Letting go

[Marieteresa]

I know that each place has its own particular policies and what not.....This I am fully aware of. I just wanted to know besides the circumstances (Iam fully aware that all circumstances are different) would each of you be seriously willing to enter your community if the policy was the same. Besides before Vatican 2 most communities were even stricter than this so the charisms and whatnot don't matter here. Iam just throwing a question out there. I guess what Iam trying to say and what I have realized is that religious life isn't a fantasy world were one could float around in long habits and pray all day. Its hard and it involves difficult sacrfices....I didn't realize this until I truely lived the life fully. Its hard seeing through the candy coated outside from the outside. I guess others will realize this when they are in religious life...Don't get me wrong Religious life does have its graces...Our Lord gives those who are in religious life many graces but the sacrfices can be extremely difficult and they may not only be at entrance but they will also be in the life as well.

[franciscanheart]

well it's an important thing to realize and yes, everyone will realize that at some point! i'm glad that you've found out. you have my continued prayers. please keep us updated.

[cmaD2006]

Well, I think I saw religious life with a set of rose colored glasses ... at least to some degree. After 3 months of aspirancy and 6 months of postulancy with a community, I definitely see it as it is in that community.

So in essence I realize now that no community will be perfect, and each will have its good things and its bad things.

BTW I wear glasses that are tinted pink, so I do see the world through literal rose colored glasses : .

-- Carmen

[brandelynmarie]

Petra had a song once titled.."Rose-colored Stain -Glassed Windows" (yeah, my Baptist side pops out once in awhile!) And I always think of it when I hear about rose-colored glasses....

I admit I do have a fear that I have somehow romanticized religious life & that I am not being realistic about it...Of course, once I have made visits & have made an aspirancy I will better be able to assess it...I often think about how being in the monastery would be like being at work for me...In the sense that, there will be people I get long with & others I would not normally be friends with...& I am certain I will end up annoying somebody somewhere at some point! There will be lots of repetition...boring moments...long periods of silence accompanied by episodes of busyness & perhaps chaos (ok, I work in a hospital on midnights!) But still, just because I think I know these things, doesn't mean that when I go through them as an aspirant that it will be any easier...& there is a chance that even though becoming a nun is the greatest desire in my heart, that the reality of the life may not click with me...or then again, I may be pleasantly surprised... These are the musings of my heart right now...I hope this helps!

[karin]

Alright Shernel you are asking if I would be willing to enter under those circumstances of the writing regulations. Well since i am going to enter that monastery in 1 day less than 19 months then I can say yes. I would truly being willing after living the life for three months to still enter under those circumstance. God Bless and Mary keep
Karin