New Religious Life

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Christphr

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Should the church consider new forms of religious life such as any of the following:
  1. Families, single people, living in an enclosed community - separate from the world. This would be like Ashrams in India. I would guess this type of Christian community existed in the early church and even into the middle ages.
  2. Religious vocations for older people as the norm. Many older people after having gained wisdom by their duties of family and work are ready and may wish to lead a more religious life after these duties have been fulfilled. Older widows and single people should be welcomed to living in a monastery or convent…This would seem the normal course for most people. It’s also prevalent in eastern religions and Orthodox Christianity.
 
  1. Very, very interesting. I would like to see this.
  2. It’s possible today. Whether in the monastery, or as a tertiary order member. However, making something the ‘norm’ is not that easy.
 
There are communities which are centered around a monastery, and the people often (if not always) join the monks for Mass, among other things. I think it’s referred to as the “Benedictine Option”, but I could be thinking about something else.
 
Christphr said:
Should the church consider new forms of religious life such as any of the following:
  1. Families, single people, living in an enclosed community - separate from the world. This would be like Ashrams in India. I would guess this type of Christian community existed in the early church and even into the middle ages.
  2. Religious vocations for older people as the norm. Many older people after having gained wisdom by their duties of family and work are ready and may wish to lead a more religious life after these duties have been fulfilled. Older widows and single people should be welcomed to living in a monastery or convent…This would seem the normal course for most people. It’s also prevalent in eastern religions and Orthodox Christianity.
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  1. This exists. For instance in Ave Maria Flordia and the Littile Portion run by John Michael Talbot.
  2. Not sure this is wise. My mother takes care of both my nices and nephews AND my elderly grandmother. My other grandparents are instrumental in the lives of their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. It would be a shame to ship them off to a convent/monistary and take that away.
 
re #2

The reason why this is not more common is due to the extreme healthcare costs for the elderly. This is why we find VERY elderly priests travelling all over giving retreats and missions. They basically are out in the field working to take care of each other and depend solely on donations.
Unless said families had a huge nest egg and would be willing to hand it over…it’s tough to do.
A woman in our parish is an older vocations and she is signing over 2 pensions, proceeds from the sale of her house, and waiting for her parents to die so she can sell their house. The order is VERY up front about her needing to bring $$$.
It’s just how it is .😦
 
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