Lisa Posted October 14, 2011 Posted October 14, 2011 (edited) Oh, Nunsense! I know I don't always say it (because I fear I often sound like a broken record), I am keeping you all in my prayers. I've offered up several prayers for your specific intentions the past few days and keep checking back to see if there are any updates! Your posts are inspiring. We are called to love him not just till it hurts. We are called to love him-and be loved by Him- all the way onto the Cross. You have lived that out, and challenge us to do the same! Thank you! Edited October 14, 2011 by Lisa
Nunsense Posted October 14, 2011 Author Posted October 14, 2011 [quote name='Lisa' timestamp='1318562646' post='2320983'] Oh, Nunsense! I know I don't always say it (because I fear I often sound like a broken record), I am keeping you all in my prayers. I've offered up several prayers for your specific intentions the past few days and keep checking back to see if there are any updates! Your posts are inspiring. We are called to love him not just till it hurts. We are called to love him-and be loved by Him- all the way onto the Cross. You have lived that out, and challenge us to do the same! Thank you! [/quote] What a wonderful broken record you are! I can never hear too often that people are praying for me so thank you over and over like a broken record too. I heard today from a dear friend of mine who started living a hermit life about the same time I did last year when I moved to the bush. He stayed in the city, as an urban hermit, but he is retired now and doesn't have to work, so attends daily Mass and prays the Office (although he does it in Latin while I only do it in English ). He was the person who drove me to the airport the last time I entered Carmel and he was as upset as I was when things didn't work out, and he has been so supportive of me. He remembered me because tomorrow (Saturday) is St Teresa of Avila's feast day and he knows how much I love her. Although it was lovely hearing his little bits of news since the last time we wrote to each other, the most important thing for me is that he is still praying for me. I can't tell you how important prayer is to me, both as something that I do for others and as the grateful recipient of other's prayers. So know that even if I have nothing new to update all the time, I am always imploring help from my brothers and sisters through prayer. The only news I have in my personal life is that I am waiting for delivery of the transcription kit, which includes headphones and a footpedal that connect to my computer so I can use it like a transcription machine! Then I will be able to get started on the part-time work that will be sent to me. I am hoping that this work works out well because it would be good to cut back on the hostel hours, as they really mess up the prayer routine, as I like to recite the whole seven hours of the Divine Office every day. One of the things I miss the most about religious life, is the structure and routine all centred around prayer. There is alot to do each day, but the central focus is prayer, and everything else works around that. If I were doing more transcription work and less hostel work, I could try to organise my schedule around this as well. Right now I feel as if I am cheating God by making the hostel work the priority and the Office has to fit in around that. I know He understand, I have to earn an income, but think how much better it would be if I could do my transcription work around the Office!! Anyway, I sound like I am complaining, and I'm not. I am so grateful to have any work at all, and there are many wonderful aspects of working with the elderly that I love, so I praise God for that as well. The request for annual leave has been put in, the flights checked out, and if God wills it, I should be able to book a ticket in the next few weeks. I don't want to live for the future, but each step must be taken as it comes up. See why prayers are needed all the time? Thank you, thank you, thank you......
Nunsense Posted October 18, 2011 Author Posted October 18, 2011 I trust God completely and know that all is in His hands. But like everyone, sometimes I get a little down. I don't know if it is just tiredness or those horrible female hormones that interfere so much all the time, but right now I do not feel hopeful. I feel old and useless and unwanted. Please pray for me. I love Him anyway, but I hurt. Thank you all.
bernadette d Posted October 18, 2011 Posted October 18, 2011 [quote name='nunsense' timestamp='1318933879' post='2323095'] I trust God completely and know that all is in His hands. But like everyone, sometimes I get a little down. I don't know if it is just tiredness or those horrible female hormones that interfere so much all the time, but right now I do not feel hopeful. I feel old and useless and unwanted. Please pray for me. I love Him anyway, but I hurt. Thank you all. [/quote] I feel there are great graces in store for you. I saw your post as we were driving home and offered the 5 Sorrowful Mysteries for you,God Bless
Aya Sophia Posted October 18, 2011 Posted October 18, 2011 You are [u]deeply[/u] loveable and loved and infinitely valueable in the eyes of the Lord - you know this, I'm sure, in the deeps of yourself. In the less-deeps you're [u]feeling[/u] it may not be so, but of course, our feelings have naught to do with our objective worth or the Lord's love for us. Still, feelings are feelings and only robots don't have them. God made us emotional beings, fully intending feelings to be part of the package He created and finds so beautiful - so, we live with the beauty and the suffering of our feelings. Talking on the phone y'day to a dear friend in NY, Natalie, who is very elderly - 91 this coming January - she said something that moved me very much. She was married for 54 years - her husband died of cancer on 9/11. Since then she has persevered alone in faith and a suffering love. Over these years she would often say she missed her husband, she feels "lonesome" with out him, she has no one to love and share with, etc. Well, yesterday she said something unprecedented. She was speaking to enourage me (we are a our own two-member mutual encouragement society) but she was also speaking of herself: "Only Jesus can be the other half of our mould." Coming from her, from she who, until age 80, had never been alone and has for many years grieved the terrible absence of her dearest friend on earth, this was a startling "word" and made a deep impression on me - it was something I already knew, of course, but, like most spiritual truths, had forgotten for the moment, caught up in whatever I was caught up. It gave me hope and joy to remember: we cannot find our fulfillment in anything but the Lord HIMSELF, meaning, not in His gifts, His plans for us, etc. and (here's where the hope and joy come in), in seeking our completion and fulfillment in Him, we have a sure promise of finding it. As much to self (now and esp a month from now, when returned to Carmel) as to Nunsense and others VS hearts filled with longing for the Lord: Let the Lord be the "other half of your mould," in all things. Let Him complete you and fill your emptiness which He created specifically to be filled with Himself.
Nunsense Posted October 31, 2011 Author Posted October 31, 2011 I have slowly been making my way through every one of the blog posts on the Colwich Novitiate site from July 2007 - Sept 2011 (still reading) when I came across this lovely post from Mother Davina (Abbess) and thought I would share it with you all. The link for it is at [url="http://colwichnov.wordpress.com/2010/07/"]http://colwichnov.wo...ss.com/2010/07/[/url] [b] [url="http://colwichnov.wordpress.com/2010/07/04/i-asked-god/"]‘I asked God….’[/url][/b] Posted on [url="http://colwichnov.wordpress.com/2010/07/04/i-asked-god/"]4 July, 2010[/url] by [url="http://colwichnov.wordpress.com/author/noviceship/"]noviceship[/url]| [url="http://colwichnov.wordpress.com/2010/07/04/i-asked-god/#comments"]3 Comments[/url] [color=#ff00ff][b]Hello Folks…… [/b][/color] [color=#ff00ff][b]Here’s just a short post on a light level with a good point behind it that i came across (yet again recently) so I though I’d share it with you………………[/b][/color] [color=#ff00ff][b]‘I asked God to send me his friends…..he sent you.[/b][/color] [color=#ff00ff][b]I asked God to take away my pain……God said, No, it is not for me to take away, but for you to give it up.[/b][/color] [color=#ff00ff][b]I asked God to grant me patience…….God said, No, Patience is a by product of tribulations it isn’t granted, it is earned.[/b][/color] [color=#ff00ff][b]I asked God to give me happiness…..God said, No, I give you blessings, happiness is up to you.[/b][/color] [color=#ff00ff][b]I asked God to spare me pain……God said, No, suffering draws you apart from wordly cares and brings you closer to me.[/b][/color] [color=#ff00ff][b]I asked God to make my spirit grow……God said, No, you must grow on your own, but i will prune you to make you fruitful.[/b][/color] [color=#ff00ff][b]I asked God for all things that i might enjoy life…….God said, No, I will give you life so that you may enjoy all things.[/b][/color] [color=#ff00ff][b]I asked God to help me LOVE others as much as He loves me……God said…Ahhh, finally! you have the idea’.[/b][/color] [color=#ff00ff][b]We also had this given in a retreat a few years ago and i thought that it was brilliant.. [/b][/color] [color=#ff00ff][b]God bless you all – we are abit breezy this end. By the way we have a ‘ASPIRANT’ with us again for 2 weeks so please her in your prayers – thank you![/b][/color] [color=#ff00ff][b]Mother Davina[/b][/color]
marigold Posted October 31, 2011 Posted October 31, 2011 [quote name='nunsense' timestamp='1320051372' post='2329266'] I have slowly been making my way through every one of the blog posts on the Colwich Novitiate site from July 2007 - Sept 2011 (still reading) when I came across this lovely post from Mother Davina (Abbess) and thought I would share it with you all. The link for it is at [url="http://colwichnov.wordpress.com/2010/07/"]http://colwichnov.wo...ss.com/2010/07/[/url] [b] [url="http://colwichnov.wordpress.com/2010/07/04/i-asked-god/"]‘I asked God….’[/url][/b] Posted on [url="http://colwichnov.wordpress.com/2010/07/04/i-asked-god/"]4 July, 2010[/url] by [url="http://colwichnov.wordpress.com/author/noviceship/"]noviceship[/url]| [url="http://colwichnov.wordpress.com/2010/07/04/i-asked-god/#comments"]3 Comments[/url] [color=#FF00FF][b]Hello Folks…… [/b][/color] [color=#FF00FF][b]Here’s just a short post on a light level with a good point behind it that i came across (yet again recently) so I though I’d share it with you………………[/b][/color] [color=#FF00FF][b]‘I asked God to send me his friends…..he sent you.[/b][/color] [color=#FF00FF][b]I asked God to take away my pain……God said, No, it is not for me to take away, but for you to give it up.[/b][/color] [color=#FF00FF][b]I asked God to grant me patience…….God said, No, Patience is a by product of tribulations it isn’t granted, it is earned.[/b][/color] [color=#FF00FF][b]I asked God to give me happiness…..God said, No, I give you blessings, happiness is up to you.[/b][/color] [color=#FF00FF][b]I asked God to spare me pain……God said, No, suffering draws you apart from wordly cares and brings you closer to me.[/b][/color] [color=#FF00FF][b]I asked God to make my spirit grow……God said, No, you must grow on your own, but i will prune you to make you fruitful.[/b][/color] [color=#FF00FF][b]I asked God for all things that i might enjoy life…….God said, No, I will give you life so that you may enjoy all things.[/b][/color] [color=#FF00FF][b]I asked God to help me LOVE others as much as He loves me……God said…Ahhh, finally! you have the idea’.[/b][/color] [color=#FF00FF][b]We also had this given in a retreat a few years ago and i thought that it was brilliant.. [/b][/color] [color=#FF00FF][b]God bless you all – we are abit breezy this end. By the way we have a ‘ASPIRANT’ with us again for 2 weeks so please her in your prayers – thank you![/b][/color] [color=#FF00FF][b]Mother Davina[/b][/color] [/quote] That's lovely.
Feankie Posted October 31, 2011 Posted October 31, 2011 That is truly a wonderful post by Mother Davina. I'm going to copy it and give it two young women in my parish who are discerning right now. I told them about VS, but I don't think they're ready to "go public" yet! Soon, soon.......
TIWW Posted October 31, 2011 Posted October 31, 2011 Questions for anyone who might know, Is Colwich English Benedictine in affiliation or Independent? And how many sisters are in the community? I can not tell from their website. TIA
marigold Posted October 31, 2011 Posted October 31, 2011 [quote name='TIWW' timestamp='1320097316' post='2329501'] Questions for anyone who might know, Is Colwich English Benedictine in affiliation or Independent? And how many sisters are in the community? I can not tell from their website. TIA [/quote] A little birdie told me they're in the English Benedictine Congregation. And I think they are 7.
Starets Posted October 31, 2011 Posted October 31, 2011 Colwich is part of the English Benedictine Congregation
Nunsense Posted October 31, 2011 Author Posted October 31, 2011 [url="http://colwichnov.wordpress.com/about-us/"]http://colwichnov.wordpress.com/about-us/[/url] On the About Us page of the Novitiate Blog (link above) it says that they are a member of the English Benedictine Benedictine Congregation and that they have 8 solemn professed sisters with one living away (so 7 at the monastery). I don't think there is a question that I haven't found answered somewhere on either their main site [url="http://www.colwichabbey.org.uk/"]http://www.colwichabbey.org.uk/[/url] or their Novitiate blog website [url="http://colwichnov.wordpress.com/"]http://colwichnov.wordpress.com/[/url] and when I haven't been able to find an answer easily, I usually post a comment on the Q&A page and get a response pretty quickly. Of course, one can also email Mother Davina for information.
Aya Sophia Posted November 1, 2011 Posted November 1, 2011 Dom Augustine Baker ! [url="http://www.colwichabbey.org.uk/people/baker.htm"]http://www.colwichabbey.org.uk/people/baker.htm[/url]
Chiara Francesco Posted November 1, 2011 Posted November 1, 2011 [quote name='Aya Sophia' timestamp='1320109960' post='2329593'] Dom Augustine Baker ! [url="http://www.colwichabbey.org.uk/people/baker.htm"]http://www.colwichab...eople/baker.htm[/url] [/quote] Some books by and a bio on Fr. Baker on Amazon: Holy Wisdom - http://www.amazon.com/Holy-Wisdom-Augustine-Baker/dp/1409209539/ref=sr_1_20?ie=UTF8&qid=1320110980&sr=8-20 Contemplative Prayer: Ven. Fr. Augustine Baker's teaching from "Sancta Sophia": http://www.amazon.com/Contemplative-prayer-Augustine-teaching-thereon/dp/1176245473/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1320110918&sr=8-2 The Life And Spirit Of Father Augustine Baker: Monk And Priest Of The English Benedictine Congregation - http://www.amazon.com/Life-Spirit-Father-Augustine-Baker/dp/0548286213/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1320110918&sr=8-4 Great books.
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