Sister Maria Deo Gratias believes that young women arrive at the Corpus
Christi Monastery today from a world of immediacy, with a mind-set of “when I
have a headache, I take medicine right away.” “It’s always instant. They want
instant answers, instant gratification. It’s like the level of suffering is
very low. So, here, say you have a headache, naturally, if you need medicine
you take it. But you don’t jump to that as your first solution. Sometimes, by
just being calm, then it’s gone. On the emotional level, it’s more a sense of
keyed-upness, and I think it’s probably because of the fast rate of
society—everything at them all at once, everything is always action, action,
action. Where, if you come here, it’s a different culture, so they have to
learn. Not that they can’t; most of them that enter are very welcoming of this,
but because they don’t have the experience from the world, then they have to
learn how to slow down, or they have to learn how to combat difficulties or
struggles that they may have within themselves in trying to adjust to the
silence and to the life.”
Seventy-four-year-old Sister Mary Joseph is known as the mechanical nun
who fixes what she can and calls in repairmen for the rest, often to teach her
how to make the repair herself next time. Born in the aftermath of the Great
Depression’s financial reserve and material minimalism, Sister Mary Joseph’s
transition to the monastery felt simple. What she learned at home was
reinforced at the monastery; with tools, she was taught to handle possessions
“as they should be,” she says—leaving them in good condition so that others
could use them after her. (“Secrets of
the covenant: will millenials become nuns?” Abbie Reese, Salon.com)
- - - - -
Re: Born in the aftermath
of the Great Depression’s financial reserve and material minimalism, Sister
Mary Joseph’s transition to the monastery felt simple.
They had financial
reserve and material minimalism? The withered Depression people
— those sad, grim lot, found Utopia?
Well, okay, but here's me
thinking they had drawn up the drawbridge on life and masochistically found
contentment in the burgeoning tenement or rundown home — as well as sewing up
their socks — primarily so that no one would think that if you chewed down on
them you could possibly emerge with a generous mouthful of fat.
The raging, hungry Demon
circling, would visit down on others.
- - - - -
Emporium
These people are
afraid to individuate. Every time they did so in the past their God (read
parents) abandoned them for "selfishly" attending to themselves
rather than their ma and pa. So they go back home, stripped of everything, and
for committing themselves entirely to God (their parents) they feel loved.
Terrific master, that God.
These are very abused,
very sick people. What we need to do, when we have the resources, is take them out
and show them a good time. And when they panic for their unsupervised good-time
meaning ma and pa surely abandoning them forever this time, help them deal
with their "abandonment attack" by talking to them, tending to them,
but absolutely also refusing to let them sunder themselves of any further
independence by retreating back home.
Then we work on
shutting down these institutions so they can be prevented from inhibiting
people's growth and individuality. Retreat them back to primitive History,
where they belong. Maybe Salon might write an article telling them to suck it,
and show how progressive they really are.
Uriel.
@Emporium
Wow, you know
what's right for every single person who joins a religious order? You
know that they're all sick and all abused?
There have been
several cases of people who have been shown a "good time"—and have a
"good time" for several years before deciding to join orders.
This is really not as a simple as you're making it.
LucyGoosey
@Emporium
Boy, every nun
I ever encountered in childhood was a complete bitch or an outright abuser, and
even I don't seethe with rage over the concept of their existence the way you
do. Perhaps some people just desire to devote themselves to this sort of
a lifestyle and its attendant goals, regardless of what others may think of it?
And yes, they believe in the Guy in the Sky, but so what; it's a free
country and it's their right to believe in it.
nigelx
@Emporium
Many of them
HAVE had a "good time" in the world already, and have grown to
serach for something better. I notice that male reninciates are admired, but
when it's a woman withdrawing from "the world" some people freak out.
On Dec. 8, 1941, Thomas Merton joined a monastery instead of the army. If you
study anything about his life, he certainly did not lead a useless one.
- - - - -
DSMAT5
Wow! I am
stunned and appalled at these comments.
I personally
find it almost impossible to understand these women and what leads them to this
decision, and I pretty much feel that way about all religions. But I
don't have any need to insult their choices and denigrate their commitment and
beliefs. If someone finds peace and even joy in striving for
unselfishness, what gives me the right to say they are wrong? Just
because I don't believe in something doesn't mean that their lives are
meaningless and that their choices were misguided.
They don't ask
us to understand the path they have taken; they just ask that we respect their
right to choose a path that does not harm anyone else and that brings solace to
them.
And oh yeah,
that picture. It's just that, a picture. This article is an excerpt from
a book. I'm pretty sure the women who were interviewed for the book
wouldn't want their photographs spread across the internet.
Emporium
@DSMAT5
Let's say someone was
trapped at home with a needy mother who insisted her daughters serve her. Let's
say that every time these daughters tried to individuate, they got it bad from
mom. Maybe real bad. Let's say these daughters were trapped in this environment
for many, many years.
Then let's say they
get out into the real world, and declare that it's not for them, that its
leading them astray, into sin, and that they want to live unselfishly and
devote themselves to someone bigger than them (again). Should we appreciate and
respect their choice? Or would this be the ignorant and cruel thing to
do?
Someone of us think
that this is essentially what is happening with all nuns -- it's only
understandable from people who've been abused. The healthy rightly couldn't
possibly understand why anyone would do it. Life as self-nullification. Insane.
Like this author, many
of us are thinking we might be better people if we learned the Depression's or
the monastery's "financial reserve and material minimalism"? Possibly
true. And if so this should be looked into as well. We don't want to come out
of a Depression full of human stiflement and pain, and have people collectively
agree nevertheless it got their bad materialism out of them.
- - - - -
mcasey5
Wow, so much
hatred and ignorance in such little comment space! From the tone and
compassion of the comments I could swear this is a piece on Obama in some Tea
Party rag. These women are nuns, committing their lives to God so they
can pray for others (read: you). From the vitriol of the comments I think they
have some work to do.
Emporium
@mcasey5 I
could swear this is a piece on Obama in some Tea Party rag. These women
are nuns, committing their lives to God so they can pray for others (read:
you).
Wouldn't you expect
this to sell better in some Tea Party rag, though. Salon is a liberal,
progressive magazine, with a lively entertainment and life section, and you're
admonishing/reminding us that they're committing their lives to God and that
they're praying for us?
Really, it's like
you've made them those summoning a future wrath upon us, and would expect us to
find this naturally endearing.
Emporium / Patrick McEvoy-Halston
Emporium / Patrick McEvoy-Halston
Comments
Post a Comment