world wouldn't be half as screwed up as it is today if there was much more cloisted sisters and hermit priests in mountains and the wilderness constantly praying for the needs of the church militant. I would even want to be a hermit, but i don't feel called to that.
SHALOM
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I have a few friends/family who are particularly disturbed by the fact that, not only am I entering Religious Life, but I'm becoming a contemplative?! It seems there is no way to "get it through their heads" that I am happy and Jesus is happy with this vocation for me. They won't rise above what the world wants them to think of the enclosure. It's so beautiful, but it's entirely counter-cultural, and, as I heard it very well put one time, "a life against nature". Our natures don't naturally gravitate towards complete seclusion, but the more we love Jesus, the more we want to be alone with Him. Or maybe it would be better to say, He wants to be alone with us: "I will allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak to her heart" -Hosea 2:16
I don't know what I can do but pray for the people who are so opposed to the contemplative life...
Yes, it does seem that some people feel that the contemplative life is almost useless. I don't think people understand the beauty of a vocation to the contemplative life or how much contemplatives do for the Church. Its hard for them to understand though.-Our culture is so focused on what one can physically do that we tend to overlook how wonderful a vocation to the contemplative life is. I still don't know what my vocation is, but pray that if it is to the contemplative life, that I will have the strength to answer the call.
I hear this all the time from my Grandpa, saying it'll be a waste of time and so on... 
It is very hard for some to see the importance of Religious life in general. Our society is so "me" oriented.
I do think it is important to note that "contemplative" and "cloistered" are not synonomous.
semi-active communities can and are also considered contemplative. Not to be nit-picky, but I do think it important to know the distinctions.
I do think it is important to note that "contemplative" and "cloistered" are not synonomous.
semi-active communities can and are also considered contemplative. Not to be nit-picky, but I do think it important to know the distinctions.
I know they're not, but thank you for the clarification. I used the term "contemplative" because I think that the sentiments towards cloistered and contemplative life are almost the same. But you're right, maybe they aren't.
Sorry, that was me ^^^
QUOTE(msahara @ Sep 12 2005, 10:39 AM)
I know- ppl will never really understand b/c being a contemplative (either cloistered or eremetical) is so unbelievably counter-cultural. He who has ears will indeed hear, however. And I believe that understanding is an extraordinary gift.
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I don't know where God is leading me. I don't know where I'll end up.
Whether it is to the religious life or to being married.
But my PM family I am old enough to know and I have been around long enough to understand that our (specifically) cloistered monks and nuns stand at the doorway of eternity. They do now what we will be doing in heaven. PRAISING GOD UNCEASINGLY.
They have chosen this for love of Jesus and for "love of the world."
Does it strike you as odd that the ones who need to see this thread probably never will. We are all on the same page here.
I would encourage anyone who believes they have a vocation to the cloistered life to RUN TO IT. The greatest gift you can give to the ones who don't believe in it is to live it. PRAYER IS POWERFUL.
Sooner or later you will see them change their minds.
I believe at this time, the contemplative life is considered a waste is simply because prayer is no longer understood in our churches.
First, we are ALL called to be contemplatives and it doesn't matter if you are called to a religious, married, single, etc. The Father desires us to be intimate with Him and that can only come through being with Him. A time of surrender and falling into His arms and allowing ourselves to filled with Him and Him alone. This time of intimacy nourishes our souls and of course set us on fire for Him so much so that you begin to desire the Beloved and what the Beloved desires for you.
We have lost a sense of prayer in the West. I do also pray in the Byzantine churches I see it celebrated in their Divine Offices and their liturgies.
Now, some are called to live this intimacy as their vocation that is to be alone with the Alone. You are joining yourself with the prayer of Jesus but that also accepting to be with Him in His Passion because you are offering yourself with Beloved for yourself and others. This will call for sacrifice and suffering as you grow in love.
Yet I suspect as I have experienced in my own life, once God wounds you with the wound of Love as St. John of the Cross writes, then you want to give God everything because He gave everything for you (us). Being a lover of God can make you a little crazy that way!!!
This understanding can only come when people have come to "taste and See the Goodness of the Lord". You can't describe it to others you can only describe your own experiences. So I believe there will always be misunderstandings in this very noisy world that has forgotten to be "Still and Know that there is God"
Blessings,
DM
First, we are ALL called to be contemplatives and it doesn't matter if you are called to a religious, married, single, etc. The Father desires us to be intimate with Him and that can only come through being with Him. A time of surrender and falling into His arms and allowing ourselves to filled with Him and Him alone. This time of intimacy nourishes our souls and of course set us on fire for Him so much so that you begin to desire the Beloved and what the Beloved desires for you.
We have lost a sense of prayer in the West. I do also pray in the Byzantine churches I see it celebrated in their Divine Offices and their liturgies.
Now, some are called to live this intimacy as their vocation that is to be alone with the Alone. You are joining yourself with the prayer of Jesus but that also accepting to be with Him in His Passion because you are offering yourself with Beloved for yourself and others. This will call for sacrifice and suffering as you grow in love.
Yet I suspect as I have experienced in my own life, once God wounds you with the wound of Love as St. John of the Cross writes, then you want to give God everything because He gave everything for you (us). Being a lover of God can make you a little crazy that way!!!
This understanding can only come when people have come to "taste and See the Goodness of the Lord". You can't describe it to others you can only describe your own experiences. So I believe there will always be misunderstandings in this very noisy world that has forgotten to be "Still and Know that there is God"
Blessings,
DM
QUOTE(passionheart @ Sep 12 2005, 05:36 PM)
I believe at this time, the contemplative life is considered a waste is simply because prayer is no longer understood in our churches.
First, we are ALL called to be contemplatives and it doesn't matter if you are called to a religious, married, single, etc. The Father desires us to be intimate with Him and that can only come through being with Him. A time of surrender and falling into His arms and allowing ourselves to filled with Him and Him alone. This time of intimacy nourishes our souls and of course set us on fire for Him so much so that you begin to desire the Beloved and what the Beloved desires for you.
We have lost a sense of prayer in the West. I do also pray in the Byzantine churches I see it celebrated in their Divine Offices and their liturgies.
Now, some are called to live this intimacy as their vocation that is to be alone with the Alone. You are joining yourself with the prayer of Jesus but that also accepting to be with Him in His Passion because you are offering yourself with Beloved for yourself and others. This will call for sacrifice and suffering as you grow in love.
Yet I suspect as I have experienced in my own life, once God wounds you with the wound of Love as St. John of the Cross writes, then you want to give God everything because He gave everything for you (us). Being a lover of God can make you a little crazy that way!!!
This understanding can only come when people have come to "taste and See the Goodness of the Lord". You can't describe it to others you can only describe your own experiences. So I believe there will always be misunderstandings in this very noisy world that has forgotten to be "Still and Know that there is God"
Blessings,
DM
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First, we are ALL called to be contemplatives and it doesn't matter if you are called to a religious, married, single, etc. The Father desires us to be intimate with Him and that can only come through being with Him. A time of surrender and falling into His arms and allowing ourselves to filled with Him and Him alone. This time of intimacy nourishes our souls and of course set us on fire for Him so much so that you begin to desire the Beloved and what the Beloved desires for you.
We have lost a sense of prayer in the West. I do also pray in the Byzantine churches I see it celebrated in their Divine Offices and their liturgies.
Now, some are called to live this intimacy as their vocation that is to be alone with the Alone. You are joining yourself with the prayer of Jesus but that also accepting to be with Him in His Passion because you are offering yourself with Beloved for yourself and others. This will call for sacrifice and suffering as you grow in love.
Yet I suspect as I have experienced in my own life, once God wounds you with the wound of Love as St. John of the Cross writes, then you want to give God everything because He gave everything for you (us). Being a lover of God can make you a little crazy that way!!!
This understanding can only come when people have come to "taste and See the Goodness of the Lord". You can't describe it to others you can only describe your own experiences. So I believe there will always be misunderstandings in this very noisy world that has forgotten to be "Still and Know that there is God"
Blessings,
DM
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That is a very good explanation- I agree completely. I especially like the quotation from St. John.
well the rest of us...
I feel called into an active religious order that was spawned from a group of hermits. Like somehow we are connected to that, and all strive for that.
I also feel called to share this experience i have had of intimacy with God in contemplative prayer in some way, aside from the other ministry that i will be called to.
But i think that it may be a bit ironic, like how when people bash soldiers who fight wars to protect their right to bash soldiers. Well the prayers of holy religious allow us the oppurnity of grace to choose God or sad miserable destruction.
SHALOM
I feel called into an active religious order that was spawned from a group of hermits. Like somehow we are connected to that, and all strive for that.
I also feel called to share this experience i have had of intimacy with God in contemplative prayer in some way, aside from the other ministry that i will be called to.
But i think that it may be a bit ironic, like how when people bash soldiers who fight wars to protect their right to bash soldiers. Well the prayers of holy religious allow us the oppurnity of grace to choose God or sad miserable destruction.
SHALOM
Cloistered contemplatives live lives of intense prayer. They pray for the outside world. And if you believe in the power of prayer, then you've gotta believe that what cloistered priests and nuns do is extremely important.
I know that one bishop in Vermont attributes much of the success of his diocese to having the Carthusian monastery nearby.
I know that one bishop in Vermont attributes much of the success of his diocese to having the Carthusian monastery nearby.
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