Q: Re: Discalced Carmelites

[Ima Lurker]

Sadly, I've put my college studies on hold in order to be a full time, homemaker and homeschool mom. Since it's more expensive to educate your own children rather than let the State babysit them, (sorry, personal opinion there), while I've taken a couple of basic courses, I just don't have the time right now to do anything there.

 

Also, it's why I read so slowly here, to try to make sure I am reading correctly.

 

They say the brain is a muscle that needs to be exercised. This is partly why I am on PM and because I figure I can make it twofold, sharpen my mind and learn about my faith.

 

So, at the risk of killing you with repetitive repetition (haha), "Thank you for sharing your knowledge of these things!"

[Maire]

And in the 1991 communities there are still some nuns who entered pre Vat 2 and who probably would have preferred if their community had chosen the 1990 Constitutions because they still have the 1990 attitudes about many things and seem to be bitter and resentful of some of the changes. Even in a 1991 Carmel I often heard things like 'In my day...' with the ending usually being something like '...postulants weren't allowed to speak up.' (meaning: so why should you be allowed to do it?) or '... we didn't get given an Office until after our Solemn Profession!' (meaning: so why were you given an Office?). It is sometimes hard to see others given what we weren't allowed - witness the prodigal son and his brother. One old nun even said to my face, 'In my day, we wouldn't have let someone like you enter!' I had to ponder what this meant since I wasn't quite sure what it was about me that she found so appalling. Was it because I was an American? A convert? A woman with an annulment hence a non-virgin? And why did she feel it necessary to point out to me just how unworthy I was to be there? And the funny thing is, that even though she seemed to find me unsuitable for a 1991 Carmel, I had previously been in a 1990 Carmel - so their standards must have been even lower to have accepted me! Sometimes you just gotta laugh at the absurdity of a situation.

Oh, wow, if a nun had said that to me I would have been devastated! I can't even imagine such a thing!

As for the rest of the topic, I had no idea that there were two constitutions! How fascinating!

[Nunsense]

Oh, wow, if a nun had said that to me I would have been devastated! I can't even imagine such a thing!

As for the rest of the topic, I had no idea that there were two constitutions! How fascinating!

 

 

I don't think I've had much worse said to me by nuns, but pretty close to it. I seem to attract the bullies for some reason :)

[graciandelamadrededios]

Oh, wow, if a nun had said that to me I would have been devastated! I can't even imagine such a thing!

As for the rest of the topic, I had no idea that there were two constitutions! How fascinating!

 

Before Vatican II, humiliation was common practice.  Its like testing the new members.  St. Therese was humiliated several times by Mother Marie de Gonzague.

 

One Prioress from a Carmelite Monastery in the Philippines shared about her experiences about humiliation when she was a young novice and I was horrified that Nuns used such language.

 

As for the Constitutions, yes there are officially 2 sets: the 1990 and the 1991.  There are also few monasteries that adapted the 1990 text but follows some points of the 1991 text pertaining to the Superior General of the Order.  They call it "Hybrid Text."

Edited August 25, 2013 by graciandelamadrededios