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Newborn
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Does anyone know if any secular institutes or active religious communities straddle the boundary between the two types of things?
What I mean is, like…are there any groups where the members, having vowed the evangelical counsels and perhaps even wearing some sort of habit…take jobs in the world like in a secular institute, but then also live in community like religious, giving the money they earn from the job to the community, hearing mass together before work, returning to the house at night, on weekends, etc??
Like a family, except…consecrated persons. Living together (sleeping sex segregated, of course, but perhaps in two houses nearby or just in separate wings, like in a mixed/double monastery) and supporting each other materially and spiritually. Praying together, growing in fraternal charity, perhaps doing some apostolate work in their free time (and of course the evangelizing work that by their nature they would be preforming even just by the fact of being visible Consecrateds in the world) but also having their outside jobs and, to a degree, outside friends and sometimes outside activities like members of secular institutes may have, as long as there are clear understandings (like in a family) of when members can attend stuff alone, what times are reserved for the community, what attendance is obligatory, etc.
I feel like some people (myself included) may feel attracted to the idea of consecrated life and even community living and prayer…but at the same time find the “full package” of religious life too repressive and overbearing, but also find the idea of a Secular Institute too detached and decentralized and left too much up to me alone.
I wonder if there are any groups that live as religious in community, but during the day supply for their material needs through taking jobs in the world like in a secular institute, and have a certain greater degree of independence and discretion and self-direction like members of a family do?
And by jobs I dont just mean teaching at Catholic schools or working at Catholic hospitals, nor within Church-run offices or apostolates or within the monastery or house itself. I mean regular jobs, out in the world, like members of secular institutes. But then living in community during the rest of the time. Getting up early and saying the Office in the morning and hearing Mass before work…then going to work…then coming home, saying vespers, having dinner together, a recreation, and compline. And spending the weekends together, or at least parts of the weekends and vacations, but also being able to meet their own friends outside of work sometimes, or attend events or holidays with family, etc.
Sort of like the early Christians who owned everything in common but, at the same time, presumably kept their old crafts and trades. Perhaps the community would have a permanent priest who maybe would hold down the fort during the day, perhaps running a parish or parish-like apostolate, or have a few members who take care of the house work or the cooking or whatever while the others go to work.
Does anything like this exist? The principles dont seem incompatible with Christian life. People in secular institutes work in the world and have independence and personal discretion when it comes to most things, but at the same time…I wonder if this could be fit into the Community aspect of religious life…
What I mean is, like…are there any groups where the members, having vowed the evangelical counsels and perhaps even wearing some sort of habit…take jobs in the world like in a secular institute, but then also live in community like religious, giving the money they earn from the job to the community, hearing mass together before work, returning to the house at night, on weekends, etc??
Like a family, except…consecrated persons. Living together (sleeping sex segregated, of course, but perhaps in two houses nearby or just in separate wings, like in a mixed/double monastery) and supporting each other materially and spiritually. Praying together, growing in fraternal charity, perhaps doing some apostolate work in their free time (and of course the evangelizing work that by their nature they would be preforming even just by the fact of being visible Consecrateds in the world) but also having their outside jobs and, to a degree, outside friends and sometimes outside activities like members of secular institutes may have, as long as there are clear understandings (like in a family) of when members can attend stuff alone, what times are reserved for the community, what attendance is obligatory, etc.
I feel like some people (myself included) may feel attracted to the idea of consecrated life and even community living and prayer…but at the same time find the “full package” of religious life too repressive and overbearing, but also find the idea of a Secular Institute too detached and decentralized and left too much up to me alone.
I wonder if there are any groups that live as religious in community, but during the day supply for their material needs through taking jobs in the world like in a secular institute, and have a certain greater degree of independence and discretion and self-direction like members of a family do?
And by jobs I dont just mean teaching at Catholic schools or working at Catholic hospitals, nor within Church-run offices or apostolates or within the monastery or house itself. I mean regular jobs, out in the world, like members of secular institutes. But then living in community during the rest of the time. Getting up early and saying the Office in the morning and hearing Mass before work…then going to work…then coming home, saying vespers, having dinner together, a recreation, and compline. And spending the weekends together, or at least parts of the weekends and vacations, but also being able to meet their own friends outside of work sometimes, or attend events or holidays with family, etc.
Sort of like the early Christians who owned everything in common but, at the same time, presumably kept their old crafts and trades. Perhaps the community would have a permanent priest who maybe would hold down the fort during the day, perhaps running a parish or parish-like apostolate, or have a few members who take care of the house work or the cooking or whatever while the others go to work.
Does anything like this exist? The principles dont seem incompatible with Christian life. People in secular institutes work in the world and have independence and personal discretion when it comes to most things, but at the same time…I wonder if this could be fit into the Community aspect of religious life…
I did Modern History in College with a great tutor and his instruction on source reliability and discerning of same, means of, could be a great course in itself so helpful was it.
As I said and as I know you understand, my own concept is merely that. I honestly do not feel any call at all to be a foundress per se, other than to ensure my concept is in writing – and that may well just be the writer in me who has a ‘story in mind’ that is perhaps a little more than that… and “passion (to write) would have its fill, as passion often will” (from a poem of mine) No matter, The Lord is not wasteful and has good use for all good gifts of His even if one cannot recognize, subject as we are to our human limitations, any sort of use for it.
…far better to touch one person quite meaningfully than ten without much lasting impact whatsoever.
I think of a horarium as being a timetable sort of thing and freely interchange the two I must admit! … and thought that those Sisters who may work outside the convent in some way would get together to pray communally prior to beginning the day and ending it and then before bed … and of course providing they were “home” with all the rest. Sometimes I can envisage some special call may preclude being “home” with fellow Sisters. Something like that!
LOL! I will have to write to them snail mail and they do give their address.