Hemma Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 Yes, I saw that, too, and thought, what? So, I think that is just the writer's perception. For Dominicans, study is about knowing and loving God more, not being intellectuals. We do require a certain desire to study, though and most who enter do have a certain desire for it. Study has its own penance built in! BTW I didn't go to college, either but in the monastery I probably got the equivalent of a masters in Theology. What is important is the desire for God. And coming with gifts of music and sewing are just wonderful! You're right. I happen to know her personally and, yes, that's HER personal perception. It's truly a great monastery, but I wouldn't take her as the most radiant example of a Dominican nun. She has been a celeb, that's what it makes her interesting for the newspapers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hemma Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 Maybe celeb is not the right word. Some sort of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sr Mary Catharine OP Posted November 4, 2014 Author Share Posted November 4, 2014 Dominican Nuns are sinners, not saints, who spend their lifetime asking for God's mercy and that of the community! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabriela Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 (edited) Apparently St Therese brought tweezers :shock: You can bring tweezers?!?!?! Omigosh I SO AGONIZED over all my chin hair when I was discerning!!! LOL! Edited November 5, 2014 by curiousing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sr Mary Catharine OP Posted November 5, 2014 Author Share Posted November 5, 2014 :shock: You can bring tweezers?!?!?! Omigosh I SO AGONIZED over all my chin hair when I was discerning!!! LOL! Well, here you can. We're not partial to mustaches and chin hairs! Some sisters have to be a little more "aggressive" and tweezers aren't enough! :cry: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hemma Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 Dominican Nuns are sinners, not saints, who spend their lifetime asking for God's mercy and that of the community! Yep. Does not contradict my statement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AuthorOfMyLife Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 :shock: You can bring tweezers?!?!?! Omigosh I SO AGONIZED over all my chin hair when I was discerning!!! LOL! Ha ha! I guess there are some specialized health/hygiene things that would be hard to give up (like those perfect nail clippers). For me, I would want to bring books! I have a whole stack of G. K. Chesterton books that are SO intellectual (and fun) that any monastery without them would surely be missing something! Right? Right? I mean, who could resist the "Father Brown Omnibus" and "The Man Who Was Thursday"? I don't know if "Something Wicked This Way Comes" would be allowed in a monastery library, but it seems pretty theological to me with its good vs. evil struggle (lol). Speaking seriously, I would want to bring items that would be useful to me and to the community, such as: Books Sewing supplies Drawing/painting supplies A violin (which, sadly, at this point I can't really play, although it is a fond dream of my heart to be taught to play it someday) A decent Mac computer? (not for me personally, but maybe the community could really use an upgrade!) I guess this is something that has to be decided on a case by case basis. It must depend very much on how austere the community is, how much room they have, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veritasop1206 Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 I know Sr. Lydia and was delighted to read the article. She is a lovely, gracious and humble person! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dominican Nuns Menlo Park Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 Thank you, Sr. Mary Catherine, very inspiring story...and of a Dominican to top that! :) Thank you, Sister Mary Catharine! That's what I thought (that study is to deepen love). You're right about the penance of study--I've found that out when trying to impose a modicum of spiritual reading on my day (it can be challenging, since you see how much you need to improve). Also....I'm glad you think sewing and musical skills would be useful! For Dominicans, study is a form of prayer so for beginners, it can be quite a penance. One of the friars who taught the Novitiate sisters on prayer told us to put on 'iron pants' each day to learn the discipline of study. Eventually, as with prayer, it became an essential part for all Dominican and a joy! BTW, to confirm Sr. Mary Catharine's statement...sewing and music are very useful and wonderful gifts from God. Normally someone wouldn't bring that many but someone like her that would be "normal". Books....ahhhhh! We have a postulant entered last week and if she had her way, she would have brought close to 600 or more books with her, not counting books that have to do with her profession (she was a lawyer.) She did offer to donate half of her library to us...Dominicans love books so we couldn't say no! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneLine Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 YAY!!! Congratulations to you as well, Sister!!! I am glad your new Postulant was finally able to enter! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dominican Nuns Menlo Park Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 YAY!!! Congratulations to you as well, Sister!!! I am glad your new Postulant was finally able to enter! Yah, religious life on a whole and Dominicans especially seem to do very well with new vocations. Deo Gratias. Please pray for their perseverance. Soon we'll begin the Year of Consecrated Life and prayerfully we'll have a good harvest for our Mother Church! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneLine Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 Also good to see you posting again! AND you should ask a moderator to change your 'status' to "RELIGIOUS" rather than Noob! Otherwise you won't be able to use the PM system if someone is interested in contacting you! You might also want to consider an email address to the community on your Community's website! ;) Praying for you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IgnatiusofLoyola Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 We have a postulant entered last week and if she had her way, she would have brought close to 600 or more books with her, not counting books that have to do with her profession (she was a lawyer.) She did offer to donate half of her library to us...Dominicans love books so we couldn't say no! ONLY 600 books?! I need to move in the next year to a smaller, perhaps much smaller home, and I had roughly 2,000 books. So far, I have managed to give away about 500 books--the "easy" decisions. But I know I will have to "weed" my library even more, depending on where I move, and a lot of those decisions won't be easy. However, I know that wherever I end up, I will still have as many books as possible. I found some portable wood bookshelves at Target, and I plan to line the walls of my future home with books. I LOVE rooms with lots of books--they feel so cozy and welcoming to me! I know I've mentioned my needing to move before, and as time goes on, the need becomes increasingly urgent--partly because of finances, and partly because, unfortunately, I am no longer physically able to keep up my current house on my own (and it's a pretty small house to begin with). The big problem right now is that I don't know where I want to live--or to state it better--where God wants me to live. I'm totally stumped and the decision is causing me increasing stress. I constantly ask God to make his will my will. This is off-topic for this thread, and bluntly, I don't feel comfortable to publicly discussing the specifics of my moving issues in a special thread. But, if any of you think of me, please pass a quick prayer to St. Joseph (my main go-to-saint--as well as a great saint for issues relating to home) and any other saints you are close to. And, before I forget, congratulations to the Dominican Nuns of Menlo Park on a new postulant!! I will pray not only for her persererence, but also that she experiences happiness and the feeling that she is "home." She is already so blessed to have found your Community! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sr Mary Catharine OP Posted November 6, 2014 Author Share Posted November 6, 2014 Also good to see you posting again! AND you should ask a moderator to change your 'status' to "RELIGIOUS" rather than Noob! Otherwise you won't be able to use the PM system if someone is interested in contacting you! You might also want to consider an email address to the community on your Community's website! ;) Praying for you! Does the PM system work? It hasn't for me for months! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabriela Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 Does the PM system work? It hasn't for me for months! It's been working for me. You should click "Report" on this post to get a mod's attention, since you can't PM them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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