Ask Sister Marie

[MargaretTeresa]

[quote name='Sister Marie' timestamp='1324340914' post='2353980']

3. Well, every parent situation is different. My parents weren't thrilled but at the same time they really didn't care that much either. What are your mother's main concerns?

[/quote]

That was very helpful! The problem with telling my parents - and especially my mom - is that she is very anti-Catholic. Oi

[i<3franciscans]

[quote name='DarleneSteinemann' timestamp='1324337746' post='2353951']
How sweet - do you know your guardian angel by name??? I have always longed for a guardian angel. sigh.
[/quote]
Hi, I do not mean to hijack this thread in anyway, but I just wanted to jump in and say --- [b]Everyone has a Guardian Angel[/b], no exceptions.

[Because I love Him]

Dear Sister

I once heard that our Guardian Angel's name is what virtue we need to learn the most, I was wondering if this is true.

Thanks!

[das8949]

[quote name='Because I love Him' timestamp='1324529524' post='2355756']
Dear Sister

I once heard that our Guardian Angel's name is what virtue we need to learn the most, I was wondering if this is true.

Thanks!
[/quote]

Then my angels name would be patience!

[Sister Marie]

[quote name='MargaretTeresa' timestamp='1324352932' post='2354166']
That was very helpful! The problem with telling my parents - and especially my mom - is that she is very anti-Catholic. Oi
[/quote]

Sorry for my delay.

Maybe, because your mother is anti-catholic, you could focus your discussion with her, whenever it happens, on some of the more human factors of your discernment. Maybe you could start with telling her how happy you are and then let her know what the really good parts of life as a religious are from a more secular vantage point. For instance, religious life is a balanced way of life that allows people to reach their true human potential (which is true... even if it isn't the reason you are entering). You will be doing good in the world.

Not knowing your mother, I don't know if this would work or not but it is good to try to approach this subject in a way that she is more familiar with and that can answer some of her concerns.

[Antigonos]

Rather obviously, Sister Marie, you are on the internet a lot. Is this something left to your discretion or do you have to request permission? Just curious...

Since the fictional Sister Luke was required to ask permission to drink a glass of water between meals [which seems a tad too strict, especially when in the African heat!] it's clear that the concept of obedience has changed a bit in the past 70 odd years.

[cmaD2006]

[quote name='Sister Marie' timestamp='1324340914' post='2353980']
Hey MT,

...
Now on to the other questions...

...
2. I would highly recommend reading any of Timothy Gallagher's books but especially [i]Examen[/i] and [i]Discernment of Spirits[/i]. They are both very practical yet challenging and are very helpful in any kind of discernment.

...
[/quote]

Ok ... its going to sound like I've been hired by the man (Fr. Tim Gallagher) to promote his materials. I haven't I just thoroughly enjoy his teaching and his books.

I heard the audio conference on the Discernment of Spirits. It is wonderful. It goes along with the book of the same name but it isn't simply an audio book.
He has a book/audio conference on Discerning God's will in your life (something like that). That I do recommend as well.

Definitely do Discerning God's will and Discernment of Spirits together ... they really seem to go hand in hand.

I also have the one on the Examen prayer ... but that one I couldn't get into ... I suspect it was because I'm not quite ready yet!

[Sister Marie]

[quote name='Antigonos' timestamp='1324622717' post='2356299']
Rather obviously, Sister Marie, you are on the internet a lot. Is this something left to your discretion or do you have to request permission? Just curious...

Since the fictional Sister Luke was required to ask permission to drink a glass of water between meals [which seems a tad too strict, especially when in the African heat!] it's clear that the concept of obedience has changed a bit in the past 70 odd years.
[/quote]

The short answer is that yes, I am on the internet what probably seems like a lot and no, I do not have to request permission. The long answer is that I am not a cloistered nun or sister in a contemplative community. I am a sister in an apostolic community - a community who's main aim is for the salvation of each sister and those to whom she ministers. I am a middle school teacher so many times my work brings me online. I have a laptop for my use which was given to me.

Just to give you a picture - most of the time when I am online I am typing my lesson plans, entering my grades in the online gradebook, posting to my teacher website for my students, uploading their electronic work, editing video projects they have done, searching for razzle dazzle things for the kids to do, previewing educational videos for school, creating online lessons which allow my students to work at their own pace, and when I have some free time checking in here or reading the news. I'm usually not just on here... usually I have a million tabs opened while I'm working on something and occasionally come back to post something, especially when I need a break from the other task . I also have a bad habit of just leaving everything open all the time anyway, haha. Right now I'm writing the Christmas prayer service for the sisters.

On another note, it really is essential for me to be up on what is going on in my students lives which usually also involves the internet (not their personal lives just things they are interested in or things I hear about which are causing problems). For instance, if a kid is threatened on facebook and I have no idea what that is - its going to make things very difficult. The internet is a real resource for me in my ministry. I also see it as an extension of my ministry because I do hope that I am [i]educating [/i]in a looser sense of the term here about apostolic religious life.

Sisters usually don't need to ask permission to do the job that they have received an obedience to do. This is very much a part of my apostolate. When a sister receives an "obedience" in the strict sense of the word she receives a piece of paper telling her where she is going and what she will do there. So I am already under obedience to teach at the place I am right now. That could change next year or the next year. There are things that I ask permission for but it usually isn't like in the movies. I don't go to "mother's" office and kneel to ask for toothpaste. I go ask the superior if I can have some money for new shoes. I ask if I can have a sleep in. Usually, the answer is yes and those smaller things are more of a courtesy than an exercise of authority and obedience.

[das8949]

[quote name='Sister Marie' timestamp='1324654340' post='2356367']
The short answer is that yes, I am on the internet what probably seems like a lot and no, I do not have to request permission. The long answer is that I am not a cloistered nun or sister in a contemplative community. I am a sister in an apostolic community - a community who's main aim is for the salvation of each sister and those to whom she ministers. I am a middle school teacher so many times my work brings me online. I have a laptop for my use which was given to me.

Just to give you a picture - most of the time when I am online I am typing my lesson plans, entering my grades in the online gradebook, posting to my teacher website for my students, uploading their electronic work, editing video projects they have done, searching for razzle dazzle things for the kids to do, previewing educational videos for school, creating online lessons which allow my students to work at their own pace, and when I have some free time checking in here or reading the news. I'm usually not just on here... usually I have a million tabs opened while I'm working on something and occasionally come back to post something, especially when I need a break from the other task . I also have a bad habit of just leaving everything open all the time anyway, haha. Right now I'm writing the Christmas prayer service for the sisters.

On another note, it really is essential for me to be up on what is going on in my students lives which usually also involves the internet (not their personal lives just things they are interested in or things I hear about which are causing problems). For instance, if a kid is threatened on facebook and I have no idea what that is - its going to make things very difficult. The internet is a real resource for me in my ministry. I also see it as an extension of my ministry because I do hope that I am [i]educating [/i]in a looser sense of the term here about apostolic religious life.

Sisters usually don't need to ask permission to do the job that they have received an obedience to do. This is very much a part of my apostolate. When a sister receives an "obedience" in the strict sense of the word she receives a piece of paper telling her where she is going and what she will do there. So I am already under obedience to teach at the place I am right now. That could change next year or the next year. There are things that I ask permission for but it usually isn't like in the movies. I don't go to "mother's" office and kneel to ask for toothpaste. I go ask the superior if I can have some money for new shoes. I ask if I can have a sleep in. Usually, the answer is yes and those smaller things are more of a courtesy than an exercise of authority and obedience.
[/quote]

I don't go to "mother's" office and kneel to ask for toothpaste. When I was in the order we did have to take our empty tube of toothpaste to our superior and she would slice it open and if there was unused paste, she gave it back to us to finish. Now this was in the late 60's so....We also had public examen each week where we confessed transgressions against our sisters. We made a game out of learning to keep our eyes downward by collecting stray pins from the Sisters veils.

[i<3LSOP]

Sr. Marie... do you have to tell Mother everything you have done wrong once a week or something like that? And do you have to do that before you enter?

[Sister Marie]

[quote name='i<3LSOP' timestamp='1324668370' post='2356484']
Sr. Marie... do you have to tell Mother everything you have done wrong once a week or something like that? And do you have to do that before you enter?
[/quote]

No we do not use that practice. Again, that practice is a more monastic/contemplative practice than an apostolic one (although I'm sure it could pop up in either types of communities or not be present in either types.). It really wouldn't fit with our lifestyle. In our rule, we are required to make a particular examen each day but it is personal and to be shared with our spiritual director or confessor if we choose - not any of the sisters.

We also do not call our superiors mother. We have a superior in each house but she is "sister" just like all of us. I don't think it is wrong for the title of mother to be used but, personally, I am not really comfortable with it. I could live with it, but I'm glad we don't use it. The sister who is the superior has authority because of her holiness, kindness, gentleness, and prayerfulness... those speak more to her authority than a name.

[HopefulBride]

[quote name='cmariadiaz' timestamp='1324623318' post='2356302']
Ok ... its going to sound like I've been hired by the man (Fr. Tim Gallagher) to promote his materials. I haven't I just thoroughly enjoy his teaching and his books.

I heard the audio conference on the Discernment of Spirits. It is wonderful. It goes along with the book of the same name but it isn't simply an audio book.
He has a book/audio conference on Discerning God's will in your life (something like that). That I do recommend as well.

Definitely do Discerning God's will and Discernment of Spirits together ... they really seem to go hand in hand.

I also have the one on the Examen prayer ... but that one I couldn't get into ... I suspect it was because I'm not quite ready yet!
[/quote]

I totally give this post props not because of shameless promotion of Father Gallagher's work but because it is AWE SOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm reading [i]Spiritual Consolation [/i]right now and man oh man. Exactly what I needed.














[size=2]shameless promotion...... over[/size]

[Katiebobatie94]

[quote name='InPersonaChriste' timestamp='1323499990' post='2348481']
Dear Sister Marie,

Have you heard of people crossing oceans to fulfill their religious vocation?
I feel drawn to the Benedictines, but unfortunately the priory in Canada (Quebec) is not as strong as it used to be.
[/quote]

Yeah, there's a man in my parish whose sister went to the Philipines do join a religious order

[Lil'Monster]

Sister Marie,


Can I get married and have 21 kids?


Also why doesnt God let me know what my vocation is?

[OnlySunshine]

[quote name='Lil'Monster' timestamp='1324874700' post='2357571']
Sister Marie,


Can I get married and have 21 kids?


Also why doesnt God let me know what my vocation is?
[/quote]

I'm not Sr. Marie, but I thought I'd give a little input here. I hope you don't mind.

God doesn't immediately let us know what our vocation is because we have free will. He is never going to force anything on us. He wants you to take the time to hear Him in prayer. So much of our life is spent in noise and distraction that we drown out His voice. Make sure you are listening. Acquire a spiritual director if you can and get a Holy Hour. A strong prayer life is crucial to discernment. It took me 4 years to recognize that I did not have a religious vocation, but I truly believe that God allowed my discernment for my benefit. I like to think that if I get married, my discernment of religious life will help me encourage vocations in my own children. God has a reason and purpose for all things. Just be patient with Him. He does things in His time, not ours, no matter how much we want something. You are young yet. You will find your vocation when God wants you to. Merry Christmas and God bless!

[cmaD2006]

[quote name='HopefulBride' timestamp='1324750634' post='2357024']
I totally give this post props not because of shameless promotion of Father Gallagher's work but because it is AWE SOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm reading [i]Spiritual Consolation [/i]right now and man oh man. Exactly what I needed.


[size=2]shameless promotion...... over[/size]
[/quote]

Just make sure to read the Discernment of Spirits book as well ... both are very linked. And you'll miss a lot if you don't have part one (or as he would say, have a good understanding of first week rules).

If you can afford getting the CDs, Go ahead and do so. It was worth every penny and the book and CDs go together.

[Oremoose]

[quote name='Lil'Monster' timestamp='1324874700' post='2357571']
Sister Marie,

Also why doesnt God let me know what my vocation is?
[/quote]
[quote name='MaterMisericordiae' timestamp='1324880762' post='2357601']
I'm not Sr. Marie, but I thought I'd give a little input here. I hope you don't mind.

God doesn't immediately let us know what our vocation is because we have free will. He is never going to force anything on us. He wants you to take the time to hear Him in prayer. [/quote]

I have the same Question as Mon...and mater I know what ypu say is tru but even after 1/2 hour of Adoration in which I did nothing but tell him i don't care about my freewill my will is his to control. i got nada! Should my doing an entire persentation for God in medataion to convince him I did not care about my free will be enough to get him just to tell me?

[Feankie]

Take it easy my young friends! You cannot get God to "tell you" anything. It's in His perview to do as He sees fit and proper. Perhaps you are protesting too much. As humans, we are given the gift of free will, and it's up to us how to use that will responsibly. Good decisions, bad decisions, no decisions---it's in our hands. Those decisions are, on one hand, determined by the wisdom God has so graciously given to us, but on the other hand, we often make decisions based on what we perceive are the right reasons but are actually based on feelings, emotions, wants, and supposed needs.

You must come before God with a teachable spirit, and open heart, and good dose of patience. What we want, when we want it, is not always best for us, nor does it please God that we are somehow trying to manipulate Him to come around to see things our way.
Take a step back, examine where these feelings are coming from, determine why you are feeling them, and meditate on it. Then take yourself out of the picture and put someone else in your place. Look at that person and her desires, methods, etc. with a discerning eye. I think you'll be surprised at what you find.

I'll be keeping you in prayer.

[regina_coeli]

And for those of you feeling a lack of direction-- if you are in school, THAT is where He wants you. Whatever is your vocation, education will help you fulfill it! Please don't feel you are wasting time-- it is part of His plan. Prayers for all of you.

[Sister Marie]

[quote name='MaterMisericordiae' timestamp='1324880762' post='2357601']
I'm not Sr. Marie, but I thought I'd give a little input here. I hope you don't mind.

[/quote]

I hope everyone feels free to to ask and answer here! Thanks MM!