Thank you, Tess. I ask for your prayers that GOD will lead us through this adventure. I am jumping without a net here ... no pre-plan... but this way we MUST all rely upon HIM. GOD ALONE.
Good morning I'm so pleased to see that you are sharing your monastic day with us. I've been so drawn to your site the last few weeks and the notion of the cloistered heart (book is on order!) and just beginning to have a deeper understanding of that. I will very much enjoy taking this journey with you and the other readerss. Praying that God will lead us on this journey and open our hearts and minds to his Word.
This is something that has been weighing on my mind Nancy...a strong desire to live the monastic life in a sense *in this world*...*in our daily life*. I have been reading Barbara Dent who was a Carmelite hermit living in New Zealand. She had three children and a husband who left her when she became Catholic. You would love her writings...very raw and poetic.
I would like to incorporate more Hours in my day. They really don't take that long...but I forget all the time with the exception of Morning and Evening Prayer. I would like to figure out how to set my phone or something as a *bell* to remind me LOL!
I am looking forward to hearing others' experiences.
Theresa, I was actually thinking about you and your praying of the Liturgy of the Hours yesterday as I placed my order for the 4 volumes that make up this prayer. I have always made a ton of excuses as to why I can't learn to pray this prayer sanctifying the hours. I finally decided or God decided for me that I will learn it and pray as many of the hours as is possible for me at this time. I am actually excited about it. Thanks for mentioning Barbara Dent- I will put her on my to read list. I have been reading about a local "laura" of hermits here in NJ (Bethlehem Hermitage in Chester, NJ) The idea of a bell or some type of audio reminder is a good one- I imagine much like the call to prayer in monasteries :)
Theresa, I too forget, and no doubt, I would also even forget to set the alarm...LOL. Seriously, I keep praying to be more faithful to prayer. Each day, I have to start anew, and each night, I end up apologizing to Our Lord. I want to run and hide, but His Love gives me the courage to keep trying. How patient He is! I will pray for you too. :)
I am so happy you are doing this, Nancy. I'm sure it will be helpful and encouraging to those who may be struggling (like me). I know I will be strengthened by the sharing. love and blessings in Jesus..Trish
Thank you, Paula, Theresa and Trish (and to you again, Tess... and to everyone starting this "day" with us)!!! I'm very much looking forward to getting started with our adventure, which I hope begin on the cloistered heart blog in just a few minutes. I am RELYING ON our UNITED prayers for this effort, and now that I've read these initial comments, I realize that our sharings here in "the parlor" are a MAJOR PART of it all. For God will be leading through our mutual sharing and experiences. He will be working through us all.
Theresa, I am familiar with Barbara Dent, and yes - raw and poetic is a great description.
Also, the comment about the bell makes me think of something I used to do that worked quite well. I had watches with hourly alarms, and when that alarm would ding, I'd offer an inner aspiration. It really re-focused me. I have now lost my second such watch, and haven't been able to find another. Maybe time to check online? Hmmm...
But now, with a prayer, I go to the Cloistered Heart screen....
Nancy, This idea of the Monastic Day really puts the concepts of the Cloistered Heart into practice- or at least challenges us to do so. It can be so easy to go charging past our grille or letting things in that don't belong. Thanks for beginning this adventure~may God give us all the grace to follow it today and always.
Oh, Caroline... the good ol' internal editor... so "he" hangs around your head as well. I am told this is a problem with many if not most people who try to put their words on paper. It can be such a snag, and frankly I am too interested in seeing what happens as we share our "monastic day" here to spend TIME on such snagging!
My 'bell' is a quite annoying alarm clock...that has a convenient snooze button. I was finding that I was hitting that snooze button a little too frequently and just delaying the inevitable (as really, that extra few minutes really wasn't very restful) What I am trying to do now is wake with that first bell and immediately start a conversation with God. Informal prayers, to say the least but focused and intentional. And this is before I pop out of bed (okay, I seldom 'pop' but I do pull myself to an upright position and land my feet on the floor!) It's becoming a favorite part of my day. In the quiet of the morning, before the rest of the day intrudes.
Paula, I never "pop" out of bed either. I'm old enough that if I did, there would be POPS that could be heard for miles (with accompanying shrieks of pain)!!
How wonderful, and encouraging, that your awakening prayer is becoming a favorite part of your day. I find that often the hardest part of praying is simply getting started. The more I talk with God, the more I want to talk with Him. And I, too, find it wonderful to do so before the rest of the days intrudes. Thank you so much for sharing this!
Nancy, I also have that "editor" problem and I think I'll drop him too!
My morninings begin with the alarm on the clock beside my husband, who then gets up to have his breakfast and dress for work. We have a set routine start to our day. He makes a pot of tea and brings my cup into me and then he breakfasts while watching morning news on TV. I stay in bed and begin the day with "Thank You Lord, for bringing us through the night" and then I pray for protection over my husband and family for the day ahead. We have 4 crosses on our bedroom walls which are visual "bells" for me as I open my eyes to the new day. I sit quietly and "chat" about things on my heart and sometimes internally sing a verse or chorus as inspired by my thoughts and conversation with God. It may sound like I'm lazy to be staying in bed but I just can't start my day with the TV noise. It drives me crazy! My husband is quite happy to get his own breakfast and I'm always there to kiss him goodbye as he leaves for work. But I must have that quiet entry into the day which helps me to focus and commune with Jesus first thing in the morning. Trish xx
Trish, what a marvelous morning routine, for both you and your husband. Thank you SO much for sharing it... I find it soothing to even read about. And no, it doesn't sound lazy at all to be staying in bed. You are starting your day off with God - and then when you do come in contact with the day's news at a later point (as we inevitably must when we live in this world) you are facing it with God. You're getting your grillwork in place to then go forward and face the day!
Ugh...mornings for the insomniac on-call person LOL! I have an internal clock so to speak. I don't always think of prayer upon waking...more about coffee and checking email and getting the dogs out, etc. I am trying to foster a very simple habit of *Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner* as my feet hit the floor.
I soooo know what you mean about not *seeing* some holy image or verse anymore. I hung a Carmelite cross right where I would see it as I wake up...do you think I still see it? NO...non-existent. Maybe I need to move things around as you suggested.
I am all for short prayers, "aspirations," like the one you mentioned, Theresa. That is often all I can manage when I awaken, and I still need physical reminders. My nature tends to begin the day with a bit of whine :). At least inwardly... "my back hurts, my foot hurts, whine whine whine.." Sometimes it takes a huge effort to snap out of that mindset and into one of thanksgiving. I've been working a lot lately on moving from that automatic mindset. T'aint easy... but I suspect most of us here might know that...?
LOL...ahh, so it's that morning coffee that is really your 'bell'! Nothing wrong with that! Just as the rhythm of each of our days is different I have to believe that our bells or first prayers will be different.
I had insomnia for years, so I very much feel your pain. And you still have little ones in your care (my little ones are only here Fri-Sun!) That's very challenging for one who doesn't sleep well. Praying for restful nights for you. :)
Colleen, yes, we need all the help we can get... and I think everyone's ideas and approaches are WONDERFUL!!!! I have such a tremendous sense that we're all in this together, all wanting to love and serve Our Lord, all helping one another to do just that. Thanks be to God!
Yes, our bells are all different, and for me it is a GREAT help to hear how everyone else answers that "morning bell." TRULY AN INSPIRATION. I know that one of the very first things I will think of tomorrow will be all of you, because as I say my "morning sentence" to God I know I'll automatically be thinking of how you are each starting your day. You will all be in my morning sentence.. which will most likely become a (long?) paragraph!
Theresa, I too pray that you will have restful sleep.
I'm usually able to begin my day with a morning offering before I get out of bed but dedicated prayer time happens a few minutes later when I'm more aware and functioning. I make a pot of tea or a smoothie or something to sustain me so I'm not distracted by a rumbling tummy and I'm feeling cosy and settled. I've hung icons where I can see them when I sit in my prayer chair, and my bible and journal are in easy reach. I try to make it as easy as possible for myself to have this time!
The rest of the day, however, is more of a challenge. I'm not so good at hearing the bells once my day really gets started. Help!
I'm like you, Tess, in doing the more dedicated prayer a bit later in the morning... after I "find my brain." I'm hoping to go into that a bit more in a post tomorrow (although since I am "jumping without a net" in this, I don't know for sure what will come out onscreen!). In monasteries I've stayed in, the Sisters have their "dedicated prayer time" after they get up, usually right before Mass, and then of course the Mass IS prayer.
Oh, and the rest of the day - I am right with you in the struggle to hear the bells! It's so hard to hear them over the distracting glitz of everyday life. There is much for us all to talk about in this "monastic day," and I pray that God will help us all and we share and help one another. It may turn out to be the longest day in recorded history :)!
I sleep with a hand held olive cross from Jerusalem under my pillow, some eves I go to sleep holding it, some morning I wake still holding it. There is a beautiful risen Lord hanging over my bed. One day in prayer never seems to end before the next day in prayer begins. Mmmmmmnnnn. Monastic cloistered Heart xxx
I love this, magsmuse. I, too, like to have something tangible, something I can hold onto. I slept with a cherished rosary in my hands until the crucifix fell off .. it was made of small black beads and rope (rather than metal links), and had been made and given to me by very dear nun friends.
What a blessing to have your days of prayer flow into one another; it is my goal, and truly an inspiration.
I too have a small olive wood crucifix that I often fall asleep holding or wake up holding. I never quite thought of it like this though~the prayer never ending. Thanks for this magsmuse.
I LOVE this blog. I, for awhile, have also felt the desire to live a more "hidden" life. However, I'm not sure how exactly. I think I know. Giving up Facebook for one (it's a bad habit for me). I do think visiting blogs such as yours, and other women seeking similar goals in the spiritual life are a good thing, though. Less time fiddling with my iPhone. And praying even when I do not feel like it. That's the kicker. Being a Carmelite (like Theresa), I've made a temporary Promise to pray the Morning and Evening office, and to set aside time for silence/prayer. I was getting up at 5am to do this, because I have a lot of kids and I home school. Plus my one child with autism has not so consistent sleep patterns, so that was about the time I could count on him being sleep (not always though). A friend in Carmel has 10 children, ranging from one in the seminary in Rome, to a 6 year old. She always put prayer on her priority list. She juggles life, and says if her prayer time isn't done in the morning, she makes a "plan". She says, "what is my plan today, to set aside that time". She says there are some days it doesn't happen, but I know for her, it gets done in her house more than it does mine, and she has twice the workload and fatigue. I've also been trying to sub for people at our parish who need someone for their holy hour. I have a weekly hour on Friday evenings, but we sub too, so that's extra "for sure" quiet time that I will have. I do like the quote from St. Francis de Sales, about making our prayers pleasing to our husbands. That is something I need to remember. And the "bell", as our way of knowing when a task is at hand. I had finished the office this morning, and was getting ready to read some Scripture. Then I heard my two year old upstairs. My first reaction was, "Ugh..so much for my quiet time!" THEN, I remembered your post on the monastic bell, and I hopped to my feet. It was God's way of telling me, time to get to work!
Ah yes, Jen- "praying even when I do not feel like it" !! Yes, that is the kicker for me too... THE kicker.
Thank you for your very kind words; I, too, find much help in connecting with people who seek similar goals in the spiritual life. We strive, we struggle, we succeed a bit, we encourage one another along the way. Thanks be to God.
Hmmm... maybe you have helped me see why I've never done Facebook!
Oh how I would love to slip into my morning! But alas, my alarm breaks the peaceful silence and I am up and running in a hurry to make 7am Mass. That being said, I am turning over a new leaf of sorts. As I mentioned in one of my comments here yesterday, I am praying that I will be able to pray the Liturgy of the Hours- the 4 volume set arrived today. So my plan, and I am hoping it is God's as well, is to rise around 4:30-5:00 to pray morning Prayer before Mass. I think this may be a better Mass prep than running out the door in fevered rush. As for the other Hours, I will pray what I can, where and when I can. If God wants it; He will see to it. Thanks for sharing this Monastic Morning with us, Nancy.
I hope you enjoy your 4 volume Liturgy of the Hours, Karinann... I always love it when something wonderful like that arrives! It can feel like a fresh new start, which it does seem to be part of as you turn over your new leaf.
I feel I'm turning over a new leaf of sorts as well. I'm actually doing so because of this "monastic day" of ours. It is refreshing me, like a crisp wind blowing in the windows, and the sharing here in the Parlor is a major part of it. When I woke up and said my "morning sentence" to God today, you were all included in it, and I thought of everyone starting YOUR days with God. My sentence, as expected, was several paragraphs long :)!
hey there nancy from down thisaway in the creek-- i liked you use of the beginning of morning and evening prayer in the ending of your "rant" today-- i do get the jprivieldge of going to morning prayer every week day because i work 200 yards from church and i go to evening sometimes but i find it very nice to go at lunch and spend a few moments with the Blessed Sacrament not because i have to but i want to so as to thank God and acknowledge His role in my life--- keeping it simple is a great thing and being simple minded, this works for me:):):) take care of the grands and yourself-- Steve
Well, hey there back, Steve down thataway in the creek. Glad to see you here, and thanks a bunch for stopping by! You are blessed to work so close to church, and to be able to stop in and spend time with the Blessed Sacrament in the midst of a busy day. How absolutely perfect! Keeping it simple works well for me, too.
I'm now helping homeschool the oldest grand (age 6)... what a blessing!
And one more thing: your mention of lunchtime visits to Church flashed me back to when I was a newlywed, working in a midtown city office. Occasionally I would use part of my lunch hour to walk to noon Mass several blocks away from my building. I was not what one would call a deeply serious Catholic at the time, but I always came back so refreshed and feeling wonderful.
Great post and comments! I like what you said about being silent around husband and children...I can be like that sometimes.
Karinann...you go girl with the 4 volume! I am able to access the 4 volume on my Kindle and that is a blessing truly. Otherwise, I use my much beloved one volume.
My quiet time is at night when youngest is falling asleep. She had difficulty going to sleep on her own so I make the best of it and use it as quiet prayer time...reading scripture or a good spiritual book.
@Jen...I can't believe someone in Carmel has 10 kids! Wow...God is really giving her the graces! I think time before the Blessed Sacrament is excellent...and healing.
Well Theresa, I was able to afford the 4 volumes thanks to some birthday gift cards to help with the cost. As far as sticking with it and figuring it all out~prayers please! :)
Oh my, one volume, four volumes...I must admit I feel a bit humbled reading all of these beautiful postings. How can I, a life-long Catholic, not know of all of this?! Seriously, I do think I've missed something all these years...and the nuns I had wore habits, so I've been around at least a few years :) But that's okay, I'm learning. I feel like I've wandered into a wonderful, magical world with the introduction of this handful of faithful, inspired women. And you are all introducing me to a side of faith and commitment that feels very comfortable, very right, particularly the draw of monasticism and the cloistered heart. Visiting your blogs has been very helpful and I will continue to explore and learn. In the meanwhile, I will shuffle along with the simple and the familiar and absorb as I go. I'm really not the most disciplined, but my goal for many years has been to try to spend time each morning in prayer and reading scripture. Sometimes I'm better than others at accomplishing that. My morning 'go to' for years has been my woman's devotional Bible (NIV) that my sister gifted to me during a particularly difficult time in my life. I love that book. I never tire of that book. It feeds my soul. And teaches me...every.single.time.I.open.it. :) The rest of the day I just talk to God. Most all day long I have a running conversation with Him. :) Last night, before bed, I tried to prepare a little better for the morning. I readied the coffee pot, selected my clothes and set the clock a few minutes earlier. Trying to (re)set a few habits. I'm pleased to say that I had my morning conversation with God before I hit the floor, and was able to spend unhurried time with my women's devotional and a cup of coffee before I left for work at 6:15. (during the week it's just me to worry about in the mornings...weekends are a whole 'nother beast....but we'll tackle that soon enough!) One other little thing that I have been doing is using the post-it notes app on my computer screen. As I am at my desk 8 hrs a day, I find that the little inspirations and Bible quotes posted on my desktop are a quick 'go to' throughout the day. Today I posted the quote Nancy shared yesterday from St. Anselm. I'm finding that it's a quick, non-disruptive way to reconnect throughout the day.
Paula, I didn't know the "one volume, four volume" info until I was in my 40s. I knew there was a "Breviary," but thought it was just for priests and maybe nuns. And I had been taught by Sisters in habits too (in my day there was no other kind !). The Sisters' prayer books were "theirs" - mine was basically a Mass missal. So you are DEFINITELY not alone in these new discoveries.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, Paula, for sharing your routine of last night and this morning with us here. Hearing of your - and everyone's - practical applications makes this all very real, and do-able... even as we all "do" in different ways according to our individual lives and personalities. We get "hints and tips" (!) from one another! Thanks be to God!
I, too, feel I wandered into a wonderful world when God opened the "interior cloister" to me. I hope to spend eternity thanking Him.
In the discussion of 1 volume 4 volume Liturgy of the Hours and how to learn to do it, I have 3 cents to add. I've been doing the 4 volume for years and still have a hard time (but that's just me... I have a hard time with "organizational skills" unless I do the organizing myself, which is why I've organized my blogs with topics - it helps ME!). But there is a small $2.50 guide booklet that comes out every year - you can get one for the four volume, and one for the one volume. It has the page numbers listed, and if I didn't have that I would never make it through.
Oh how jealous I am of the Sisters with this "daily routine"...How I long for this structure and feel that I could get so much more into my day, my prayer life, my time with Our Lord if I had that bell to ring me into my next sacrificial obligation...I seem to work, pray and even play better on a time frame, for sadly I am not a self-disciplined person, and if left to my own devices will procrastinate or even totally forget which I do not intend to do...A priest once told me that my time of prayer with Our Lord should be like an appointment to be kept..one that I make and would certainly not miss if it was an interview for a job or something...I tried that for a while. Then another priest told me that my whole day can be a prayer...Offering everything that I say, think and do that day to the Glory of God. I still felt somehow that I should have my "quiet time" with Jesus, and I have found that as I drive in the car in the morning I don't turn the radio on anymore..but spend that time talking to Jesus..as if he were right there in the passenger seat..I am sure I probably look a little "crazy" driving down the road nodding and shaking my head and sometimes raising my hands in some sort of gesture to illustrate my point ...but I have found that I do like this and for me it starts my day off just right...Even though I would treasure my meditative time in the silence with Him and in the presence of my fellow sisters, I believe that this is the life that God has called me to, and I am comfortable in it. I try to make the sign of the cross in the morning to open my prayer and the sign of the cross to close my prayer in the evening so that everything that has taken place between the two signs is my "prayer" to God..offered with an imperfect yet truly sincere heart. I hope that this pleases and delights My Lord.. Thank you, Nancy for this thought provoking question ..May God Bless you..
Oh, Joy... echo echo echo! "I am not a self-disciplined person, and if left to my own devices will procrastinate or even totally forget which I do not intend to do." YES!!!
I love hearing of your turning off the radio and talking with Jesus as if He were right there... because of course HE IS! I think the human acts of gesturing, etc., help us (at least they help me) "get" this truth - that He is right here with us. I am especially struck by your realization that this is the life God has called you to. In this, I echo also (about my own).
I am particularly struck, as I look over all of our prayer practices, by the similarities and the wonderful differences between us. It's like we're a splendid bouquet of flowers, each one different, but each one pleasing to God and loved by Him. And we each love Him. Very much. Or why would we be spending our time here talking about prayer?!?!?
Thank you so much, Joy, for sharing so wonderfully with us.
Nancy, thank you for the insight into the books (and the hint on the guides) I need an instruction book for everything...trust me. I'm very open to new things but I do like directions to guide me (which can be good or bad, depending on what it is we are talking about!) Theresa ~ my devotional Bible is sort of like a guide book for navigating scripture :) It's very easy to use, which is a plus for me (I have a much better chance of sticking to anything if it's not overly complicated) And Joy, it sounds like you are very much in tune with the rhythm of your day and what works for you. I really, really like the sign of the cross that you start your day and end your day with. Such intention ~ I will be borrowing, if you don't mind :)
Joy, thank you for sharing your day of prayer. I think it sounds so loving and heartfelt. I used to (well still do :) envy the nuns their beautiful, consecrated life in the cloister. But, I also like to remember that God is so forgtotten in the world, and so we can make the places we go throughout the day "little monasteries" by remembering to whisper a prayer or a word of praise to God. I remember reading in the book "He and I" that Jesus told Gabrielle Bossis, "You are the only one praying in this train station." I have never forgotten how precious her prayer must have been to Him...solitary as it was. God bless you!
Rose, a former novice whose writings have occasionally appeared on the Cloistered Heart blog, e-mailed this comment:
I miss having my day revolve around prayer instead of my prayer revolving around my day. I love how the sisters' entire day revolves around their prayer time - not vice versa. Yes, that was my life too, once upon a time. The call to prayer, the bell, rang exactly on the dot. Chores, tasks, business at hand - all succumbed to the bell.
Thank you, Rose! You bring a perspective most of us don't have, and I love what you said about having the day revolve around prayer. I wonder if a combination of aspirations and maybe some "bell reminders" (like clocks and memos and things) could eventually help even our busy family and work days revolve around Our Lord and prayer? Hmmm....
This would be something I would be very interested in! And I never thought of it like that...my prayer revolving around my day. Should be the other way around! I'm wondering if the bells and reminders could be at set points in the day as much as we can. Family life is so different than the religious life, but there must be some way for it for us, or God wouldn't put that desire in our hearts, right? (St. Therese said something to this). I was explaining the Angelus to my 9 year old yesterday, and I told him this was a set time for prayer regardless of where one was in their work day...I need to pray about this for sure.
Jen, one thing that helped me so much was the alarm watch (I mentioned it above, somewhere..). I am now looking around for another. I kept the chime set to "ding" every hour on the hour, and it was a short "polite" ding that not many others noticed. When that happened, I would keep doing whatever I was doing and offer a mental aspiration - usually "Jesus I trust in You." If I was not in the middle of something that required my "mind" (like a conversation!) I'd often extend that little aspiration into a bit more mental prayer. Perfect when in the middle of housework, etc. Some friends knew I did this, and the little ding would remind ALL if us if we were together! Once several of us were in a meeting, and a couple of ladies turned toward me at the "ding" and smiled, and silently mouthed the words "Jesus, I trust in You." !
The clock also had a once-daily alarm which rang a bit longer. I set that for 1:00, and wherever I was, a tried to take a little longer for inner prayer. And if I was home and by myself and able, I would stop what I was doing to take some "dedicated prayer time" then.
I REALLY have to find another watch like that!!!! A nice portable monastic bell...
Nancy, What the Catechism says about the Mass is so true; it really is the source and summit of our Christian lives. I love the excerpt from The Living Pyx of Jesus (wish that one was still in print!)I can't remember the saint who said it, but it was something to the effect that the earth could more survive without the sun than it could without the Mass being said (very roughly paraphrased). It is so amazing to think that at every moment, somewhere in the world, the Holy Sacrifice if the Mass is being offered. Now off to get ready for 7am Mass~ will remember you and all who come by here at Mass today.
Karinann, you getting ready for 7 am Mass (when this says you wrote at 2:9 AM!!) makes me remember to tell everyone that I am not in whatever time zone gets listed on here. I'm a few hours later, so everyone's times of posting are not correct. But I digress...
I am grateful for your reminder that somewhere in the world, the Mass is being offered at every moment. Awesome thought.
THANK YOU for remembering all of us at Mass!! Another awesome thought. I prayed for everyone here as I woke again this morning. Thanks be to God.
We try our best to make the noon Mass at our parish. We are blessed to have so many options near us. But it is important to at least make a spiritual communion when we can't make it to Mass.
Headed away for the rest of the week but will catch up with you when I get back. Sorry I will miss some of your writings.
Theresa, we will MISS YOU!! However, this conversation will - God willing - be right here when you get back. That's one blessing of conversations online, huh? You won't really miss a thing. And since this particular monastic day is who-knows-how-long, you might just make it back in time for breakfast.. :)!!
The following came in an e-mail from one of us who was in the direct path of Hurricane Isaac. I am putting it here as an "anonymous" in case she'd prefer not to say where she is.
"The wake up bell at my monastery this morning came in the form of a gust of wind banging at the side of our house...My first prayer was a giant Thank You, God for keeping us safe and then for the others who will be more profoundly affected..Thank the good Lord we did not get much more than gusty winds and rain...very hard at times.."
My dear friend, you know that you and all in your area are in my prayers... and I know others who are seeing this are remembering this need as well. May Our Lord keep you safe.
Nancy, Thank you for the "food for thought" today. With the Mass being the greatest prayer that we can offer to God, I had to think about how often I enter the church to attend Mass, unprepared.. many times the concerns and obligations of the day..what is going to be for dinner, what the week is going to bring, how to handle a certain situation with a child seem to come first in my mind instead of preparing for the wonderful and miraculous gift of God that I will soon be participating in..Do I take the Mass for granted?...Have I become so used to it and the wonderful graces, not to mention the fact that I will be receiving the precious Body and Blood of Jesus, that I fail to be in awe?..Is it like that note that you mentioned the other day that you leave for yourself to remind you to pray..that we become so familiar with it after a while that we don't even see it anymore..Oh I pray that this is not the case for me with the Mass...may my eyes be opened to the truth... the miraculous.. may it be fresh and new as the morning dew every time I attend..may it always astound me and amaze me...may I never lose my desire and hunger for the Mass..and may I never cease to thank God for this great gift of our faith..Maybe by spending more time in preparation for the Mass and even staying after to give Thanksgiving, I will draw closer to the Kingdom of God here on earth..God Bless
Joy, what beautiful and very REAL words. I am so struck by your saying that maybe we become so familiar with it that after awhile we don't even see it anymore. I say a huge amen to your wonderful prayer that it be fresh for us, as the morning dew.
Joy, so beautiful. So much to think about. And to pray about. Thank you.
And thank you, Nancy, for the gift of your time and the blessings this space provides. I feel some awesome things transpiring. Praising God for His goodness always and those He leads us to.
My husband and I were just talking about this last week. Well, I was mostly talking, he was mostly listening. I have been sporadic at best with Mass attendance. Due to a handful of reasons, one of the biggest being the grands I have here with me every weekend. Whose parents do not want them in church. Any church. Such sadness this causes me. Trying to work thru that sadness (and maybe anger? frustration?) I have just stopped. Attending. And that is not a good thing.
I am trying to explore options that besty fit my life right now. Maybe return to Mass during the week, particulary if I am not able to attend on Sunday? I have always loved the quiet intimacy of weekday Mass. And I would be able to receive the Eucharist. I'm so feeling that 'hole' in my spiritual life right now. That's what I was trying to explain to my husband (a non-practicing Methodist, but a believer...he didn't really 'get' it.)
So, we'll see. Praying on it all. (Theresa, love your mention of 'spiritual communion', as this is where I feel I have been of late.)
My heart goes out to you, Paula... and this painful situation with your grandchildren will be IN MY PRAYERS. I will also pray that Our Lord will show you options for yourself. May Jesus come and fill that hole in your spiritual life. Again, MY PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU, and will be very much so during my "aspirations" of this day.
My friends, I am happily homeschooling my 6 year old granddaughter today, but I will leave on the computer and pop back in from time to time put your comments on so you can talk with one another! See you this evening....
Thank you so much for this lovely blog! I am so inspired by your words each day and long to keep a cloistered spirit throughout my daily duties. God bless you!
Sigh - I wish I could pray more in the mornings. I have to be at work at 7:30, so at least for this season of life I have to accept this. When I first get up I turn off the alarm, then pray a brief prayer (I think I saw it on this blog) of thanking God for another day to serve Him, considering that today is a day to prepare for eternity, listening for my Father's voice as to what He wants me to do and humbly admitting I can only serve Him if He helps. This all sounds good, except first thing in the morning it's very hard to focus my thoughts! But at least I make the effort.
Susan, it's hard for me also to focus my thoughts first thing in the morning. I have come to terms with the realization that the "waking up me" is not operating out of the will as much as out of just.... well, some sort of instinctive kind of response. ?? But then when the "will" kicks in, that's when I do as you do and pray a brief prayer.
What appeals to me about communal prayer (following the bells), is that the decision is taken from me. Oh, I know I still have to decide to obey, and decide to pray with sincerity, but having the plan laid out for me, not having to worry about what comes next, not watching the clock and therefore being able to sink into the moment, lose myself in the prayer would be so incredibly freeing.
My own daily prayer varies, but generally includes reading which inspires the prayer that follows (Scripture or the Office). I journal, as writing is how I work through what's going on inside, between me and God. Then I try to have some quiet time for intercession or contemplation - whatever the day brings. This happens in the morning; sometimes I'm drawn back in during the day.
Tess, you have really nailed what appeals to me most about communal "by the bells" prayer. The decision is made. And, now that I think of it... if I were part of such a community, the call of the bells would actually be "MY" decision. For I would have been made it by entering that community.
"All I must do is accept." Wow. So simple, yet so hard, isn't it? I've been focusing for some time on trying to slow things down and walk with focus and intention. It really does help. And with unceasing prayer and trust, doesn't that sound better than rushing about, trying to always predict and fix things? (My guilty habit, and one I am daily humbled by.) Beautiful post, Nancy.
Thank you, Paula! Yes, it can be so hard, right?! I love your focus on trying to walk with focus and intention. I shall be trying this as well.
And once again, my friends, I will be away from "the Parlor" for most of this day. But please leave comments as you can and wish to, and they'll appear by evening!
Nancy... My eyes have been opened on so many levels this past week...reading what you are writing and what the other Cloistered Hearts are sharing. I agree with Tess and Paula that there is a freedom in not having to watch the clock..and obey its every second, but surrendering to "the bells" instead. Over the course of the past years I have been blessed to attend many silent retreats at the Monastery in Mobile, and as I enter the monastery I offer God my weekend. I place all of my worries, my family, my obligations, the nation, etc. in His capable hands so that I can give myself 100% to Him and whatever it is that He has brought me there to learn and receive..It is a freeing. The bells ring us to meals, Mass, Stations of the Cross, rosary, conferences and even our recreation. What a wonderful feeling to relinquish control of situations that are not in my power anyway...not to have to worry about a single thing...no phones..no tv or newspapers...it is like being on an deserted island with God somewhere...a place that time forgot. I love it, however, I must admit that it is a bit of a let down when the weekend is over. It is a sense of going back into the "real world".. the secular world, but I enjoyed my piece of Heaven on earth while I was there and try to take some home with me. One thing that Tess said that struck me was that the bells may ring, but I have to make the decision to obey..how true that is. I have noticed one thing about myself with the retreat and the schedule (routine) that they follow. It has become so familiar to me that I sometime stray from it and do my "own thing". Could this possibly be disobedience on my part? They may do the Stations of the Cross at 2pm..but I might decide to do them that evening by myself. I might even be a bit of a renegade in this respect( I pray not). So I have decided that at the next retreat I will follow every bell, every instuction given as the "voice of God". Giving up control is very difficult, but whom better to give it to than Our Lord. "All I must do is accept" as Paula said .This might even be the retreat that I enjoy the most, the best retreat ever. It will be interesting to see how it goes. Thank you, Tess, Paula and Nancy for giving me this insight. God Bless..
Joy, I have been like you and have not followed every single thing in retreats. You bring an intriguing perspective, and I thank you so much for sharing it.
"God, however, knows what lies ahead. Nothing that happens today will surprise Him. Because He knows, He has already made preparations. He has provided nourishment for me ahead of time. All I must do is accept it."
I have been far more conscious of the time I'm spending in prayer this week, particularly my morning prayers. With a little more preparation the night before and setting the clock a little earlier, I'm much more focused and feeling less rushed. Not so of the rest of the day, but I am praying on what 'bells' need to be put in place, as I know I need/want to add more structure. Late afternoon and evening particularly. Joy, your mention of the time on retreat without the distractions of phones, televisions, computers!...ahhh, how that tugs on my heart! Yesterday I was able to sit outside in the late afternoon in prayer. So beautifully quiet and so good for the soul. I feel a little adrift at what I should be doing at those times, too ~ scripture, spiritual reading, etc but know that will reveal itself.
I am learning so much from everyone in this little online coummunity...thank you so much for sharing very personal thoughts and wisdom, as well as your day to day practices and habits. Every post has touched my heart, given me new insight and strengthened my need to learn more. Have a blessed day.
Paula, I think many of us feel adrift at what we should be doing in our "quiet times." It all varies, of course, from person to person and from time to time with any one individual.
Isn't it wonderful to be all sharing this together?!? I find myself becoming more and more grateful that this online adventure may turn into the world's longest day :)!!
I've been away all week with no access to the computer....and WOW...Praise God...much to catch up on. I sure did miss The Cloistered Heart website and this blog. I find the site to be refreshing in the middle of the day ....to come on (if only for a couple minutes to look at a few of the beautiful pictures). This in itself is a form of prayer for me - in the middle of the day.
Also, as for the LITURGY OF THE HOURS, it is wonderful you have this on your website, Nancy. For those that might not know, you can click on The Cloistered Heart main page - look for the picture of the lit candle where it says Prayer With the Church for the daily office. The DAILY OFFICE, the LITURGY OF THE HOURS, and the BREVIARY are all the same thing....just called by all those titles. I learned how to pray The Liturgy of the Hours or Divine Office by using that website (www.divineoffice.org) which Nancy has on her home page. It is nice to have the 4-volume set, along with the Guide, for those times you do not use the website. (I use the website AND the book mostly). But, you actually do not even need to have the books because it is complete on the website. The thing I like the best about the website is the Evening and Night Prayer. I love listening to their voices. It is such a nice calming way to come to the Lord after (maybe) a stressful day and to have sleep come easily with this ancient prayer of the church. God bless. Mary
Mary, welcome back! And I'm SO glad you mentioned the Liturgy of the Hours being on the Cloistered Heart blog sidebar, as I hadn't even remembered to bring that up. Which is pretty silly of me, because now that's what I use most often.
EVERYBODY ELSE: As Mary pointed out, the Daily Office is all right there for us with one click, complete, and VERY "user friendly." Awfully handy for those of us who spend time on computer. Which we are doing if we're here :)! We can either read it or listen to it. I find myself praying more of the Office because I have such ready access to it.
Mary, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR CALLING OUR ATTENTION TO THIS!!!
I began my re-read of A Right to be Merry last night. I think Mother was such a good writer... the atmosphere draws me right in. And there are parts that start me giggling aloud.
Nancy, thanks for the links to the videos. I so enjoyed them! Especially getting a glimpse of one of my favourite ladies who did a year of discernment and learning there before moving to start her own community! I am getting a lot of encouragement from the conversation here about the monastic day. I feel a sense of renewal within me this week :-) Thank you and God bless you abundantly! love..Trish
Thank you so much for posting the videos of the Visitation nuns! I was so inspired!!! Your blogs do so much good for my heart and I greatly appreciate you! God bless you always.
I have been forced into monastic silence. Martha my Apple died and had to go back to the apple store to be made well again. I was forced against my will to retreat. I have read the cloistered heart every day from an old testament dinosaur of a PC, but I gave up commenting after writing my heart out and re-wording it all for over an hour, and then loosing the whole lot before posting. I was completely heart broken that all my God felt words had been blasted into humility and silence and went nowhere other than out from myself, leaving only me comprehending them in my heart. And in that particular moment it was only me that really needed to hear them, and understand them and then believe them anyway. God being God got me good and proper.
I burnt my arm last week quite badly by Le Cruset over heated oil and was physically less able and in agony for a while. I have missed my daily Mass and my daily Eucharist which has so frustrated me as I will no longer be able to receive the Eucharist unless Mass times change by 15 minutes now that I am back to reception school run as tomorrow my last-born of 5 begins school.
Suddenly a different bell calls me. And so to rearrange the daily pattern of my prayer, the structure of my monastic day and to shuffle in the cloisters of my heart until I can float back into His new rhythm, the one He has chosen especially for me.
Please may you all remember me in your prayers as on Sunday for the first time without my family and in 18 years, I am going on pilgrimage abroad to Rome for 5 days. I long to revel in all those saints footsteps and to feel Him steep me in their presence (just as He does me in Him, and Him in me, every waking day and sleeping eve). I shall miss you from Sunday Nancy et al, but I promise to pray for you all 'cloistered sisters' in St Peter's next Holy day. Love and Prayer mags† p.s I have ordered the right to be merry book as a holy day read xxx Thank you God Bless You with Love.
Mags, I'm happy you've at least had your old Testament dinosaur (love that) to use ... but I'm sorry it didn't cooperate well with your posting plans. I am struck, however, by how you see God in even this snag.
I am especially sorry to learn you so badly burned your arm. Heated oil - oh, how dreadful! I hope you're healing well.
I will consider it a privilege to pray for your pilgrimage. To Rome! I'm sure we all feel especially privileged to know you'll be praying for us in St. Peter's!!! O my. Thank you, thank you!
To read that I might be the only person praying as I wait in line somewhere, or as I go about my duties at work went right to my heart. How lonely Our Lord must be! I marvel that God gives so much love, and receives so little back. Is it odd - or prideful - that I want to comfort Him?
The lesson I take from the latest post is that our cloistered sisters are able to move easily from work to prayer because they never cease praying. It is my hope to one day attain that state.
Nancy, I am enjoying the pace of this Monastic Day you are leading us through. Thanks for the chart of the hours. I ordered a book called The Divine Office for Dodos (as a newbie, I need all the help I can get); it has a similar chart. I love the rhythm that praying the hours brings about. Even though on a work day I can't pray all seven, the one I can really enrich my day. Looking forward to going deeper into the Monastic day with you and all who join in here.
Oh, my...so much to think about and to absorb over the past week. I've been so richly blessed with this monastic journey you've led us on, Nancy, as well as by the inputs of all. I don't quite know where to start. This past week has been a quiet yet full, sometimes hectic, spiritual journey. A coming together of many years searching and the opening of something wonderful, I believe.
I befuddled myself a bit this weekend in my excitement...wanting to read everything (ha!) and taking in more than I could really process, so I did have to step back a bit and refocus. Quiet my mind. My copy of "The Cloistered Heart" finally arrived ~ Praise Jesus! Nancy, you were reading my mind some 20+ years ago in your journaling and writing. I don't have it in front of me to pinpoint the page, but when you write about not being 'ready' initially on your journey but being ready at a later time...struck a chord. Right after "Poustinia" was published, my brother gave me a copy (I think I had just entered high school...so yes, I'm old!) and being pulled by the message but not really understanding it. Over the years I have pulled it out and while drawn to it, still not ready. Now I am understanding this...and the criss cross journey that has led me to this point is starting to make sense. Trish ~ your beautiful writings on your blog (yes, I've been lurking) further validates all the message I am hearing and bolster the certainty that it is all right and good. Oh, and writings of St. Frances de Sales. So, so wise, loving and gentle. I could not help but wonder this weekend as I devoured paged after page if my journey would have varied had I read his writings some 20 years ago. His writings are like food for my soul. And Mags, I'm sorry for you computer difficulties (and the burn!) but had to laugh about all your God felt words being gobbled up....oh, but yes, I have so been there and yes, it can be a bit humbling. Praying for your safe journey and thankful for your prayers. Mary, thank you for the further clarifications (particularly on the different names!) I have been using the button on Nancy's blog to DivineOffice.org and that is very helpful. (silly story...I tried to listen to the Evening Prayer the other night on my i-Phone (w/earphones) while sitting enjoying the quiet days end on the beach...when I realized the jack wasn't working and unbeknownst to me I had been broadcasting to all around me. Ooops. Oh, well...noone seemed to mind :) So much lies ahead of me, I know. I am praying that I am able to keep my heart and mind open to God's will and that I have the trust and confidence to go where He would lead me.
Paula, You will love the book, The Cloistered Heart. And, I love how you accidentally broadcast Evening Prayer on the beach. Mags, I too hope your burn is better by now, and so happy for you and your upcoming trip. You will receive graces for years to come from it. Thank you for the prayers. And, you are a wonderful example of living the Will of God with the rearranging of your life in regards to school schedules, your burn, your computer woes, and family life. God bless you! Will keep your trip in prayer. Nancy, it was good for the reminder to watch the videos again. I'm so blessed to live 7 miles from these Sisters. I call them "my sisters". Their Monastery is my favorite place for Mass. It sure is a holy and peaceful atmosphere. Tess, You are consoling the heart of Jesus. Fr. Michael Gaitley has written a book, Consoling the Heart of Jesus. If you get a chance, maybe you can get a copy of it. I don't want to get off topic of speaking of Our Lord and our prayerful lives, but may I ask if any of you can instruct me on how to put a picture with my name? If it will be more than a sentence to explain, I'll send me email over. Thank you. Mary
EVERYONE: This screen has had a problem loading the last few comments. Therefore, I have copied the last several (I had to enter them as "anonymous" but your names went with them!) and pasted them into the comments page of a new post. So we will now continue this rich conversation there!
I am really looking forward to spending a monastic day with you! I'd like to hear how others are answering the call to live 'apart, in the world'
ReplyDeleteThank you, Tess. I ask for your prayers that GOD will lead us through this adventure. I am jumping without a net here ... no pre-plan... but this way we MUST all rely upon HIM. GOD ALONE.
DeleteGood morning
ReplyDeleteI'm so pleased to see that you are sharing your monastic day with us. I've been so drawn to your site the last few weeks and the notion of the cloistered heart (book is on order!) and just beginning to have a deeper understanding of that. I will very much enjoy taking this journey with you and the other readerss. Praying that God will lead us on this journey and open our hearts and minds to his Word.
This is something that has been weighing on my mind Nancy...a strong desire to live the monastic life in a sense *in this world*...*in our daily life*. I have been reading Barbara Dent who was a Carmelite hermit living in New Zealand. She had three children and a husband who left her when she became Catholic. You would love her writings...very raw and poetic.
ReplyDeleteI would like to incorporate more Hours in my day. They really don't take that long...but I forget all the time with the exception of Morning and Evening Prayer. I would like to figure out how to set my phone or something as a *bell* to remind me LOL!
I am looking forward to hearing others' experiences.
Theresa,
DeleteI was actually thinking about you and your praying of the Liturgy of the Hours yesterday as I placed my order for the 4 volumes that make up this prayer. I have always made a ton of excuses as to why I can't learn to pray this prayer sanctifying the hours. I finally decided or God decided for me that I will learn it and pray as many of the hours as is possible for me at this time. I am actually excited about it.
Thanks for mentioning Barbara Dent- I will put her on my to read list. I have been reading about a local "laura" of hermits here in NJ (Bethlehem Hermitage in Chester, NJ)
The idea of a bell or some type of audio reminder is a good one- I imagine much like the call to prayer in monasteries :)
Theresa, I too forget, and no doubt, I would also even forget to set the alarm...LOL. Seriously, I keep praying to be more faithful to prayer. Each day, I have to start anew, and each night, I end up apologizing to Our Lord. I want to run and hide, but His Love gives me the courage to keep trying. How patient He is! I will pray for you too. :)
DeleteI am so happy you are doing this, Nancy.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure it will be helpful and encouraging to those who may be struggling (like me).
I know I will be strengthened by the sharing.
love and blessings in Jesus..Trish
Thank you, Paula, Theresa and Trish (and to you again, Tess... and to everyone starting this "day" with us)!!! I'm very much looking forward to getting started with our adventure, which I hope begin on the cloistered heart blog in just a few minutes. I am RELYING ON our UNITED prayers for this effort, and now that I've read these initial comments, I realize that our sharings here in "the parlor" are a MAJOR PART of it all. For God will be leading through our mutual sharing and experiences. He will be working through us all.
ReplyDeleteTheresa, I am familiar with Barbara Dent, and yes - raw and poetic is a great description.
Also, the comment about the bell makes me think of something I used to do that worked quite well. I had watches with hourly alarms, and when that alarm would ding, I'd offer an inner aspiration. It really re-focused me. I have now lost my second such watch, and haven't been able to find another. Maybe time to check online? Hmmm...
But now, with a prayer, I go to the Cloistered Heart screen....
Nancy,
ReplyDeleteThis idea of the Monastic Day really puts the concepts of the Cloistered Heart into practice- or at least challenges us to do so. It can be so easy to go charging past our grille or letting things in that don't belong.
Thanks for beginning this adventure~may God give us all the grace to follow it today and always.
Karinann, I love what you said about it being "easy to go charging past our grille." !! Ain't it the truth!!!?!!!!
DeleteI thought I was the only one with that internal editor who resides in my head! I look forward to reading what write after you drop him : )
ReplyDeleteBlessings+
Oh, Caroline... the good ol' internal editor... so "he" hangs around your head as well. I am told this is a problem with many if not most people who try to put their words on paper. It can be such a snag, and frankly I am too interested in seeing what happens as we share our "monastic day" here to spend TIME on such snagging!
DeleteMy 'bell' is a quite annoying alarm clock...that has a convenient snooze button. I was finding that I was hitting that snooze button a little too frequently and just delaying the inevitable (as really, that extra few minutes really wasn't very restful) What I am trying to do now is wake with that first bell and immediately start a conversation with God. Informal prayers, to say the least but focused and intentional. And this is before I pop out of bed (okay, I seldom 'pop' but I do pull myself to an upright position and land my feet on the floor!) It's becoming a favorite part of my day. In the quiet of the morning, before the rest of the day intrudes.
ReplyDeletePaula, I never "pop" out of bed either. I'm old enough that if I did, there would be POPS that could be heard for miles (with accompanying shrieks of pain)!!
DeleteHow wonderful, and encouraging, that your awakening prayer is becoming a favorite part of your day. I find that often the hardest part of praying is simply getting started. The more I talk with God, the more I want to talk with Him. And I, too, find it wonderful to do so before the rest of the days intrudes. Thank you so much for sharing this!
Nancy, I also have that "editor" problem and I think I'll drop him too!
ReplyDeleteMy morninings begin with the alarm on the clock beside my husband, who then gets up to have his breakfast and dress for work.
We have a set routine start to our day.
He makes a pot of tea and brings my cup into me and then he breakfasts while watching morning news on TV.
I stay in bed and begin the day with "Thank You Lord, for bringing us through the night" and then I pray for protection over my husband and family for the day ahead.
We have 4 crosses on our bedroom walls which are visual "bells" for me as I open my eyes to the new day.
I sit quietly and "chat" about things on my heart and sometimes internally sing a verse or chorus as inspired by my thoughts and conversation with God.
It may sound like I'm lazy to be staying in bed but I just can't start my day with the TV noise. It drives me crazy!
My husband is quite happy to get his own breakfast and I'm always there to kiss him goodbye as he leaves for work.
But I must have that quiet entry into the day which helps me to focus and commune with Jesus first thing in the morning.
Trish xx
Trish, what a marvelous morning routine, for both you and your husband. Thank you SO much for sharing it... I find it soothing to even read about. And no, it doesn't sound lazy at all to be staying in bed. You are starting your day off with God - and then when you do come in contact with the day's news at a later point (as we inevitably must when we live in this world) you are facing it with God. You're getting your grillwork in place to then go forward and face the day!
DeleteUgh...mornings for the insomniac on-call person LOL! I have an internal clock so to speak. I don't always think of prayer upon waking...more about coffee and checking email and getting the dogs out, etc. I am trying to foster a very simple habit of *Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner* as my feet hit the floor.
ReplyDeleteI soooo know what you mean about not *seeing* some holy image or verse anymore. I hung a Carmelite cross right where I would see it as I wake up...do you think I still see it? NO...non-existent. Maybe I need to move things around as you suggested.
Although...as soon as that cup of coffee is in my hand, I am ready for Morning Prayer from the Office : )
ReplyDeleteI am all for short prayers, "aspirations," like the one you mentioned, Theresa. That is often all I can manage when I awaken, and I still need physical reminders. My nature tends to begin the day with a bit of whine :). At least inwardly... "my back hurts, my foot hurts, whine whine whine.." Sometimes it takes a huge effort to snap out of that mindset and into one of thanksgiving. I've been working a lot lately on moving from that automatic mindset. T'aint easy... but I suspect most of us here might know that...?
DeleteLOL...ahh, so it's that morning coffee that is really your 'bell'! Nothing wrong with that! Just as the rhythm of each of our days is different I have to believe that our bells or first prayers will be different.
ReplyDeleteI had insomnia for years, so I very much feel your pain. And you still have little ones in your care (my little ones are only here Fri-Sun!) That's very challenging for one who doesn't sleep well. Praying for restful nights for you. :)
Colleen, yes, we need all the help we can get... and I think everyone's ideas and approaches are WONDERFUL!!!! I have such a tremendous sense that we're all in this together, all wanting to love and serve Our Lord, all helping one another to do just that. Thanks be to God!
ReplyDeleteYes, our bells are all different, and for me it is a GREAT help to hear how everyone else answers that "morning bell." TRULY AN INSPIRATION. I know that one of the very first things I will think of tomorrow will be all of you, because as I say my "morning sentence" to God I know I'll automatically be thinking of how you are each starting your day. You will all be in my morning sentence.. which will most likely become a (long?) paragraph!
Theresa, I too pray that you will have restful sleep.
I'm usually able to begin my day with a morning offering before I get out of bed but dedicated prayer time happens a few minutes later when I'm more aware and functioning. I make a pot of tea or a smoothie or something to sustain me so I'm not distracted by a rumbling tummy and I'm feeling cosy and settled. I've hung icons where I can see them when I sit in my prayer chair, and my bible and journal are in easy reach. I try to make it as easy as possible for myself to have this time!
ReplyDeleteThe rest of the day, however, is more of a challenge. I'm not so good at hearing the bells once my day really gets started. Help!
I'm like you, Tess, in doing the more dedicated prayer a bit later in the morning... after I "find my brain." I'm hoping to go into that a bit more in a post tomorrow (although since I am "jumping without a net" in this, I don't know for sure what will come out onscreen!). In monasteries I've stayed in, the Sisters have their "dedicated prayer time" after they get up, usually right before Mass, and then of course the Mass IS prayer.
DeleteOh, and the rest of the day - I am right with you in the struggle to hear the bells! It's so hard to hear them over the distracting glitz of everyday life. There is much for us all to talk about in this "monastic day," and I pray that God will help us all and we share and help one another. It may turn out to be the longest day in recorded history :)!
I sleep with a hand held olive cross from Jerusalem under my pillow, some eves I go to sleep holding it, some morning I wake still holding it. There is a beautiful risen Lord hanging over my bed. One day in prayer never seems to end before the next day in prayer begins. Mmmmmmnnnn. Monastic cloistered Heart xxx
ReplyDeleteI love this, magsmuse. I, too, like to have something tangible, something I can hold onto. I slept with a cherished rosary in my hands until the crucifix fell off .. it was made of small black beads and rope (rather than metal links), and had been made and given to me by very dear nun friends.
DeleteWhat a blessing to have your days of prayer flow into one another; it is my goal, and truly an inspiration.
I too have a small olive wood crucifix that I often fall asleep holding or wake up holding. I never quite thought of it like this though~the prayer never ending. Thanks for this magsmuse.
DeleteWhat lovely imagery! Prayer never ending. I will need to think on this a bit. Thank you for sharing.
DeleteI LOVE this blog. I, for awhile, have also felt the desire to live a more "hidden" life. However, I'm not sure how exactly. I think I know. Giving up Facebook for one (it's a bad habit for me). I do think visiting blogs such as yours, and other women seeking similar goals in the spiritual life are a good thing, though. Less time fiddling with my iPhone. And praying even when I do not feel like it. That's the kicker. Being a Carmelite (like Theresa), I've made a temporary Promise to pray the Morning and Evening office, and to set aside time for silence/prayer. I was getting up at 5am to do this, because I have a lot of kids and I home school. Plus my one child with autism has not so consistent sleep patterns, so that was about the time I could count on him being sleep (not always though). A friend in Carmel has 10 children, ranging from one in the seminary in Rome, to a 6 year old. She always put prayer on her priority list. She juggles life, and says if her prayer time isn't done in the morning, she makes a "plan". She says, "what is my plan today, to set aside that time". She says there are some days it doesn't happen, but I know for her, it gets done in her house more than it does mine, and she has twice the workload and fatigue. I've also been trying to sub for people at our parish who need someone for their holy hour. I have a weekly hour on Friday evenings, but we sub too, so that's extra "for sure" quiet time that I will have. I do like the quote from St. Francis de Sales, about making our prayers pleasing to our husbands. That is something I need to remember. And the "bell", as our way of knowing when a task is at hand. I had finished the office this morning, and was getting ready to read some Scripture. Then I heard my two year old upstairs. My first reaction was, "Ugh..so much for my quiet time!" THEN, I remembered your post on the monastic bell, and I hopped to my feet. It was God's way of telling me, time to get to work!
ReplyDeleteAh yes, Jen- "praying even when I do not feel like it" !! Yes, that is the kicker for me too... THE kicker.
DeleteThank you for your very kind words; I, too, find much help in connecting with people who seek similar goals in the spiritual life. We strive, we struggle, we succeed a bit, we encourage one another along the way. Thanks be to God.
Hmmm... maybe you have helped me see why I've never done Facebook!
I loved hearing about your monastic bell!
Oh how I would love to slip into my morning! But alas, my alarm breaks the peaceful silence and I am up and running in a hurry to make 7am Mass. That being said, I am turning over a new leaf of sorts. As I mentioned in one of my comments here yesterday, I am praying that I will be able to pray the Liturgy of the Hours- the 4 volume set arrived today. So my plan, and I am hoping it is God's as well, is to rise around 4:30-5:00 to pray morning Prayer before Mass. I think this may be a better Mass prep than running out the door in fevered rush.
ReplyDeleteAs for the other Hours, I will pray what I can, where and when I can. If God wants it; He will see to it.
Thanks for sharing this Monastic Morning with us, Nancy.
I hope you enjoy your 4 volume Liturgy of the Hours, Karinann... I always love it when something wonderful like that arrives! It can feel like a fresh new start, which it does seem to be part of as you turn over your new leaf.
DeleteI feel I'm turning over a new leaf of sorts as well. I'm actually doing so because of this "monastic day" of ours. It is refreshing me, like a crisp wind blowing in the windows, and the sharing here in the Parlor is a major part of it. When I woke up and said my "morning sentence" to God today, you were all included in it, and I thought of everyone starting YOUR days with God. My sentence, as expected, was several paragraphs long :)!
hey there nancy from down thisaway in the creek-- i liked you use of the beginning of morning and evening prayer in the ending of your "rant" today-- i do get the jprivieldge of going to morning prayer every week day because i work 200 yards from church and i go to evening sometimes but i find it very nice to go at lunch and spend a few moments with the Blessed Sacrament not because i have to but i want to so as to thank God and acknowledge His role in my life--- keeping it simple is a great thing and being simple minded, this works for me:):):) take care of the grands and yourself-- Steve
ReplyDeleteWell, hey there back, Steve down thataway in the creek. Glad to see you here, and thanks a bunch for stopping by! You are blessed to work so close to church, and to be able to stop in and spend time with the Blessed Sacrament in the midst of a busy day. How absolutely perfect! Keeping it simple works well for me, too.
DeleteI'm now helping homeschool the oldest grand (age 6)... what a blessing!
God bless from MB2
And one more thing: your mention of lunchtime visits to Church flashed me back to when I was a newlywed, working in a midtown city office. Occasionally I would use part of my lunch hour to walk to noon Mass several blocks away from my building. I was not what one would call a deeply serious Catholic at the time, but I always came back so refreshed and feeling wonderful.
DeleteGreat post and comments! I like what you said about being silent around husband and children...I can be like that sometimes.
ReplyDeleteKarinann...you go girl with the 4 volume! I am able to access the 4 volume on my Kindle and that is a blessing truly. Otherwise, I use my much beloved one volume.
My quiet time is at night when youngest is falling asleep. She had difficulty going to sleep on her own so I make the best of it and use it as quiet prayer time...reading scripture or a good spiritual book.
@Jen...I can't believe someone in Carmel has 10 kids! Wow...God is really giving her the graces! I think time before the Blessed Sacrament is excellent...and healing.
Well Theresa, I was able to afford the 4 volumes thanks to some birthday gift cards to help with the cost. As far as sticking with it and figuring it all out~prayers please! :)
DeleteThank you, Theresa... and yes, the comments are wonderful! So many good, inspiring, practical thoughts and sharings!
ReplyDeleteOh my, one volume, four volumes...I must admit I feel a bit humbled reading all of these beautiful postings. How can I, a life-long Catholic, not know of all of this?! Seriously, I do think I've missed something all these years...and the nuns I had wore habits, so I've been around at least a few years :)
ReplyDeleteBut that's okay, I'm learning. I feel like I've wandered into a wonderful, magical world with the introduction of this handful of faithful, inspired women. And you are all introducing me to a side of faith and commitment that feels very comfortable, very right, particularly the draw of monasticism and the cloistered heart.
Visiting your blogs has been very helpful and I will continue to explore and learn. In the meanwhile, I will shuffle along with the simple and the familiar and absorb as I go. I'm really not the most disciplined, but my goal for many years has been to try to spend time each morning in prayer and reading scripture. Sometimes I'm better than others at accomplishing that. My morning 'go to' for years has been my woman's devotional Bible (NIV) that my sister gifted to me during a particularly difficult time in my life. I love that book. I never tire of that book. It feeds my soul. And teaches me...every.single.time.I.open.it. :) The rest of the day I just talk to God. Most all day long I have a running conversation with Him. :)
Last night, before bed, I tried to prepare a little better for the morning. I readied the coffee pot, selected my clothes and set the clock a few minutes earlier. Trying to (re)set a few habits. I'm pleased to say that I had my morning conversation with God before I hit the floor, and was able to spend unhurried time with my women's devotional and a cup of coffee before I left for work at 6:15. (during the week it's just me to worry about in the mornings...weekends are a whole 'nother beast....but we'll tackle that soon enough!)
One other little thing that I have been doing is using the post-it notes app on my computer screen. As I am at my desk 8 hrs a day, I find that the little inspirations and Bible quotes posted on my desktop are a quick 'go to' throughout the day. Today I posted the quote Nancy shared yesterday from St. Anselm. I'm finding that it's a quick, non-disruptive way to reconnect throughout the day.
Paula, I didn't know the "one volume, four volume" info until I was in my 40s. I knew there was a "Breviary," but thought it was just for priests and maybe nuns. And I had been taught by Sisters in habits too (in my day there was no other kind !). The Sisters' prayer books were "theirs" - mine was basically a Mass missal. So you are DEFINITELY not alone in these new discoveries.
DeleteTHANK YOU SO MUCH, Paula, for sharing your routine of last night and this morning with us here. Hearing of your - and everyone's - practical applications makes this all very real, and do-able... even as we all "do" in different ways according to our individual lives and personalities. We get "hints and tips" (!) from one another! Thanks be to God!
I, too, feel I wandered into a wonderful world when God opened the "interior cloister" to me. I hope to spend eternity thanking Him.
In the discussion of 1 volume 4 volume Liturgy of the Hours and how to learn to do it, I have 3 cents to add. I've been doing the 4 volume for years and still have a hard time (but that's just me... I have a hard time with "organizational skills" unless I do the organizing myself, which is why I've organized my blogs with topics - it helps ME!). But there is a small $2.50 guide booklet that comes out every year - you can get one for the four volume, and one for the one volume. It has the page numbers listed, and if I didn't have that I would never make it through.
Delete@Paula...I have heard that Bible mentioned several times already...I think I may have to have a look-see at it : ) You have piqued my interest.
DeleteOh how jealous I am of the Sisters with this "daily routine"...How I long for this structure and feel that I could get so much more into my day, my prayer life, my time with Our Lord if I had that bell to ring me into my next sacrificial obligation...I seem to work, pray and even play better on a time frame, for sadly I am not a self-disciplined person, and if left to my own devices will procrastinate or even totally forget which I do not intend to do...A priest once told me that my time of prayer with Our Lord should be like an appointment to be kept..one that I make and would certainly not miss if it was an interview for a job or something...I tried that for a while. Then another priest told me that my whole day can be a prayer...Offering everything that I say, think and do that day to the Glory of God. I still felt somehow that I should have my "quiet time" with Jesus, and I have found that as I drive in the car in the morning I don't turn the radio on anymore..but spend that time talking to Jesus..as if he were right there in the passenger seat..I am sure I probably look a little "crazy" driving down the road nodding and shaking my head and sometimes raising my hands in some sort of gesture to illustrate my point ...but I have found that I do like this and for me it starts my day off just right...Even though I would treasure my meditative time in the silence with Him and in the presence of my fellow sisters, I believe that this is the life that God has called me to, and I am comfortable in it. I try to make the sign of the cross in the morning to open my prayer and the sign of the cross to close my prayer in the evening so that everything that has taken place between the two signs is my "prayer" to God..offered with an imperfect yet truly sincere heart. I hope that this pleases and delights My Lord.. Thank you, Nancy for this thought provoking question ..May God Bless you..
DeleteOh, Joy... echo echo echo! "I am not a self-disciplined person, and if left to my own devices will procrastinate or even totally forget which I do not intend to do." YES!!!
DeleteI love hearing of your turning off the radio and talking with Jesus as if He were right there... because of course HE IS! I think the human acts of gesturing, etc., help us (at least they help me) "get" this truth - that He is right here with us. I am especially struck by your realization that this is the life God has called you to. In this, I echo also (about my own).
I am particularly struck, as I look over all of our prayer practices, by the similarities and the wonderful differences between us. It's like we're a splendid bouquet of flowers, each one different, but each one pleasing to God and loved by Him. And we each love Him. Very much. Or why would we be spending our time here talking about prayer?!?!?
Thank you so much, Joy, for sharing so wonderfully with us.
Nancy, thank you for the insight into the books (and the hint on the guides) I need an instruction book for everything...trust me. I'm very open to new things but I do like directions to guide me (which can be good or bad, depending on what it is we are talking about!)
DeleteTheresa ~ my devotional Bible is sort of like a guide book for navigating scripture :) It's very easy to use, which is a plus for me (I have a much better chance of sticking to anything if it's not overly complicated)
And Joy, it sounds like you are very much in tune with the rhythm of your day and what works for you. I really, really like the sign of the cross that you start your day and end your day with. Such intention ~ I will be borrowing, if you don't mind :)
Joy, thank you for sharing your day of prayer. I think it sounds so loving and heartfelt. I used to (well still do :) envy the nuns their beautiful, consecrated life in the cloister. But, I also like to remember that God is so forgtotten in the world, and so we can make the places we go throughout the day "little monasteries" by remembering to whisper a prayer or a word of praise to God. I remember reading in the book "He and I" that Jesus told Gabrielle Bossis, "You are the only one praying in this train station." I have never forgotten how precious her prayer must have been to Him...solitary as it was. God bless you!
DeleteRose, a former novice whose writings have occasionally appeared on the Cloistered Heart blog, e-mailed this comment:
ReplyDeleteI miss having my day revolve around prayer instead of my prayer revolving around my day. I love how the sisters' entire day revolves around their prayer time - not vice versa. Yes, that was my life too, once upon a time. The call to prayer, the bell, rang exactly on the dot. Chores, tasks, business at hand - all succumbed to the bell.
Thank you, Rose! You bring a perspective most of us don't have, and I love what you said about having the day revolve around prayer. I wonder if a combination of aspirations and maybe some "bell reminders" (like clocks and memos and things) could eventually help even our busy family and work days revolve around Our Lord and prayer? Hmmm....
DeleteThis would be something I would be very interested in! And I never thought of it like that...my prayer revolving around my day. Should be the other way around! I'm wondering if the bells and reminders could be at set points in the day as much as we can. Family life is so different than the religious life, but there must be some way for it for us, or God wouldn't put that desire in our hearts, right? (St. Therese said something to this). I was explaining the Angelus to my 9 year old yesterday, and I told him this was a set time for prayer regardless of where one was in their work day...I need to pray about this for sure.
DeleteJen, one thing that helped me so much was the alarm watch (I mentioned it above, somewhere..). I am now looking around for another. I kept the chime set to "ding" every hour on the hour, and it was a short "polite" ding that not many others noticed. When that happened, I would keep doing whatever I was doing and offer a mental aspiration - usually "Jesus I trust in You." If I was not in the middle of something that required my "mind" (like a conversation!) I'd often extend that little aspiration into a bit more mental prayer. Perfect when in the middle of housework, etc. Some friends knew I did this, and the little ding would remind ALL if us if we were together! Once several of us were in a meeting, and a couple of ladies turned toward me at the "ding" and smiled, and silently mouthed the words "Jesus, I trust in You." !
DeleteThe clock also had a once-daily alarm which rang a bit longer. I set that for 1:00, and wherever I was, a tried to take a little longer for inner prayer. And if I was home and by myself and able, I would stop what I was doing to take some "dedicated prayer time" then.
I REALLY have to find another watch like that!!!! A nice portable monastic bell...
Nancy,
ReplyDeleteWhat the Catechism says about the Mass is so true; it really is the source and summit of our Christian lives. I love the excerpt from The Living Pyx of Jesus (wish that one was still in print!)I can't remember the saint who said it, but it was something to the effect that the earth could more survive without the sun than it could without the Mass being said (very roughly paraphrased). It is so amazing to think that at every moment, somewhere in the world, the Holy Sacrifice if the Mass is being offered.
Now off to get ready for 7am Mass~ will remember you and all who come by here at Mass today.
Karinann, you getting ready for 7 am Mass (when this says you wrote at 2:9 AM!!) makes me remember to tell everyone that I am not in whatever time zone gets listed on here. I'm a few hours later, so everyone's times of posting are not correct. But I digress...
DeleteI am grateful for your reminder that somewhere in the world, the Mass is being offered at every moment. Awesome thought.
THANK YOU for remembering all of us at Mass!! Another awesome thought. I prayed for everyone here as I woke again this morning. Thanks be to God.
We try our best to make the noon Mass at our parish. We are blessed to have so many options near us. But it is important to at least make a spiritual communion when we can't make it to Mass.
ReplyDeleteHeaded away for the rest of the week but will catch up with you when I get back. Sorry I will miss some of your writings.
Theresa, we will MISS YOU!! However, this conversation will - God willing - be right here when you get back. That's one blessing of conversations online, huh? You won't really miss a thing. And since this particular monastic day is who-knows-how-long, you might just make it back in time for breakfast.. :)!!
DeleteGod bless you!
The following came in an e-mail from one of us who was in the direct path of Hurricane Isaac. I am putting it here as an "anonymous" in case she'd prefer not to say where she is.
ReplyDelete"The wake up bell at my monastery this morning came in the form of a gust of wind banging at the side of our house...My first prayer was a giant Thank You, God for keeping us safe and then for the others who will be more profoundly affected..Thank the good Lord we did not get much more than gusty winds and rain...very hard at times.."
My dear friend, you know that you and all in your area are in my prayers... and I know others who are seeing this are remembering this need as well. May Our Lord keep you safe.
DeleteNancy,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the "food for thought" today.
With the Mass being the greatest prayer that we can offer to God, I had to think about how often I enter the church to attend Mass, unprepared.. many times the concerns and obligations of the day..what is going to be for dinner, what the week is going to bring, how to handle a certain situation with a child seem to come first in my mind instead of preparing for the wonderful and miraculous gift of God that I will soon be participating in..Do I take the Mass for granted?...Have I become so used to it and the wonderful graces, not to mention the fact that I will be receiving the precious Body and Blood of Jesus, that I fail to be in awe?..Is it like that note that you mentioned the other day that you leave for yourself to remind you to pray..that we become so familiar with it after a while that we don't even see it anymore..Oh I pray that this is not the case for me with the Mass...may my eyes be opened to the truth... the miraculous.. may it be fresh and new as the morning dew every time I attend..may it always astound me and amaze me...may I never lose my desire and hunger for the Mass..and may I never cease to thank God for this great gift of our faith..Maybe by spending more time in preparation for the Mass and even staying after to give Thanksgiving, I will draw closer to the Kingdom of God here on earth..God Bless
Joy, what beautiful and very REAL words. I am so struck by your saying that maybe we become so familiar with it that after awhile we don't even see it anymore. I say a huge amen to your wonderful prayer that it be fresh for us, as the morning dew.
DeleteJoy, so beautiful. So much to think about. And to pray about. Thank you.
DeleteAnd thank you, Nancy, for the gift of your time and the blessings this space provides. I feel some awesome things transpiring. Praising God for His goodness always and those He leads us to.
My husband and I were just talking about this last week. Well, I was mostly talking, he was mostly listening. I have been sporadic at best with Mass attendance. Due to a handful of reasons, one of the biggest being the grands I have here with me every weekend. Whose parents do not want them in church. Any church. Such sadness this causes me. Trying to work thru that sadness (and maybe anger? frustration?) I have just stopped. Attending. And that is not a good thing.
ReplyDeleteI am trying to explore options that besty fit my life right now. Maybe return to Mass during the week, particulary if I am not able to attend on Sunday? I have always loved the quiet intimacy of weekday Mass. And I would be able to receive the Eucharist. I'm so feeling that 'hole' in my spiritual life right now. That's what I was trying to explain to my husband (a non-practicing Methodist, but a believer...he didn't really 'get' it.)
So, we'll see. Praying on it all. (Theresa, love your mention of 'spiritual communion', as this is where I feel I have been of late.)
My heart goes out to you, Paula... and this painful situation with your grandchildren will be IN MY PRAYERS. I will also pray that Our Lord will show you options for yourself. May Jesus come and fill that hole in your spiritual life. Again, MY PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU, and will be very much so during my "aspirations" of this day.
DeleteMy friends, I am happily homeschooling my 6 year old granddaughter today, but I will leave on the computer and pop back in from time to time put your comments on so you can talk with one another! See you this evening....
ReplyDeleteDear Nancy,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this lovely blog! I am so inspired by your words each day and long to keep a cloistered spirit throughout my daily duties. God bless you!
Thanks so much, Anne. It is wonderful to know others who long to live for Jesus in the cloister of the heart! God bless you, too!
DeleteSigh - I wish I could pray more in the mornings. I have to be at work at 7:30, so at least for this season of life I have to accept this. When I first get up I turn off the alarm, then pray a brief prayer (I think I saw it on this blog) of thanking God for another day to serve Him, considering that today is a day to prepare for eternity, listening for my Father's voice as to what He wants me to do and humbly admitting I can only serve Him if He helps. This all sounds good, except first thing in the morning it's very hard to focus my thoughts! But at least I make the effort.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your blog.
Susan
Susan, it's hard for me also to focus my thoughts first thing in the morning. I have come to terms with the realization that the "waking up me" is not operating out of the will as much as out of just.... well, some sort of instinctive kind of response. ?? But then when the "will" kicks in, that's when I do as you do and pray a brief prayer.
DeleteI think making the effort goes a long way!
What appeals to me about communal prayer (following the bells), is that the decision is taken from me. Oh, I know I still have to decide to obey, and decide to pray with sincerity, but having the plan laid out for me, not having to worry about what comes next, not watching the clock and therefore being able to sink into the moment, lose myself in the prayer would be so incredibly freeing.
ReplyDeleteMy own daily prayer varies, but generally includes reading which inspires the prayer that follows (Scripture or the Office). I journal, as writing is how I work through what's going on inside, between me and God. Then I try to have some quiet time for intercession or contemplation - whatever the day brings. This happens in the morning; sometimes I'm drawn back in during the day.
Tess, you have really nailed what appeals to me most about communal "by the bells" prayer. The decision is made. And, now that I think of it... if I were part of such a community, the call of the bells would actually be "MY" decision. For I would have been made it by entering that community.
DeleteOh yes - how freeing!
"All I must do is accept." Wow. So simple, yet so hard, isn't it? I've been focusing for some time on trying to slow things down and walk with focus and intention. It really does help. And with unceasing prayer and trust, doesn't that sound better than rushing about, trying to always predict and fix things? (My guilty habit, and one I am daily humbled by.)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post, Nancy.
Thank you, Paula! Yes, it can be so hard, right?! I love your focus on trying to walk with focus and intention. I shall be trying this as well.
ReplyDeleteAnd once again, my friends, I will be away from "the Parlor" for most of this day. But please leave comments as you can and wish to, and they'll appear by evening!
Nancy...
ReplyDeleteMy eyes have been opened on so many levels this past week...reading what you are writing and what the other Cloistered Hearts are sharing. I agree with Tess and Paula that there is a freedom in not having to watch the clock..and obey its every second, but surrendering to "the bells" instead. Over the course of the past years I have been blessed to attend many silent retreats at the Monastery in Mobile, and as I enter the monastery I offer God my weekend. I place all of my worries, my family, my obligations, the nation, etc. in His capable hands so that I can give myself 100% to Him and whatever it is that He has brought me there to learn and receive..It is a freeing. The bells ring us to meals, Mass, Stations of the Cross, rosary, conferences and even our recreation. What a wonderful feeling to relinquish control of situations that are not in my power anyway...not to have to worry about a single thing...no phones..no tv or newspapers...it is like being on an deserted island with God somewhere...a place that time forgot. I love it, however, I must admit that it is a bit of a let down when the weekend is over. It is a sense of going back into the "real world".. the secular world, but I enjoyed my piece of Heaven on earth while I was there and try to take some home with me. One thing that Tess said that struck me was that the bells may ring, but I have to make the decision to obey..how true that is. I have noticed one thing about myself with the retreat and the schedule (routine) that they follow. It has become so familiar to me that I sometime stray from it and do my "own thing". Could this possibly be disobedience on my part? They may do the Stations of the Cross at 2pm..but I might decide to do them that evening by myself. I might even be a bit of a renegade in this respect( I pray not). So I have decided that at the next retreat I will follow every bell, every instuction given as the "voice of God". Giving up control is very difficult, but whom better to give it to than Our Lord. "All I must do is accept" as Paula said .This might even be the retreat that I enjoy the most, the best retreat ever. It will be interesting to see how it goes. Thank you, Tess, Paula and Nancy for giving me this insight. God Bless..
Joy, I have been like you and have not followed every single thing in retreats. You bring an intriguing perspective, and I thank you so much for sharing it.
Delete"God, however, knows what lies ahead. Nothing that happens today will surprise Him. Because He knows, He has already made preparations. He has provided nourishment for me ahead of time. All I must do is accept it."
ReplyDeleteI am going to be pondering this for a while.
I've been thinking of this myself, Tess, throughout this busy day.
DeleteI have been far more conscious of the time I'm spending in prayer this week, particularly my morning prayers. With a little more preparation the night before and setting the clock a little earlier, I'm much more focused and feeling less rushed. Not so of the rest of the day, but I am praying on what 'bells' need to be put in place, as I know I need/want to add more structure. Late afternoon and evening particularly. Joy, your mention of the time on retreat without the distractions of phones, televisions, computers!...ahhh, how that tugs on my heart! Yesterday I was able to sit outside in the late afternoon in prayer. So beautifully quiet and so good for the soul. I feel a little adrift at what I should be doing at those times, too ~ scripture, spiritual reading, etc but know that will reveal itself.
ReplyDeleteI am learning so much from everyone in this little online coummunity...thank you so much for sharing very personal thoughts and wisdom, as well as your day to day practices and habits. Every post has touched my heart, given me new insight and strengthened my need to learn more. Have a blessed day.
Paula, I think many of us feel adrift at what we should be doing in our "quiet times." It all varies, of course, from person to person and from time to time with any one individual.
DeleteIsn't it wonderful to be all sharing this together?!? I find myself becoming more and more grateful that this online adventure may turn into the world's longest day :)!!
I've been away all week with no access to the computer....and WOW...Praise God...much to catch up on. I sure did miss The Cloistered Heart website and this blog. I find the site to be refreshing in the middle of the day ....to come on (if only for a couple minutes to look at a few of the beautiful pictures). This in itself is a form of prayer for me - in the middle of the day.
ReplyDeleteAlso, as for the LITURGY OF THE HOURS, it is wonderful you have this on your website, Nancy. For those that might not know, you can click on The Cloistered Heart main page - look for the picture of the lit candle where it says Prayer With the Church for the daily office. The DAILY OFFICE, the LITURGY OF THE HOURS, and the BREVIARY are all the same thing....just called by all those titles. I learned how to pray The Liturgy of the Hours or Divine Office by using that website (www.divineoffice.org) which Nancy has on her home page. It is nice to have the 4-volume set, along with the Guide, for those times you do not use the website. (I use the website AND the book mostly). But, you actually do not even need to have the books because it is complete on the website. The thing I like the best about the website is the Evening and Night Prayer. I love listening to their voices. It is such a nice calming way to come to the Lord after (maybe) a stressful day and to have sleep come easily with this ancient prayer of the church. God bless. Mary
Mary, welcome back! And I'm SO glad you mentioned the Liturgy of the Hours being on the Cloistered Heart blog sidebar, as I hadn't even remembered to bring that up. Which is pretty silly of me, because now that's what I use most often.
ReplyDeleteEVERYBODY ELSE: As Mary pointed out, the Daily Office is all right there for us with one click, complete, and VERY "user friendly." Awfully handy for those of us who spend time on computer. Which we are doing if we're here :)! We can either read it or listen to it. I find myself praying more of the Office because I have such ready access to it.
Mary, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR CALLING OUR ATTENTION TO THIS!!!
I began my re-read of A Right to be Merry last night. I think Mother was such a good writer... the atmosphere draws me right in. And there are parts that start me giggling aloud.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you're here with us, Colleen.
Nancy, thanks for the links to the videos.
ReplyDeleteI so enjoyed them!
Especially getting a glimpse of one of my favourite ladies who did a year of discernment and learning there before moving to start her own community!
I am getting a lot of encouragement from the conversation here about the monastic day.
I feel a sense of renewal within me this week :-)
Thank you and God bless you abundantly!
love..Trish
Thanks so much, Trish. I'm glad you enjoyed visiting a Community I so dearly love.
DeleteDear Nancy,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for posting the videos of the Visitation nuns! I was so inspired!!! Your blogs do so much good for my heart and I greatly appreciate you! God bless you always.
Thank you, Anne! I greatly appreciate you as well, and love visiting your blog!
DeleteI have been forced into monastic silence. Martha my Apple died and had to go back to the apple store to be made well again. I was forced against my will to retreat. I have read the cloistered heart every day from an old testament dinosaur of a PC, but I gave up commenting after writing my heart out and re-wording it all for over an hour, and then loosing the whole lot before posting. I was completely heart broken that all my God felt words had been blasted into humility and silence and went nowhere other than out from myself, leaving only me comprehending them in my heart. And in that particular moment it was only me that really needed to hear them, and understand them and then believe them anyway. God being God got me good and proper.
DeleteI burnt my arm last week quite badly by Le Cruset over heated oil and was physically less able and in agony for a while. I have missed my daily Mass and my daily Eucharist which has so frustrated me as I will no longer be able to receive the Eucharist unless Mass times change by 15 minutes now that I am back to reception school run as tomorrow my last-born of 5 begins school.
Suddenly a different bell calls me. And so to rearrange the daily pattern of my prayer, the structure of my monastic day and to shuffle in the cloisters of my heart until I can float back into His new rhythm, the one He has chosen especially for me.
Please may you all remember me in your prayers as on Sunday for the first time without my family and in 18 years, I am going on pilgrimage abroad to Rome for 5 days. I long to revel in all those saints footsteps and to feel Him steep me in their presence (just as He does me in Him, and Him in me, every waking day and sleeping eve). I shall miss you from Sunday Nancy et al, but I promise to pray for you all 'cloistered sisters' in St Peter's next Holy day. Love and Prayer mags†
p.s I have ordered the right to be merry book as a holy day read xxx Thank you God Bless You with Love.
Mags, I'm happy you've at least had your old Testament dinosaur (love that) to use ... but I'm sorry it didn't cooperate well with your posting plans. I am struck, however, by how you see God in even this snag.
DeleteI am especially sorry to learn you so badly burned your arm. Heated oil - oh, how dreadful! I hope you're healing well.
I will consider it a privilege to pray for your pilgrimage. To Rome! I'm sure we all feel especially privileged to know you'll be praying for us in St. Peter's!!! O my. Thank you, thank you!
GOD BLESS!
To read that I might be the only person praying as I wait in line somewhere, or as I go about my duties at work went right to my heart. How lonely Our Lord must be! I marvel that God gives so much love, and receives so little back. Is it odd - or prideful - that I want to comfort Him?
ReplyDeleteThe lesson I take from the latest post is that our cloistered sisters are able to move easily from work to prayer because they never cease praying. It is my hope to one day attain that state.
Tess, I think you have a gift and a grace to want to comfort Our Lord. Numerous saints were blessed with this very same desire.
DeleteIt is my hope, also, to one day attain the state of never ceasing prayer. I pray that Our Lord will grant this to us.... to us ALL here. Amen.
Nancy,
ReplyDeleteI am enjoying the pace of this Monastic Day you are leading us through. Thanks for the chart of the hours. I ordered a book called The Divine Office for Dodos (as a newbie, I need all the help I can get); it has a similar chart. I love the rhythm that praying the hours brings about. Even though on a work day I can't pray all seven, the one I can really enrich my day.
Looking forward to going deeper into the Monastic day with you and all who join in here.
Oh, my...so much to think about and to absorb over the past week. I've been so richly blessed with this monastic journey you've led us on, Nancy, as well as by the inputs of all. I don't quite know where to start. This past week has been a quiet yet full, sometimes hectic, spiritual journey. A coming together of many years searching and the opening of something wonderful, I believe.
ReplyDeleteI befuddled myself a bit this weekend in my excitement...wanting to read everything (ha!) and taking in more than I could really process, so I did have to step back a bit and refocus. Quiet my mind. My copy of "The Cloistered Heart" finally arrived ~ Praise Jesus! Nancy, you were reading my mind some 20+ years ago in your journaling and writing. I don't have it in front of me to pinpoint the page, but when you write about not being 'ready' initially on your journey but being ready at a later time...struck a chord. Right after "Poustinia" was published, my brother gave me a copy (I think I had just entered high school...so yes, I'm old!) and being pulled by the message but not really understanding it. Over the years I have pulled it out and while drawn to it, still not ready. Now I am understanding this...and the criss cross journey that has led me to this point is starting to make sense.
Trish ~ your beautiful writings on your blog (yes, I've been lurking) further validates all the message I am hearing and bolster the certainty that it is all right and good.
Oh, and writings of St. Frances de Sales. So, so wise, loving and gentle. I could not help but wonder this weekend as I devoured paged after page if my journey would have varied had I read his writings some 20 years ago. His writings are like food for my soul.
And Mags, I'm sorry for you computer difficulties (and the burn!) but had to laugh about all your God felt words being gobbled up....oh, but yes, I have so been there and yes, it can be a bit humbling. Praying for your safe journey and thankful for your prayers.
Mary, thank you for the further clarifications (particularly on the different names!) I have been using the button on Nancy's blog to DivineOffice.org and that is very helpful. (silly story...I tried to listen to the Evening Prayer the other night on my i-Phone (w/earphones) while sitting enjoying the quiet days end on the beach...when I realized the jack wasn't working and unbeknownst to me I had been broadcasting to all around me. Ooops. Oh, well...noone seemed to mind :)
So much lies ahead of me, I know. I am praying that I am able to keep my heart and mind open to God's will and that I have the trust and confidence to go where He would lead me.
Paula, You will love the book, The Cloistered Heart. And, I love how you accidentally broadcast Evening Prayer on the beach. Mags, I too hope your burn is better by now, and so happy for you and your upcoming trip. You will receive graces for years to come from it. Thank you for the prayers. And, you are a wonderful example of living the Will of God with the rearranging of your life in regards to school schedules, your burn, your computer woes, and family life. God bless you! Will keep your trip in prayer. Nancy, it was good for the reminder to watch the videos again. I'm so blessed to live 7 miles from these Sisters. I call them "my sisters". Their Monastery is my favorite place for Mass. It sure is a holy and peaceful atmosphere. Tess, You are consoling the heart of Jesus. Fr. Michael Gaitley has written a book, Consoling the Heart of Jesus. If you get a chance, maybe you can get a copy of it. I don't want to get off topic of speaking of Our Lord and our prayerful lives, but may I ask if any of you can instruct me on how to put a picture with my name? If it will be more than a sentence to explain, I'll send me email over. Thank you. Mary
ReplyDeleteEVERYONE: This screen has had a problem loading the last few comments. Therefore, I have copied the last several (I had to enter them as "anonymous" but your names went with them!) and pasted them into the comments page of a new post. So we will now continue this rich conversation there!
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