Have You Ever Considered Monastic Life?

[Guitarhero]

I've been thinking about my viable options in life. One is marriage but another is permanent singlehood. The third I can come up with that has crossed my mind for many years, off and on, is entering a monastic order (there are definitely protestant ones ) for contemplative prayer for a time or perhaps the rest of my life. There have been monks in the family before - after widowhood etc. I don't have to get married but feel I want to now but even that is waning a bit. There are more options.

How many of you or your friends have ever contemplated entering monastic life where much of your day is spent in prayer and silence? It's not for the weak, I can tell you. It's not for frustrated people trying to escape the problems of life but it's for those emotionally healthy people who are sincerely desiring to devote all day to prayer. I realize there are other things they do but prayer is the focus, with few external distractions. Who has ever considered it? Any pros/cons for choosing life in a religious order? Or perhaps your home church has a variation of it but their basic role is devotional prayer as a calling in addition to their family responsibilites?

 

[nathansgirl1908]

I've been thinking about my viable options in life. One is marriage but another is permanent singlehood. The third I can come up with that has crossed my mind for many years, off and on, is entering a monastic order (there are definitely protestant ones ) for contemplative prayer for a time or perhaps the rest of my life. There have been monks in the family before - after widowhood etc. I don't have to get married but feel I want to now but even that is waning a bit. There are more options.

How many of you or your friends have ever contemplated entering monastic life where much of your day is spent in prayer and silence? It's not for the weak, I can tell you. It's not for frustrated people trying to escape the problems of life but it's for those emotionally healthy people who are sincerely desiring to devote all day to prayer. I realize there are other things they do but prayer is the focus, with few external distractions. Who has ever considered it? Any pros/cons for choosing life in a religious order? Or perhaps your home church has a variation of it but their basic role is devotional prayer as a calling in addition to their family responsibilites?

I did consider it for a time. But then I just decided that it wasn't for me. But I have been strongly leaning towards permanent singlehood.

 

[loolalooh]

I'll be honest. I considered a monastic life for a good minute, but it was for the wrong reasons so I let that go.

Right now, I'm living a low-level monastic life if I can even call it that. No television. No radio. Few external distractions. Devoted time in prayer/silence/the Word daily (though I'm striving for more time). I say 'low-level' because majority of my day is spent at work and I still do attend social gatherings, etc.

I would love to enter marriage one day which would make a future monastic life fairly difficult to live. However, I do aim to continue my daily moments with God and pray for a husband who'll do the same.

 

[Ithacagurl]

Is that a Frida Kahlo painting in your siggy???

I've been thinking about my viable options in life. One is marriage but another is permanent singlehood. The third I can come up with that has crossed my mind for many years, off and on, is entering a monastic order (there are definitely protestant ones ) for contemplative prayer for a time or perhaps the rest of my life. There have been monks in the family before - after widowhood etc. I don't have to get married but feel I want to now but even that is waning a bit. There are more options.

How many of you or your friends have ever contemplated entering monastic life where much of your day is spent in prayer and silence? It's not for the weak, I can tell you. It's not for frustrated people trying to escape the problems of life but it's for those emotionally healthy people who are sincerely desiring to devote all day to prayer. I realize there are other things they do but prayer is the focus, with few external distractions. Who has ever considered it? Any pros/cons for choosing life in a religious order? Or perhaps your home church has a variation of it but their basic role is devotional prayer as a calling in addition to their family responsibilites?

 

[phynestone]

I've considered it, ever since I was a child, but I'm leaning towards missionary work.

 

[Guitarhero]

Is that a Frida Kahlo painting in your siggy???

Yes, it is. I love her art.

 

[Optimus_Prime]

I considered it and got down to the business of choosing an order towards the end of my teens, but I realize now that it's not for me.

 

[belldandy]

i have thought about it but not sure how to go about learning more about it

 

[Poohbear]

I thought of it for a split second after watching this show on Oprah about nuns. I thought their strength and dedication was quite interesting and somewhat admirable, but at the same time, I felt like it wasn't for me and I didn't feel like God was calling me for that type of life. Plus, it seemed more like bondage to the nunery or some religion order rather than freedom in Christ.

 

[Guitarhero]

I thought of it for a split second after watching this show on Oprah about nuns. I thought their strength and dedication was quite interesting and somewhat admirable, but at the same time, I felt like it wasn't for me and I didn't feel like God was calling me for that type of life. Plus, it seemed more like bondage to the nunery or some religion order rather than freedom in Christ.

How so? Like the habits, cutting of hair, no makeup, vow of poverty and chastity and becoming a slave of Christ? It does seem intense.

 

[Poohbear]

How so? Like the habits, cutting of hair, no makeup, vow of poverty and chastity and becoming a slave of Christ? It does seem intense.

Well with the nunery, you have to stay there at the convent. There's no outside contact. You have to give up being with family and friends. You have to wear those outfits everyday. I don't mind living a simple life, but they take it to the extreme. They have to stay, meditate, and sleep in a small secluded room.

ETA: This is based on the nun convent that was on the Oprah show that I watched. I'm sure some convents are different.

 

[Farida]

Nunnery is not for everyone. I don't see it as bondage. There's different types of convents. Everyone should take the calling they see God showing them. I have attended Catholic schools majority of my life, and there are nuns who work outside convents, in schools, hospitals, orphanages etc and have contact with their families.

I have two friends who pursued somewhat monastic lives through Opus Dei. You can join as a numerary or supernumerary, which means either a celibate or married/to be married member. The goal of Opus Dei is to praise God through your vocation. Some of them can be really extreme and secretive (even though many of the stories about them out there are exaggerated).

One of my friends left her boyfriend of 3 years to join. He was heartbroken, even his momma called her. She said she felt the call. She was in it barely 2 years, she left. She said she loved her time there but it was not for her. She refuses to talk about it at all. It was tough because they see it as a calling and felt she abandoned her call. I think she may just have chosen a path that wasn't right.

My other friend is in it. She joined after her best friend and her dad died. She is different now. She still attends graduate school, works, makes beautiful jewelry to sell. She is very spiritual and seems really happy and at peace with her choice. Even in celibacy she is the essence of classy femininity. I miss how free she used to be in her conversations with me. I guess that is a personal choice she made.

I saw a lot of happy Opus Dei men and women. Many with impressive credentials, and some with HUGE, happy families. I also saw some who I thought didn't belong there, and were running/hiding from other problems or seeking financial comfort. Opus Dei is never lacking in $$. The members pool their income.

Even with those experiences, I would not be happy if my sister or close friend joined. I have my own objections to it, and they are not based on ridiculous movies or conspiracy theories but what I saw/learned/experienced.

I would rather she became a nun instead, or chose some other path. There's many ways to dedicate yourself 100% to God. Sometimes I think people limit women to either marriage/family or nunnery, like a woman can't do anything in between, let alone be happy.

 

[Guitarhero]

Well with the nunery, you have to stay there at the convent. There's no outside contact. You have to give up being with family and friends. You have to wear those outfits everyday. I don't mind living a simple life, but they take it to the extreme. They have to stay, meditate, and sleep in a small secluded room.

ETA: This is based on the nun convent that was on the Oprah show that I watched. I'm sure some convents are different.

Depends. The hermitic ascetic life is not for all. But that would facilitate the contemplative life. It is something you must consider if you choose to enter the religious vocation. Although the many orders differ in their practices, it might be scary for some who are used to congregating with lots of different people. Not that sisters do not, but within the convent life, it is certainly limited to performing the vocation.

If I ever chose it, it would be late in life. We have relatives who have done it and who will in future do it. Usually, they do so when their husband dies.

 

[Renovating]

No, I don't think that's the life for me.