Our Lady Of The Rock Benedictine Monastery

[regina_coeli]

How is Kat Sterling? I miss her. She always made such thoughtful posts.

[PhuturePriest]

I never responded to this? I thought I had. Either way, better late than never. Congratulations on your successful trip, and I am glad that you appear to have entered.

[Nunsense]

[quote name='FuturePriest387' timestamp='1334883662' post='2421003']
I never responded to this? I thought I had. Either way, better late than never. Congratulations on your successful trip, and I am glad that you appear to have entered.
[/quote]

Soon, FP, soon but thank you. I am in the pre-postulancy stage. I suppose the Carmelites would call it a live-in but Benedictines have different terminology and way of doing things. I am in a limbo-land, not of the monastery yet and not of the guest world either. I live above the priest's house (well, it's a priest's house when we have a priest in residence, which God willing will happen in July when our Easter priest comes back for a year's sabbatical from his SOLT duties) but I can take my meals with the guests or by myself if I want. Since I have been sick, I have been taking them alone, but today I went down to the guest house for lunch. They have me live here so that I don't get into too much socializing with the guests and Interns and oblates who come. Sometimes the guest house gets very full of people and there is a lot of talking and busy-ness. I also take care of the cat who lives at the house - he is a real sweetie. In another eight weeks or so, I will move into a cabin within the monastery enclosure with one of the Professed nuns and take my meals at the monastery and join them for recreation. Things are done slowly here, a little bit at a time, which is good for me this time around. I won't post too much here though, because I am going to put things on my blog now, and anyone who is interested can check there for updates. But thank you to everyone for all the kind words.

Edited April 20, 2012 by nunsense

[regina_coeli]

Yes! I am enjoying the blog immensely.

[Antigonos]

What's the link to your blog?

[ACS67]

[url="http://monasterymusing.blogspot.com/"]http://monasterymusing.blogspot.com/[/url]

[Nunsense]

Thanks phriends. I am going to try to post something at the end of every day if I can. I like to think about what has happened during the day and then write about it. It is good for me and there might be others who enjoy it too. And since I can't do all the leisure things here that I used to do, writing is sort of a recreation for me (since I am not joining the sisters yet for Recreation). ACS posted the link above but if you lose it later, I put it on my Profile page.

[ACS67]

The picture are great Nunsense. It must be very peaceful out there.

Edited April 20, 2012 by ACS67

[AnneLine]

Nunsense, how do those of us who don't have any of those things (Google accounts, AIM, Typepad, etc.) post comments on your blog?

[Nunsense]

[quote name='AnneLine' timestamp='1334952402' post='2421365']
Nunsense, how do those of us who don't have any of those things (Google accounts, AIM, Typepad, etc.) post comments on your blog?
[/quote]

I just made it possible for anonymous users to post comments as well as registered ones. We will see if that works or not. Sometimes this leaves one open to spam or obnoxious messages, but no sense worrying until and unless it happens. Try to post now and see if it works.

[AnneLine]

Thank you! Posted!

Edited April 20, 2012 by AnneLine

[PhuturePriest]

[quote name='nunsense' timestamp='1334890866' post='2421113']
Soon, FP, soon but thank you. I am in the pre-postulancy stage. I suppose the Carmelites would call it a live-in but Benedictines have different terminology and way of doing things. I am in a limbo-land, not of the monastery yet and not of the guest world either. I live above the priest's house (well, it's a priest's house when we have a priest in residence, which God willing will happen in July when our Easter priest comes back for a year's sabbatical from his SOLT duties) but I can take my meals with the guests or by myself if I want. Since I have been sick, I have been taking them alone, but today I went down to the guest house for lunch. They have me live here so that I don't get into too much socializing with the guests and Interns and oblates who come. Sometimes the guest house gets very full of people and there is a lot of talking and busy-ness. I also take care of the cat who lives at the house - he is a real sweetie. In another eight weeks or so, I will move into a cabin within the monastery enclosure with one of the Professed nuns and take my meals at the monastery and join them for recreation. Things are done slowly here, a little bit at a time, which is good for me this time around. I won't post too much here though, because I am going to put things on my blog now, and anyone who is interested can check there for updates. But thank you to everyone for all the kind words.
[/quote]

Oh, I see. Will you be allowed to use the computer once you officially enter the Community?

[BarbTherese]

Very nice blog, nunsense.
Good to see you getting back onto your feet and the pics of the monastery grounds look beautiful! Peaceful!

[Nunsense]

[quote name='FuturePriest387' timestamp='1334965413' post='2421463']
Oh, I see. Will you be allowed to use the computer once you officially enter the Community?
[/quote]

Good question but I can't really answer it yet. I assume yes, but the amount of time online will probably depend on a number of factors. Benedictines are not into denying one's abilities so much as using then for the good of the community and since my Master's degree is in Information Technology Education it is likely to suppose that they will want to take advantage of this skill, especially as it is one of the few skills I do possess. I am only a mediocre singer, a poor cook, and an incredibly bad hand-sewer, although I am not too deadly with a sewing machine if I have a pattern and instructions! The good news is that they already have an expert musician and some really good singers here, and others who have the skills I lack. And Mother H did say to me that they were glad I had the computer skills since none of them really do, and they have to rely on help from their oblates to get things online.

For me, the danger is in getting too involved with computers, as they are very much a part of me, but having spent those years in Carmel, I know that I can do without them, and I can ration myself as needed. And since hospitality is a big part of the Benedictine charism, I suppose having online hospitality makes sense as well.

[Nunsense]

[quote name='BarbaraTherese' timestamp='1334966866' post='2421473']
Very nice blog, nunsense.
Good to see you getting back onto your feet and the pics of the monastery grounds look beautiful! Peaceful!
[/quote]

Beautiful yes, but not always peaceful externally -- lots of guests pass through and every day has its adventures. Today an elderly couple came to visit the chapel and they got their car stuck in the mud trying to avoid another car going down the hill while they were going up. It took three hours and a local farmer to help them get unstuck... but they were very good natured about it all - so maybe the peace of the place had already sunk into them?

[BarbTherese]

Three hours maintaining Peace and therefore Patience while one's car is stuck is exemplary!
There is that Peace, Quiet and Aloneness even in a crowd of people and much comings and goings, huh! I am going to register on your blog if you will have me as soon as soon as I can. I noticed there was a facility to have email advice of new entries. You not only have computer skills but writing also - an easy flow and an eye for detail and communicating it. Thomas Merton wrote that contemplatives should share the fruits of their contemplation in the parlour. And in the 21st century a computer can be 'the parlour' open to the whole wide world - that is if your superior is happy with such and if so, and it is thus an obedience, nothing to fear.

[Nunsense]

[quote name='BarbaraTherese' timestamp='1335061957' post='2421789']
Three hours maintaining Peace and therefore Patience while one's car is stuck is exemplary!
There is that Peace, Quiet and Aloneness even in a crowd of people and much comings and goings, huh! I am going to register on your blog if you will have me as soon as soon as I can. I noticed there was a facility to have email advice of new entries. You not only have computer skills but writing also - an easy flow and an eye for detail and communicating it. Thomas Merton wrote that contemplatives should share the fruits of their contemplation in the parlour. And in the 21st century a computer can be 'the parlour' open to the whole wide world - that is if your superior is happy with such and if so, and it is thus an obedience, nothing to fear.
[/quote]

I have set up comments so that one shouldn't have to register, unless they want to, and yes, email notification is set-up as well, so whatever way you want to stay in touch is fine.

Contemplative life just seems to be like a compost pile for writers, doesn't it - it takes a load of manure and rubbish and turns it into something useful? I find that writing helps me when I don't have anyone else to talk to - sort of a release valve.

As for obedience, it isn't a question at the moment because I have been told to continue my work online and to basically continue to live my own life while living here. Once I move into the monastery, as I wrote to FP, I will just have to see if the situation changes or not. I am fine with whatever decision is made and just hope I can be useful to the community in some way.

[BarbTherese]

I understand completely - writing is a release and often a catharsis for me as well. My Bipolar condition has taken me on a fascinating (now anyway I can say this!) and quite colourful journey and from the depths of continual serious psychotic mental illness (and simply 'not on this planet') to a state of as good as wellness and mental stability today (while the implications of my condition is constantly with me as potential - remote, but potential nonethless). I have mountains of much manure and rubbish!!! I have been asked by my betters to write about it all but at this point I can't as I get to points where there is just too much pain to recall and write. I leave it and try to go back much later, but its too much for such as I. Maybe one day before I leave this world I will. I have kept diaries for many years now and much of it I think is probably in these.
Since I am quite stubborn about your having a vocation to the life, I know you will be of great use to your community whichever decision is made. I also know that where God's Will is, there you will be - as stubborn as I am. I am really looking forward to following your journey in OLR and my hope and prayer is that I will still be following you up to final profession,and I will be including in my prayers that your superior will see things my way and encourage you to write and be a continuing encouragement to us all especially discerners for religious life !!!

PS A suggestion - link to your blog in your signature?

Edited April 22, 2012 by BarbaraTherese

[Nunsense]

[quote name='BarbaraTherese' timestamp='1335074175' post='2421828']
I understand completely - writing is a release and often a catharsis for me as well. My Bipolar condition has taken me on a fascinating (now anyway I can say this!) and quite colourful journey and from the depths of continual serious psychotic mental illness (and simply 'not on this planet') to a state of as good as wellness and mental stability today (while the implications of my condition is constantly with me as potential - remote, but potential nonethless). I have mountains of much manure and rubbish!!! I have been asked by my betters to write about it all but at this point I can't as I get to points where there is just too much pain to recall and write. I leave it and try to go back much later, but its too much for such as I. Maybe one day before I leave this world I will. I have kept diaries for many years now and much of it I think is probably in these.
Since I am quite stubborn about your having a vocation to the life, I know you will be of great use to your community whichever decision is made. I also know that where God's Will is, there you will be - as stubborn as I am. I am really looking forward to following your journey in OLR and my hope and prayer is that I will still be following you up to final profession,and I will be including in my prayers that your superior will see things my way and encourage you to write and be a continuing encouragement to us all especially discerners for religious life !!!

PS A suggestion - link to your blog in your signature?
[/quote]
Thanks for the suggestion Barb - it never occured to me! One way to deal with pain in writing is to fictionalize it. That's why I wrote my book in 2010 - because I had to deal with the pain of being kicked out of Carmel. It started out as a semi-autobiographical and quickly became a fiction story, and then into all kinds of realities. Maybe if you can't write your true story, you could about someone else who experiences similar things to what you have, but as you go along, make changes to help deal with the pain. It worked for me. Now, I would never even read that book I wrote, let alone allowing others to do so - it embarrasses the heck out of me just thinking about it. But at the time, it did what I needed it to do. Go for it!

[BarbTherese]

Thank you very much for that suggestion - it just might work for me too. And writing a book will keep me out of mischief! One of the problems I did come across was that I had no desire to point any fingers at anyone since far more often, the finger was pointing at myself. This could be totally overcome with writing what I call fictional fact (fiction drawing on facts)wherein I can disguise all identites. The idea had occured to me before (to write a fiction/fact novel) but it had absolutely no appeal whatsoever until I read your post above and something dropped into place - whatever it was. God is Good and all things in His Time. It only occured to me today that God had been waiting for me to make a very painful decision before stable mental health would begin. If I can indeed get into it, I might write a few novels - goodness knows I know many sufferers' stories and in a novel identities can be hidden and a story draw on a few stories. Statements re journeying with mental illness (for one) can be conveyed. It could be a total and absolute work of fiction drawing on facts from all over the place and many stories and buried in it all somewhere my own story. This way, I can now see, I can project any pain onto a fictional character in a story and thus distance from myself personally. My head is filling with ideas! Thank you again! Bob Dylan wrote "a head full of ideas driving me insane" ........ but I shall avoid that one God Willing!

Edited April 22, 2012 by BarbaraTherese