Discerning my Vocation as a Nun

Sister Benedict’s Story: part 2

 So I knew nothing about religious life, except that I felt that God was calling me to consecrate my whole life to him.

I was drawn to the Benedictines because of Cardinal Basil Hume, and his book, Searching for God. This book is also still available.

(By the way, did you google Sun Slower Sun Faster, the novel I mentioned last time? You will soon realise that books have had a great influence on me!)

Cardinal Hume attracted me to Benedictine monastic life because when interviewed on the radio he talked about prayer, which was quite rare in those days. I also heard him preach at Westminster Cathedral, and he didn’t pretend to know all the answers, which was honest and helpful.

I have often returned to that book of his, and did so again only last year to copy out a bit about discernment:

To novices about to take first vows:

“When you were postulants and we were discussing whether or not you should enter the monastery, I told you there were three questions you should put to yourself: Do I want to live with these persons? Do I want to do what they do? Do I see myself becoming the sort of person they are? These are three questions you might well put to yourselves again. Do you want to be one of us? Do you want to do what we do? Do you see yourself becoming the sort of persons we are?”

 From reading Cardinal Hume’s book, I wanted to read the Rule of St Benedict, to which he referred so frequently, and which he obviously took to be a good guide. I found a paperback of the Rule in Mowbray’s bookshop, near where I worked. It was a small American edition with a helpful introduction.

“Listen, my son, to the words of the Master”. These words seemed to be addressed directly to me. “Who seeks for life? … if you answer: I do!” For years this beginning of the Rule, when read out in the Refectory, always moved me profoundly.

 I got addresses by writing to the Vocations Sisters [no longer exist?] and wrote to the four houses. The Sisters also recommended a novel, In this House of Brede by Rumer Godden, this too is still available. I am not sure it was helpful, but it probably influenced me for a long time.

So I set out in exceptionally cold weather, snowy even, leaving my car behind, also the cigarettes.

I just looked at one place from outside, as they said they were probably making a big change, and I had seen something in the press about it.

I went for a really nerve wracking interview with the superior of a second place, nerve wracking because she never took her eyes off me and I felt I had to stare back and answer all her searching questions truthfully. I realised I could not manage that for the rest of my life!

And then I went to stay at two other Benedictine houses a weekend each.

I foolishly thought I could change my whole future on the basis of a weekend’s acquaintance.

End of part 2!

 Thanks for your encouraging comments on part 1

Sr B

prayers

Hi folks,

Some of you will have heard that our holy father Pope Benedict XVI has made this year ‘The Year of the Priest’ which started on June 19th the feast of the Sacred Heart. It also is the 150th Anniversary of the death of St. John Vianney (Patron saint of parish priests). So what are we doing for it??? In our Diocese over the next year -  we are praying each day for a particular priest in a special way. We have a prayer set out for us which goes as follows:

O Jesus, our great High Priest, Hear my humble prayers on behalf of your priest Father ………Give him a deep faith , a bright and firm hope and a burning love which will ever increase in the course of his priestly life. In his loneliness, comfort him, in his sorrows, strengthen him, in his frustrations, point out to him that it is through suffering that the soul is purified, and show him that he is needed by the Church, he is needed by souls, he is needed for the work of redemption. O loving Mother Mary, Mother of Priests, take to your hearet your son who is close to you because of his priestly ordination, and because of the power which he has received to carry on the work of Christ in a world which needs him so much. Be his comfort, be his joy, be his strength, and especially help him to live and to defend the ideals of consecrated celibacy. Amen. 

I beleive that this was written by a former archbishop of St. Louis – and what a lovely prayer it is. I think that the first half of the prayer could deeply be our own too. 

What do you think?

Sr. D 

A Word from Sister Benedict

Sister Davina asked me to tell you something about how I became a nun.

And who is this Sister Benedict? My connection with the Noviceship is that I teach the postulants and novices about the history of the community.

Anyway, I hope it will help you if I tell you some of my experiences:

 I was 35 when I entered monastic life, not here, but in Another Benedictine Monastery . . . At that time, it was considered a late vocation, but nowadays we would consider 20s and 30s as quite normal. I certainly thought I was rather old to be making a big change in my life: I had a good job, a career even, my own house, car, two cats! My private life had been busy, with a drama group and politics. But I must say at that time things were not moving particularly fast.

It was a pilgrimage to Rome that started me off. After I came back I heard a young man at the English College Rome talking on the radio with great enthusiasm about committing his whole life to God. I suddenly felt I wanted to do that, and as I was a woman that meant being a nun.

I knew nothing about what were nuns and what were sisters. The first sister I ever spoke to was on the bus during that pilgrimage, some sort of missionary. Rome was swarming with sisters. I saw a young nun all in white in St. Peter’s, looking at me. I wanted to know what order she belonged to, but someone said there were such a lot.

I became a Catholic when I was 19, after having wanted to, on and off, since I was 13. That had been  when I read a book from the children’s library: still available: Sun Slower Sun Faster, by Meriol Trevor. I then wrote to the Catholic Enquiry Centre, without my parents knowing. I had never been baptised as my parents didn’t believe in it. So eventually when I was off to university, they let me become a Catholic: I took instruction and was baptised. But it was a rather private thing, almost secret. The friends I had were not Catholics. I suppose I was cowardly really.

To be continued!

Come and See!

COME AND SEE

Do you think that God is calling you to a religious community? And that the Benedictine way of life may be for you then why not come and join us for a few days and see what we are about! For St. Benedict ‘PRAYER AND WORK’ go hand in hand, you cannot have one without the other.

 A long weekend from Thursday 13^th Aug till Sunday 16^th Aug will be held for any

one who would like to come for a few days and experience Monastic Life as the Benedictine Nuns do?

Singing the Divine Office, private prayer, work, studying the Holy Rule of St. Benedict, and a chance to chat with a few members of the community over their way of life. Time is also available to relax and go for a walk on your own along the canal, and take in some of Staffordshire countryside, or visit to Shugborough Hall just opposite the Abbey

For further details please contact Sr. Davina either  through the Blog at:  colwichnov.wordpress.com or email me at novblog@googlemail.com   or Tel: 01889 881282

PLEASE COULD YOU CONTACT ME BY JULY 26TH – And if you can’t make this weekend for one reason or another don’t forget you can just get in touch and arrange a visit privately!

 

I have now worked out a rough time table for the weekend it is as follows:

Thurs: Arrive 4.30,  5pm  Vespers,  6pm Compline,  6.30pm Supper,  7.30pm Introduction

Fri:  7am Morning office, 8.30am Mass, 9.30am Study of Holy Rule, 10.30am Work with sisters and chance to ask questions, 12pm Midday office followed by lunch, 2pm Free time – optional or work,  4.30 study, 5.30pm free till 6pm then Vespers, supper, 7.30pm free for recreation, 8pm private prayer, 8.30pm Compline.

Sat: As friday

Sun:7am Morning office, 9.30 Mass, free after mass or chance to speak to sisters over vocation, 12pm Midday office followed by lunch, departures.

Of course this is only a rough guide to follow and may be changed according to how things go. 

 

“Feast Days”

Hello there!

It has been busy, busy, busy here! We have just celebrated two feasts over the last week so its been a case of  ‘getting those sarnies ready’. First off the mark was Mother Abbess’ annual feast for her ‘Blessing Day’ which we keep ‘in due cerenomy’ within the community. That is to say we are preparing presents to give her, and present them after lunch when we all gather round in the ‘workroom’ as we call it and sing the feast day song, a drink of coffee and a biscuit, then we go and have a look at the presents, followed by afternoon tea and entertainment. Its good to have these sort of days as we are enclosed and do not go out for holidays – so these recreation days are holidays to us.

At the weekend also, (May 30th), we celebrated a Golden Jubilee so we were getting ready for a few days and what a wonderful atmosphere there was. It was attended by 55 people most of whom were family and long standing friends. The Mass was a votive mass of Our Lady as it would have been the feast of the visitation over the weekend, two lovely hymns were sung and sister renewed her vows. There were 6 preists present to give thanks for the last 50 years of sisters religious life. Jubilees for us are taken from our clothing day and not profession day. There were lilies and carnations decorating the choir, with the blazing sun shining through the stained glass windows – amazing!!!!!  All this was followed by a splendid buffet! We sang on the previous day the ‘colwich pop song’ which is always apt on such magnificent occassions, and was a great start of what was to follow. The weather ‘luckily for us’ was hot so we (or should i say most people) were able to eat outside.

We all are now feeling shattered after – as you do after these events but are enjoying every minute of it…………..

God bless

Sr. D

24th June:  Today is the feast of St. John the Baptist – so happy feast to you all. It is by tradition with our community that it is the novice mistress’ feast day, as she is the one who gives the formation to those in the novitiate and the connection with john the baptist is that he was the precursor of Our Lord. He prepared the way for Jesus to come.     God bless