Lax religious orders?

[Poor_Clare_tobe]

Dear Oumashta,

Congratulations on discerning religious life!

I don’t have any concrete answers for you but if I would love to just share a few of my own thoughts as a religious on what you are saying.

I think that sometimes we are so used to hearing the stories of the saints and all the hardships and penances they faced we think that we need to do the same to be saints. The thing is that all their holiness was shaped by the culture and time period in which they lived. The same will be true for us when, hopefully, we are saints in heaven one day. Holiness today will not look the same as it did fifty or one hundred years ago - and not because its easier - each time period has its own struggles.

I can hear in your questions an authentic struggle and want for holiness and that is the greatest thing! Sometimes in religious life though we look at the external and think that there isn’t that much happening… but… there are other parts of religious life that are now more difficult than they were before. For instance, community life is extremely difficult because it has become so much more counter cultural than it was in the past. Society is increasingly individualistic and it is more difficult to live community now. As a sister, it would be much easier for me to wear a motification than to balance prayer, community, and the apostolate. The latter is much harder for me!

I don’t know your community or your circumstances but I just wanted to give another perspective on religious life. I’d be glad to share more but I think religious life is really in a time of change, as is the world, and it makes things a little more confusing, especially in discernment! It is a great life though!

Its my prayer that you find where God desires for you to be!

SM

Just to add to what SrMarie said

A few more thoughts here from one who is half way through the process to final vows,

Religious life today is quite different than in years past, some traditions or mortification’s as Sister noted are quite different today, in fact just living a life in community today may be more difficult then in times past, I would encourage you to keep looking… (Also just as an example… our community does sleep on beds not straw pallets… one could say this is less mortification…on the other hand our community doctor is quite a bit happier with our overall health as a community and the doctors bills have gone down…so do look at reasons behind decisions for so called 'modifications" from the rule… again this is just an example) The most important thing is do they live according to the rule and/or constitution as it is approved today? Do they seem happy? Do they serve the way you might like to serve? Keep looking…there is a need for religious and priests and brothers today… If you are called to religious life there must be one for you!!! Saint Padre Pio would say…" Pray hope and don’t worry!"

I would ask you a few questions or offer a few suggestions to add to Sisters post

I know quite a few Order priests in the states and they wear their habits at church functions but not always out of the rector,. friary, or convent. They are fine priests and brothers but their current constitutions do allow for changing (out of) the habit for various reasons. I also know many priests and brothers who wear their habits all the time. I would suggest if a group attracts your attention… why not contact their vocations director? ask questions… keep looking… Sometimes their are reasons for not wearing them outside… there may be civil laws prohibiting that or perhaps there were some in the past? By all means ask questions.

Perhaps you could speak to your spiritual director about what you feel called to and see if he might help you to find orders that seem to fit your spiritual needs? I am sure that there are orders of priests or brothers in your country… perhaps their houses of formation though are in other areas?? Again the vocations director in your diocese might have directories that would help you.

If you see a community outside your country that interests you… why not contact them and ask if they have houses of formation in your country???

I hope this helps a bit and these are just a few suggestions and of course I am basing it only on a few posts from you… but do keep searching… if your spiritual director thinks you have a vocation to religious life… keep praying… keep looking… and blessings to you on your coming into the Church and on your vocations search, my search took me a while a few years after converting but I have found my home… blessings to you!

Sr. Debbie O.S.C.