Leaderboard

I think it might help you to read Lumen Gentium https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html and know that lay people participate in the fullness of the priesthood given by Christ and that this, in itself, is a beautiful gift and a vocation and call. You will be closest to God in whatever your vocation is. Aquinas describes religious life as a more 'perfect' state, but the reality is: if the Lord is calling you to marriage, it is in THIS way that you will have greatest intimacy with him. If you decide to be a Sister/Nun just because it's traditionally viewed as the way of perfection to Divine love, and not because God is calling you, you will just be... well, bitter and angry and unhappy and probably not loving of God at all! Whatever God is asking of you is what He made you for and is how you will love Him best. If that's as a wife and mother, then that's where your intimacy with Him lies. That's where your complete gift of self will be. I've heard Catholic couples speak of how in the Eucharist, it's said 'This is my body, given up for you' and how for them, this is true in their spousal union. They each give of themselves constantly, to each other, to their children- but ultimately to God. The gift of themselves does not stop at the human person to whom they are giving, it goes further and transcends as a gift to God. God is still their first love and in many ways, marriage is a miracle! Graced by Christ. It's a sacrament. Then though, if the idea of marriage is unattractive to you, that might be God's way of showing you that you ARE called to Religious life. He often makes us more attracted to whatever we are called to. He shapes the desires of our hearts. But both the lay vocation and the Religious vocation, lived well and with love of the Church, are real and true paths to sanctity if they are lived in union with God.

Coffee

NOBODY receives the leftovers of God's love, or is "not as loved", because God does not love in measures, or unequally. There are no leftovers, or back burners. He does not love me more or less than he loves you. He doesn't ignore me because he's too besotted by someone else. His love for each of us is equally immense, equally unlimited and unconditional. If there's any doling out or leftovers of love, they come from us, not God! (unfortunately)

In light of what so many have said here--there would be nothing more contrary to God's will, or your call to holiness, if you attempted to live religious life if you were not called to it! In fact, no responsible community would accept you if they thought that you were not truly called. If you feel called to marriage, then that is probably where you belong; find a spouse who will be a loving and wise and prayerful companion on your mutual journey to God. What would be more beautiful than that?

⭐ ... and our inmost desires are often an indication of where our vocations lay.

Thank you, @BarbTherese--I think I did misinterpret your message. Sorry--and glad for the clarification. We both seem to be on the "same page" (along with @gloriana35). I know a couple of very well adjusted and happy trans people who are colleagues, and they are fortunately accepted and supported, both personally and professionally (one just got tenure at my uni; the other has a professional staff position). I have also had a few trans students. I believe that knowing people who experience something entirely outside our own experience is the first step toward understanding.

Photos from Sister Margaret's first profession at Wrentham: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064867895267

I am far from being any expert on human sexuality, and certainly am not a moral theologian. I hope no-one will be offended (...oh, can you pick up on the 1970s nun?) by my saying that I do not even understand much of what is in the media, or which I have heard discussed, about thirteen genders; who is bigender; how so many people are not identifying with the gender they originally were assumed to have. Yet I have read of children (some not even old enough for puberty) developing grave depression or killing themselves for not being accepted for being transgender. It is confusing, but a very delicate area. (Even the decision of the Church of England, to not allow church marriages for same-sex couples, is being treated as if it were hateful and a violation of civil rights. Yet too many Church positions in the past 50 years have seemed to be presented more as a matter of civil rights than with attention to theological detail. I'm of mature years. My generation, well-meaning though we were, seemed to forget salvation, deification, theosis - the only personal sin left was being judgemental, even if we were speaking in theory, not judging the state of another soul, which never would be appropriate.) I cannot say how this could be done, but there needs to be an overall stress on worship - on our human dignity, created in the divine image, deified through the Incarnation/resurrection. It sometimes saddens me when I read of religious communities who have a very selective emphasis on, for example, devotions for the unborn or sin of abortion. That does not mean I believe in abortion - though it can be a very complicated pastoral area - but that the focus is too limited, and I cannot help but wonder if someone who had an abortion might feel she was guilty of the unspeakable sin and could never return to the Church. I would not want a congregation to be founded to specifically focus on gender issues. It could be taken to mean that those with whatever these gender situations are are 'the enemy.' The Church is catholic - that 'all are welcome' should be 'a given.' (I'm so 'live and let live' that I wouldn't notice if someone in the next pew had two heads. I am not a priest, or a spiritual director or confessor, or a moralist - what might be appropriate in such a role could be either teaching documents or pastoral guidance with knowledge of an individual's background.) But we've all neglected the dignity of creation, the focus on worship instead of only human relations, and so forth for too long. I would not want to see a single matter (much as it confuses me entirely, and I can't keep track of who is a 'he,' 'she', or 'they', since 'they' was a plural for 65 years of my life) be a community's focus. Campaigning and even offering devotions against puzzling developments in relation to thoughts of gender could keep those of us who are not transgender, binary, homosexual, and so forth from seeing our own sins and distractions. Devotions entirely against gender ideas could drive those who believe they don't fit in to despair. I hope I'm making some sort of sense. I just do not think that a religious community should be established just to work against some very new and confusing idea. Preaching and living virtue and worship is part of all Religious life (or should be), and there is very little witness to vowed life left today. Vowed chastity, for example, has an eschatological dimension - the idea that life-long celibacy could be a charism only evolved in light of the resurrection, and recognition that there is more to our existence than this world, or living on through our children.

A great woman erased from history The branding of the syrup was a tribute to this woman’s gifts and talents. Now future generations will not even know this beautiful woman existed. What a shame. The world knew her as “Aunt Jemima”, but her given name was Nancy Green and she was a true American success story. She was born a slave in 1834 Montgomery County, KY. and became a wealthy superstar in the advertising world, as its first living trademark. Green was 56-yrs old when she was selected as spokesperson for a new ready-mixed, self-rising pancake flour and made her debut in 1893 at a fair and exposition in Chicago. She demonstrated the pancake mix and served thousands of pancakes, and became an immediate star. She was a good storyteller, her personality was warm and appealing, and her showmanship was exceptional. Her exhibition booth drew so many people that special security personnel were assigned to keep the crowds moving. Nancy Green was signed to a lifetime contract, traveled on promotional tours all over the country, and was extremely well paid. Her financial freedom and stature as a national spokesperson enabled her to become a leading advocate against poverty and in favor of equal rights for all Americans. She maintained her job until her death in 1923, at age 89. This was a remarkable woman, and sadly she has been ERASED by Woke politics. https://www.legacy.com/news/culture-and-history/finally-a-proper-headstone-for-the-original-aunt-jemima-spokeswoman-nancy-green/

Not the OP, of course, but I just wanted to say that I found this really encouraging. Thank you.

I'd be interested in your source for this. I'm a theologian, and AFAIK, the Church does NOT teach this, at least since Vatican II. There are certainly a lot of people around who express thoughts like the ones you cite ("undivided heart" etc.), but for all I know, official Church teaching makes it very clear that there is no state of life (as in marriage, single life or consecrated life) which is per se higher than another. You got this totally right with your impression that the Bible teaches we are all called to love God with all we are and have. Maybe you just read some older material which gave you a misleading impression?

I agree with Lou.,Whatever state God calls you to is the holiest way for you. Look at Zelie and Louis Martin. If they hadn't got married we wouldn't have Saint Therese. Have you visited or contacted any communities. Why not think about going on a vocations retreat. Quite a few communities run them. Keep your mind open.

Actually, that is *not* what the research shows. Here is an article about the largest study ever conducted. Coincidentally, it was published today. I'm gifting it, so you should be able to read it without a subscription. https://wapo.st/3TAKDyw

You may need tissues when watching.

Snopes should check that claim!

Snopes does lean Left politically, according to All sides. "June 2021 Independent Review: Snopes Moved to Lean Left AllSides moved Snopes' rating to Lean Left following a June 2021 independent review by AllSides editors on the left, center and right. It was previously rated Center. We reviewed the numerous instances of Snopes' left-wing bias that we found during our June 2020 Editorial Review, such as slant. We also noted a number of times that Snopes had recently interpreted things in favor of the left, including when it "fact checked" a subjective opinion on Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), when it defended Gov. Andrew Cuomo by saying an accurate tweet about him was "Mostly False," and when it "fact-checked" satire from humor website The Babylon Bee (an entry Snopes then had to edit following criticism). AllSides noted that Snopes' story choice is generally favorable to the left, and it lacks fact checks on subjects that speak to a conservative or more right-wing audience. Its collections page also showed left bias, with the first page still predominantly highlighting Trump. At the time, AllSides also noted that RealClearPolitics' Fact Check Review found that 89% of Snopes articles from January 27, 2021 to June 26, 2021 used at least one media source as verification for its claims, rather than using original sources. The percentage "captures how many claims by [the] fact checker relied at least in part on media reporting as “truth” for its verification task," RCP writes. "When fact checkers rely on media for verification, this creates a cycle in which media cite fact checkers which in turn cite media. Ideally, fact checking should involve primary source verification, rather than relying on secondary news reporting as verification." " Source: https://www.allsides.com/news-source/snopes

I do agree with you in the above too, although it has challenged me to think about it. Experiencing something entirely "outside my own experience" sort of thrusts me into the dark, the unknown, outside of my compartments and boundaries. Fight or flight clicks in and I either run back into my own experience seeking safety and the non-threatening, the known (flight), or undertake the journey of empathy and out of the darkness toward understanding ('fight'), although without clear sight of where that journey will take me until someone spells it out for me . I was very happy to read of transgender people having positive social experiences and loving acceptance and appreciation is certainly outside of my experience, where people are challenged and are challenging status quo in society. It is 2am here. It isn't until after 9pm that my 'day' can commence. It is only after 9pm that staff cease going about their duties in and out my room and quiet and silence settles. I am used to living alone in my unit where quiet and silence reigned. I will get there, because I am determined to get there......wherever there is!

J1.8 Je vous salut Marie, pleine de grace, le Seigneur est avec vous, vous etes benie entres toutes les femmes et Jesus, le fruit de vos entrailles est beni. Sainte Marie, Mere de Dieu, priez pour nous pecheurs, maintenant et a l'heure de notre mort. Amen

I agree G35 ............... Active and direct involvement in seeking and presenting potential "practical solutions and alternatives" is an important and vital aspect of working with social problems of any kind. I do think that anything less is involved in one aspect only of a social problem - it is a negative (action) with nothing positive to contribute to the involvement, diminishing or even eliminating the problem itself, at least in potential anyway. A Is to diminish one life and to destroy another. A could even be described theologically as destruction of two lives presupposing abortion is grave matter and potentially mortally sinful. B Is to diminish one life; alternatively, theologically speaking, potentially destruction of that life.

That's a great scene in The Passion.

I am acquainted with several people who are transgender (some of whom are involved in the church where I worship), but they are adult - I have no notion of what their reasons for transitioning were, nor would I ask. I'll admit that I am concerned with how very many children and youth have the dysmorphia which Sorrowful Heart mentioned, and with the overall increase in suicides amongst the young. Once again, I shall emphasise that this is not my field, but, with the very large numbers of those who consider themselves to be of the wrong gender, I am concerned that the deep-seated problems someone may have (that could lead to despair and suicide) might not be directly related to gender confusion. (My knowledge is small, but I know there are those who have organs from both sexes - it is rare, but always existed.) There indeed are matters which involve medical ethics or pastoral guidance which can arise, in this area that actually is quite new. Very few people had (what was called) a sex change forty years ago - there could be all sorts of new research that is necessary. But I would leave it to the specialists in medical ethics and moral theology to explore these areas. I would not want to see any religious congregation dedicate themselves to (borrowing the initial references in this thread) a 'revolution'! We're all one in human dignity, in the image and likeness of God, our nature deified in the Incarnation and resurrection. This isn't 'us vs. them.' I've never known any Sisters of Life (mentioned in this thread, as well), but, from what I have read of them, they are professionals who can deal with social, medical, and legal difficulties which could lead an expectant mother to despair. I gather they are specialists in these fields, and they well may find assistance that could keep someone from the despair that leads to abortion. I only have read of them, but nothing gave me an impression that they were condemning abortion without being directly involved in seeking practical solutions and alternatives. They are working on the premise that abortion is murder. Those who are transgender are not harming anyone.

I agree with Gloriana. I am still in high school, and many of my friends have some form of "body dysmorphia", which is a health condition that usually leads to someone wishing to change their gender. (here is a greater explanation of it https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/body-dysmorphic-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20353938) They have also had really bad experiences with "Christian" people(one of my friends was in a cult for the first seven years of their life), but they are very curious about my experiences with religion, especially religious life. As a way to respect them, I use their preferred pronouns and names, but have been very upfront that I draw the line at true body changing(hormones, surgery, etc.) While I do not know if this is a sin or an offense against God, I do know that I have been able to reach people that probably would not have had any "good" experiences with Catholics/Christians if I had not been placed in their lives. This is just my two cents. Again, I am not a theologian or anyone with any true understanding of the matter. These are just my life experiences.

Thanks very much for these links. I hope her cause will be opened soon and sister Clare becomes better known.

Sr. Clare Crockett is so beautiful and inspiring! I really hope she gets canonized one day! (But to my knowledge, her cause has not been started yet.) Here's some links: "All or Nothing," a documentary about her life: https://youtu.be/dL565Cwmg9o Website about Sr. Clare and the five candidates who were also killed in the earthquake. Biographies, photos, writings, testimonies from people who knew them, etc. Lots of really good material here. https://www.sisterclare.com/en/ The biography about her is really good as well. It covers a lot that didn't necessarily get mentioned in the documentary, and includes numerous quotes from Sr. Clare's journals and private correspondence, which lets you get a real inside perspective. Alone with Christ Alone by Sr. Kristen Gardner, SHM

And Biden and Nuland's promises to end the pipeline, what do you think about that? What are your thoughts on the heavy influence by the US in the 2014 Ukrainian revolution, which overthrew the then government and led to the outbreak of the war? I can only imagine how the US would respond if Russia helped to overthrow the Mexican government, and the new Pro-Russian government received arms and war machines.

Found out about this from "Upon Friar Review":

Just another perspective: I have much fondness for the image below. It is above my computer, or will be once all my images from my unit are on the walls here. Wont be much wall left to see either!!! The image reminds me about taking myself too seriously including during Lent - I can imagine Jesus laughing at me. I mean, Jesus chooses 12 simple men from his environment to be his apostles. I can imagine Jesus attempting to teach them (what were and are, in fact) deep theological truths and these simple men getting things all screwed up - and Jesus laughing at their screwed up attempts. Jesus MUST have laughed! If not, how could He be like us in all things. How could He be human? I have Good News to share, says me, and seem to share it at times with such a dark and dour expression and words. "I am The Alpha and The Omegä". And God is Love. I do like to say "Our God is a God of Joy, of Love and of Laughter - and where there is Joy, Love and Laughter, God is present. Should He perchance be absent, gently invite Him back into the situation". Hard to be joyful and laughing in some situations, but Love can be present in empathy and compassion, understanding. Off me pulpit 🚿

I've been thinking about this, and I have come to disagree. We should be joyful, even while performing penances. Perhaps joy isn't the appropriate attitude during Holy Week liturgies, but then, somber and reverent would seem to be the correct attitude to portray during all liturgies throughout the year. Happy Ash Wednesday is appropriate!

President Biden as well as others in his administration promised that if Russia invaded Ukraine that they would bring an end to the pipeline one way or another. No wild conspiracies required, the Biden Administration promised to end the pipeline and it was put to an end. https://youtu.be/OS4O8rGRLf8 https://youtube.com/shorts/iQ5oElhXtNs?feature=share What do you think of the report that blames the US for the attack by Seymour Hersh? Seymour Hersh is investigative reporter known for exposing the My Lai massacre. https://seymourhersh.substack.com/p/how-america-took-out-the-nord-stream

Do you honestly believe the US is completely innocent regarding Ukraine? Even Pope Francis has made comments implying that's not the case. If you read my comments, I'm not saying Russia is innocent, either. I'm just saying there have been many times they could have escalated, and they didn't. I'm not naive; I believe entirely that they will escalate at some point to the detriment of the whole world... We are Communist behind the scenes. We only have the illusion of freedom here. We no longer have real elections. We are very quickly losing personal rights and private property. Even the freedom of speech is up for grabs now, since we have crossed the line of compulsory speech, following Canada's lead. I'm just waiting for the rights we still have to a degree to be removed completely. I'm wondering why it hasn't happened yet. But I know it will happen, in God's time, and when He deems it necessary. Still there is hope, and even Divine Assurance that just when things are at their worst, and when it appears that the Church is all but dead, a great chastisement will wipe out those who are in power in the world now, and the world will be made right and good and once again pleasing to the King of Kings.

The paradox, of the Gospel today is that the one who was once blind is now the only one who can see properly. He is the only one with enough vision to see Jesus, to accept the healing he has been offered, and to tell people about it. Everyone who lives with sight has the eyes to see what has happened – but they lack the sight to comprehend it. So, what makes the one able to see Jesus, and know, and feel, who Jesus is, and accept his healing? And what makes the others in the story – the parents, the neighbours, the Pharisees – unable to see or understand what’s happened? Part of the answer to that question is in assumptions. At the beginning of the story, the neighbours ask Jesus a question: “Rabbi, who sinned,” they ask, “this man, or his parents?” The assumptions are made; someone must be at fault for this because the blindness is understood to be a punishment. There are two kinds of questions: open questions and closed questions. A closed question might be something like, “Are you okay?” This gives someone firm parameters; the asker is looking for a yes or a no. A more open way of asking the question might be, “How are you feeling today?” which allows the answerer to talk about anything. In this story, the disciples have asked a closed question. They are looking for a simple answer from Jesus: Who sinned, this man or his parents? Instead of responding directly to the question the disciples ask, Jesus uses metaphors of light and darkness to explain his own work in the world. Then, he takes dirt, spits on it, rubs it in his hands, and smears it all over the man’s eyes. This physical smearing—this touch and this dirt – creates healing. The man washes in the pool, comes out, and sees. This is where the chaos begins. The people can’t understand what has happened. From the time of their question through to the end their parameters don’t allow them to experience the miracle. Their own assumptions keep them from understanding what has happened. In our first reading, from the Book of Samuel, we see again how assumptions get in the way. Samuel has been asked to make known the Lord’s chosen one. So, Jesse’s sons pass by Samuel, one by one, and one by one, Samuel rejects them. The family assumes that one of the older brothers will be chosen, for they are far more capable! They are strong, and attractive men; they assume that these are God’s criteria. Finally, when David shows up, Samuel hears from God that he is the one, and anoints him. Never mind that David is the youngest, or that he has just been keeping sheep. Never mind that his brothers and his dad assumed he wouldn’t even be considered. God breaks through this closed system, breaking through assumptions and the parameters we attempt to place on God. Perhaps our word of hope this morning is that God takes all that we presume, all of our assumptions and closed questions, and breaks through them to create miracles. Maybe our good news is that even when we are lost in our confusion and trying to figure out where something came from or how something happened, God is still in the midst of us, working to heal those who are ready. We are all much more like the disciples than we would care to admit, asking closed questions of Jesus. And we are all much more like David’s brothers than we would care to admit, dismissing the youngest, the one who only works as a shepherd. And we are all much more like the neighbours than we would care to admit, unable to accept the witness given to us, because it doesn’t fit in our worldview. The good news is this: Our confusion doesn’t hinder God’s work. Our questions don’t stop Jesus from doing good in the world. Our assumptions can’t get in the way of the prophets God chooses. This Sunday, we hear this Gospel as an invitation to scrutinize our perspectives, sort through our presuppositions and see what should be discarded and what new insights might be hidden in unexpected, places. Let’s look around and see where God has been, is, and always will be at work in our world, within us, and within our surroundings. God is breaking through our assumptions. Thanks be to God.

I stand mainly with Didacus in his sentiments on this issue. We're already Communist in the US. Canada is even further gone. Interestingly, the very things that good people would describe as "insane" in the Western world are things that Russia went through decades ago, realized they were bad, and then moved away from. And, unsurprisingly, these same things are the very things that Russia already said they would do to influence the West, also decades ago, in order to tear down Western civilization. This chaos was all planned. So is Russia innocent here? No, of course not. But morally speaking, they have the high ground over countries like Canada and the US for those things that offend God most. There are very few, if any, countries in the world now that do not offend God with those sins that cry to Heaven for vengeance. If Russia attacked Canada, I would start moving to a bunker, because the US is soon to follow. Lastly, though Russia is not the good guy right now, it's good to remember there are several prophecies that say that God's deliverance from the "sins of Russia" (Communism) would also come through Russia.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oKHBcYXqbE This is from the early 80's. I feel old!

In this aged care home where I am now a resident, plenty of opportunity for reflection and prayer. Service is proving to be, as an example, making sure a fellow resident has her wheeler handy after a meal and wanting to return to her room; alternatively, and generally speaking, being aware of my fellow residents at meals and elsewhere and their needs.; maintaining a cheerful disposition, including with staff, despite pain. Very small opportunities to serve. My budget is really stretched to breaking point now with the expenses of shifting - and so any alms giving will be very small indeed, if that. Overall, thank goodness The Lord embraces the heart not the quantity or amounts. St Albert wrote in his ancient rule for Carmel that common sense is the guide of all the virtues. ............happy blessings this Lent all ................

many, many years ago (in the mid 80's) our parish had a vocation Sunday. Among other things we had a film about the Roswell Poor Clares. One of the nuns was the daughter of a long time parishioner. I just loved seeing the look on Shirley's face as she watched her daughter on the screen. It was very special.

Do you claim to know more than the presidents?! Who knows what secret messaging is being divulged in those opinions!

Executive time is very important! A president must stay informed!

I am not totally sure if the single HM Laity members make or can make private vows within their commitment to the Home of the Mother community, but I wouldn’t be surprised. http://www.laityfamilylife.va/content/laityfamilylife/en/sezione-laici/repertorio/focolare-della-madre-.html This is the community Sr. Clare Crockett was in (from the All or Nothing documentary. If anyone here hasn’t seen it, it’s incredible!!)

Thank you, Nunsuch. I have known one transgender person I met in a private psychiatric hospital. Everyone shunned her and she had had a terrible story and journey. From that one experience, I very much agree that supporting the person is very positive to and for the person and much needed. Involving them in community life if at all possible - making every effort to do so. Here in Australia, I do suspect we know all the right words, but are those words put into action 'on the ground' as it were. My suspicion is probably not.....same as with mental illness and my own personal experience. The negative, one of them, of any social problem. In "destruction of life", I was referring to abortion as my subject..........any confusion might be due possibly to clumsy sentence construction. I am a fast and quite accurate typist and tend to write what I think, and as I think, with insufficient editing for clarity. I am hoping to correct this here in this aged care home in which I now live.......i.e. plenty of time on my hands. Hope so ............ while I have a lifetime of poor editing habits to correct. Afterthought and I think I might have misread your Post, Nunsuch: To make life more difficult for a transgender person is to contribute to the destruction of their life. to which, as with all, transgender persons have a Divine Right. "Whatever you do for one of these, though the least of mine, you have done it to Me". In Divine Justice, we owe them support and confirmation of their person-hood. What makes my sin less serious than anyone else's sin? In short: "Who am I to judge?"

Given the high rate of suicide among transgender people (especially the young) who are denied the healthcare they seek--or who are condemned, rejected by family, etc.--it seems to me that support for them is the best way to prevent the "destruction of life" that you reference here. Like @gloriana35, I know several trans people, and have learned about their stories and experiences.

According to the comments on YouTube, the monastery in Northern Ireland has closed---had only 2 nuns left when it did close. I don't know any more about what happened.