useful skills for religious life

[MarysLittleFlower]

Thank you everyone!

Vee, of course I agree, I didn't mean that this is the hardest thing in religious life or the most important. If anything I see the apostolate or "what you do" as the least, not the most important part of religious life. Even if someone had nothing at all to bring to the monastery, God just wants our love, and it's not what we do, rather the love with which we do it  love and humility are way more important. I was just wondering if I should continue working on these skills because they can be useful later on

I think for me it would be really hard to get up early too. I try to get up early now and it's really exhausting. I don't know how they do it! lol

[vee]

Certainly any arts and crafts skills you enjoy would likely be beneficial further on.  I cant knit or anything and Im too lazy to learn right now even though I have family members who could show me, so at recreation one of the things I got to do was crossword puzzles with one of the older Sisters.  Actually everyone would answer and it was a lot of fun.  That got me looking for artsy things I would like to do though and so have been dabbling in knotted Rosaries.

[marigold]

1 hour ago, MarysLittleFlower said:

I think for me it would be really hard to get up early too. I try to get up early now and it's really exhausting. I don't know how they do it! lol

If it makes you feel any better, I can't get up early on my own steam. I just can't. But in the monastery, no problem. It's grace.

38 minutes ago, vee said:

Certainly any arts and crafts skills you enjoy would likely be beneficial further on.  I cant knit or anything and Im too lazy to learn right now even though I have family members who could show me, so at recreation one of the things I got to do was crossword puzzles with one of the older Sisters.  Actually everyone would answer and it was a lot of fun.  That got me looking for artsy things I would like to do though and so have been dabbling in knotted Rosaries.

Is that like prayer ropes?

---

Also, vee and MLF, you wouldn't happen to be near one another, would you? Seems like, ya know, you're both in Canada, you're both Carmelitey... as far as I know...  

[HopefulHeart]

4 hours ago, MarysLittleFlower said:

Thank you everyone!

Vee, of course I agree, I didn't mean that this is the hardest thing in religious life or the most important. If anything I see the apostolate or "what you do" as the least, not the most important part of religious life. Even if someone had nothing at all to bring to the monastery, God just wants our love, and it's not what we do, rather the love with which we do it  love and humility are way more important. I was just wondering if I should continue working on these skills because they can be useful later on

I think for me it would be really hard to get up early too. I try to get up early now and it's really exhausting. I don't know how they do it! lol

Getting up early is a challenge for me as well.

I think it is worthwhile to keep working on the skills that naturally interest you. I recall one passage in the book A Right to Be Merry, in which Mother Mary Francis talks about her skills in French. She thought she would never need to use French again when she joined the Poor Clares, but she did end up using her French skills in the monastery. If I remember the passage correctly, she taught French to some of the nuns. So even seemingly unlikely talents can be put to use in religious life.

[Gabriela]

3 hours ago, marigold said:

If it makes you feel any better, I can't get up early on my own steam. I just can't. But in the monastery, no problem. It's grace.

Is that like prayer ropes?

I'm the same. Can't get my butt out of bed—except for in a monastery.

Knotted rosaries are rosaries made out of cord, with no beads. You make knots instead of beads. Like this:

So, yeah, it kinda is a prayer rope, but specifically for saying the rosary.

[vee]

What Gabriela posted is indeed the kind of Rosary Im talking about.  Im interested in crafts that appeal to a variety of people especially young people and men.  I think communities and sisters make what they like, which is fine but sometimes that may only appeal to older people or women.  I like the idea of using para cord, wood and leather things that might appeal to guys like my brothers. 

Marigold, yes I think Marys Little Flower and I are both in Canada but I dont know where she is and I never say where I live.   

or Canadian ninja

[nikita92]

On Fri Nov 27 2015 20:04:38 GMT-0800, Spem in alium said:

This is a highly recommended one to have.  

Yes, they are. A contemplative community not too far away from me makes their own candles - and perhaps also altar breads and vestments, too. But even having some crafty skills you can develop on your own is also good. It's very important to have a hobby or a way of relaxing. 

But those are usually taught to you! Going in already knowing how, is the operative word. (Not taking into account...coming from another community having already experianced doing those things to begin with) 

[Spem in alium]

1 hour ago, nikita92 said:

But those are usually taught to you! Going in already knowing how, is the operative word. (Not taking into account...coming from another community having already experianced doing those things to begin with) 

This is correct  I was just making the point that there are communities for whom art and crafts are a key part of the apostolate. 

[nikita92]

On November 28, 2015 at 12:04:21 PM, MarysLittleFlower said:

Thank you everyone!

Vee, of course I agree, I didn't mean that this is the hardest thing in religious life or the most important. If anything I see the apostolate or "what you do" as the least, not the most important part of religious life. Even if someone had nothing at all to bring to the monastery, God just wants our love, and it's not what we do, rather the love with which we do it  love and humility are way more important. I was just wondering if I should continue working on these skills because they can be useful later on

I think for me it would be really hard to get up early too. I try to get up early now and it's really exhausting. I don't know how they do it! lol

I have to get up at 2:30am to be on my post at 4:30am on the weekends..May-Sept

Im really not a morning person either. I often wonder, if a nun/sister has had a difficult sleeping night.. Tossing and turning etc and just start to get some deep sleep by  say 4:30 am.. Do communities allow them to recoup their rest?  (for lack of a better way of describing it) Or, must they rise with their sisters no matter what has taken place during the night hours? I haven't read anyone writing something on this particular area. Sorry! Didn't mean to hijack the subject!!!!

[Spem in alium]

14 minutes ago, nikita92 said:

I have to get up at 2:30am to be on my post at 4:30am on the weekends..May-Sept

Im really not a morning person either. I often wonder, if a nun/sister has had a difficult sleeping night.. Tossing and turning etc and just start to get some deep sleep by  say 4:30 am.. Do communities allow them to recoup their rest?  (for lack of a better way of describing it) Or, must they rise with their sisters no matter what has taken place during the night hours? I haven't read anyone writing something on this particular area. Sorry! Didn't mean to hijack the subject!!!!

I am speaking living in a more active community, but we are all expected to rise at a certain time for Office. I am a morning person, and so waking early is not too difficult for me usually, but some of us clearly have trouble. Most Sisters work out of home and so cannot easily rest during the day. We do tend to make allowances if someone has overslept or is sick. It's just part of being human.  

I think I've only signficantly overslept once in my life, and that was before this year's Mass on the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul when the Holy Father conferred the pallia (I know, what a day to oversleep!). I woke up five minutes before we were meant to leave. We made the Mass, but I don't think I've ever moved so quickly in all my life.

Edited December 1, 2015 by Spem in alium

[Charbel]

7 minutes ago, nikita92 said:

I have to get up at 2:30am to be on my post at 4:30am on the weekends..May-Sept

Im really not a morning person either. I often wonder, if a nun/sister has had a difficult sleeping night.. Tossing and turning etc and just start to get some deep sleep by  say 4:30 am.. Do communities allow them to recoup their rest?  (for lack of a better way of describing it) Or, must they rise with their sisters no matter what has taken place during the night hours? I haven't read anyone writing something on this particular area. Sorry! Didn't mean to hijack the subject!!!!

Have you ever heard of a little nun named Sr. Therese of the Child Jesus by any chance...?  She writes of how she often slept terribly since she had entered the monastery. This resulted in her frequently falling asleep during prayer. It was something she struggled with during her whole religious life.

Source: Story of A Soul, translated by Fr. John Clarke, O.C.D. Copyright (c) 1976 by Washington Province of Discalced Carmelites, ICS Publications, 2131 Lincoln Road, N.E., Washington, DC 20002 U.S.A., p. 165.

She said "Really, I am far from being a saint, and what I have just said is proof of this; instead of rejoicing, for example, at my aridity, I should attribute it to my little fervor and lack of fidelity; I should be desolate for having slept (for seven years) during my hours of prayer and my thanksgivings after Holy Communion; well, I am not desolate. I remember that little children are as pleasing to their parents when they are asleep as well as when they are wide awake; I remember, too, that when they perform operations, doctors put their patients to sleep. Finally, I remember that: "The Lord knows our weakness, that he is mindful that we are but dust and ashes."

Generally they must rise with their sisters no matter what, (probably with the exceptions Spem mentioned) but thanks be to God some communities have a little something called Siesta!

[chrysostom]

On 11/28/2015, 8:19:37, Gabriela said:

 

So, yeah, it kinda is a prayer rope, but specifically for saying the rosary.

I love those.  I don't like to go without one in my possession.  I call them "stealth rosaries" since they don't clink or make noise when you tell your beads.  That way I don't get self-conscious when I use it where other people are around, whether that's on a train or in a chapel.  And they don't tangle easily so if it's really cold out when I do my rosary walk, I can thumb through the decades from the comfort of a pocket where it's all bunched up.

[vee]

1 hour ago, Charbel said:

Generally they must rise with their sisters no matter what, (probably with the exceptions Spem mentioned) but thanks be to God some communities have a little something called Siesta!

Once upon a time someone I know well, ok it was me, fell asleep during this so called siesta.  Two and a half hours later my siesta was noisily interrupted by the novice mistress knocking on my door because vespers was starting and someone was rather noticeably absent!  

[Gabriela]

8 hours ago, vee said:

Once upon a time someone I know well, ok it was me, fell asleep during this so called siesta.  Two and a half hours later my siesta was noisily interrupted by the novice mistress knocking on my door because vespers was starting and someone was rather noticeably absent!  

I feel you. For me, a "nap" is AT LEAST two hours. Usually more like four.

I don't know how people get up after 15 minutes. I think they're aliens.

[Mags]

12 hours ago, vee said:

Once upon a time someone I know well, ok it was me, fell asleep during this so called siesta.  Two and a half hours later my siesta was noisily interrupted by the novice mistress knocking on my door because vespers was starting and someone was rather noticeably absent!  

When I was in community after tea there was an hour to do odd jobs before Vespers. Feeling tired on this one occasion I lay down, the next thing I know the Superior is knocking on my door asking what had happened as I had missed Vespers. Doh.