B
BarbaraTherese
Guest
Pre V2 certainly accepting applicants into religious orders was not as severe and rigidly selective as it now appears to be, simply because certainly postulancy and as I said to a lesser degree although certainly then too, the noviciate years were considered periods of discernment by leadership and the community of the candidate and suitability…and back then it seems the community was made of sterner and less neurotic stuff than to be disturbed by a discerner or postulant or novice who decided to leave - while I must admit back then it was looked at as something as a disgrace to leave a convent or monastery during the formation and discerning years, not only by the community and leadership themselves but also by one’s parish community and even one’s own family - but better to endure that than to try to live the life with no vocation, although many did, which is one good reason why we had the mass exodus after V2. Once it became common knowledge people were leaving and someone left or a few left in one’s own community, it no longer became unbearably painfu and disgraceful to be the one leaving - and many left relieved of the burden of disgrace that once had existed.
Some left because for many years they did not have to make any decisions at all, even small ones, as all decisions were made for them and once personal decision making became more the norm on both cloister and in convent, some no longer knew what the religious life was all about. Those that stayed were willing to let go of personal security and embark on the journey of exploration and experiment religious life could became…some communities of course refused to do even that and refused to modernize at all as the Holy Father had instructed - this is something that those who cry “Disobedient!” for those that have decided to abandoned the religious habit and old ways do not consider - that is their own disobedience.
Nowadays convents and monastics, one’s parish and one’s family are most often more understanding and accepting of a potential religious vocation or seminarian that decides to leave - it is more accepted post V2.
I sometimes wonder how many are turned away from cloister or seminary nowadays that really do have vocations and a call from God because of some quality that disturbs leadership for some reason… and some still accepted who become little more than career people in The Church as professed professionals rather than true religious or priests and nuns.
A prioress told me that she almost turned away a young woman as totally unsuitable who later proved to have reached a remarkably advanced level of contemplative prayer and living for her youthful age.
Bob Dylan wrote something else that put me into personal alert mode “foreign philosophies have polluted all your thoughts” and it immediately alerted me to the great interest psychology was presenting in the selection process re vocations and I think today far too much - and also to a certain degree in spirituality…we are allowing psychology and psychiatry in some instances to pollute our thinking. We need to remember that the spiritual life and way is about a relationship with the God who is not ruled by rules and certainly not human ones!
Sometimes I am struck by people who know all the ‘fancy’ words and thoughts, but perhaps not really aware of what they are actually saying and thinking - or I tell myself “Surely not!”.
Bears some thought!http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/15/15_8_11.gif…but then I have ‘issues’
…not necessarily the ones perhaps under consideration in the main in this thread howeverhttp://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/29/29_2_4.gif…not that I actually know what these may be…
other than my own suspicionshttp://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/29/29_2_4.gif
.
&pp=ZN
Some left because for many years they did not have to make any decisions at all, even small ones, as all decisions were made for them and once personal decision making became more the norm on both cloister and in convent, some no longer knew what the religious life was all about. Those that stayed were willing to let go of personal security and embark on the journey of exploration and experiment religious life could became…some communities of course refused to do even that and refused to modernize at all as the Holy Father had instructed - this is something that those who cry “Disobedient!” for those that have decided to abandoned the religious habit and old ways do not consider - that is their own disobedience.
Nowadays convents and monastics, one’s parish and one’s family are most often more understanding and accepting of a potential religious vocation or seminarian that decides to leave - it is more accepted post V2.
I sometimes wonder how many are turned away from cloister or seminary nowadays that really do have vocations and a call from God because of some quality that disturbs leadership for some reason… and some still accepted who become little more than career people in The Church as professed professionals rather than true religious or priests and nuns.
A prioress told me that she almost turned away a young woman as totally unsuitable who later proved to have reached a remarkably advanced level of contemplative prayer and living for her youthful age.
Bob Dylan wrote something else that put me into personal alert mode “foreign philosophies have polluted all your thoughts” and it immediately alerted me to the great interest psychology was presenting in the selection process re vocations and I think today far too much - and also to a certain degree in spirituality…we are allowing psychology and psychiatry in some instances to pollute our thinking. We need to remember that the spiritual life and way is about a relationship with the God who is not ruled by rules and certainly not human ones!
Sometimes I am struck by people who know all the ‘fancy’ words and thoughts, but perhaps not really aware of what they are actually saying and thinking - or I tell myself “Surely not!”.
Bears some thought!http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/15/15_8_11.gif…but then I have ‘issues’
…not necessarily the ones perhaps under consideration in the main in this thread howeverhttp://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/29/29_2_4.gif…not that I actually know what these may be…other than my own suspicionshttp://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/29/29_2_4.gif
.
&pp=ZN
- which is an overstatement and tongue in cheek comment but does have some truth I think )
What are ‘issues’?
