Nun 101: Nuns vs. Sisters

+LDM

When I first started discerning religious life, I had SO many questions. There were so many things that I had never heard about, never considered, and tons of things I didn't understand. So, I'm hoping maybe someone will read this and be helped. If nothing else, I can remember the beautiful things I've learned.

First Lesson: Nuns vs. Sisters

These are nuns.

These are sisters.

As you can see, it's not easy for most people to tell the difference by simply by looking at a picture. If you can tell the difference, you deserve a gold star. You may all now be thinking about all of habited women you know--are they nuns or sisters?

Let look at it...
1. Nuns are women consecrated to the Lord that serve in a spiritual apostolate.  They take solemn vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. For example, the nuns above are from the Handmaids of the Precious Blood. They offer their prayers, works and sacrifices for the sanctification of priests. They spend the majority of their day in prayer, and stay within the convent.

2. Sisters are women consecrated to the Lord that serve in a physical apostolate. They take simple vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. For example, the sisters above are from the Sisters of Life. They work with expectant mothers in crisis, pray at places like Planned Parenthood, and work in the Office of Life in the Archdiocese of New York. They spend a great deal of the day in prayer, but also leave the convent to do their work.

Both vocations are wonderful (one isn't better than the other!). All women religious, whether nuns or sisters, are called "Sister" when speaking to them. They are both Brides of Christ, and belong to the Lord, it is just a difference of how they serve Him. As a sister once put it to me, "as a Bride of Christ, you are consecrated to Him, and through that every act becomes an act of love to God--whether it is sweeping the floor, or in Eucharistic Adoration. It is all for Jesus."

A lot of people use nun/sister interchangeably, and that is okay. Even traddys need not worry about this one. There is a difference, and it can be helpful for those discerning to know. But everyday people will most likely use the term "nun" for both.

Get out there and be traddy!

PS...fun fact. The "Nuns on the bus" campaign should have been called "Sisters on the bus". There weren't any nuns on the bus. Some may question if there were any sisters, but that is a question for another day.

Imagine Sisters Movement

+AMDG

Something I really enjoy is seeing pictures of sisters "in their element". Meaning, praying, serving people, playing football in habits, hanging out, etc. It really fosters the realization that sisters are REAL PEOPLE.

The first time I ever felt the call to discern religious life was when I was on a Mission Trip in North Dakota and by a huge stroke of grace I wound up by myself in a convent for a night. I got there incredibly late, and the sisters had already gone to bed, so I assumed I probably wouldn't meet them. In the morning we found out that the sister's school had cancelled class due to snow. I walked out of the bathroom to find two very young sisters running around the convent screaming there was a snow day. They began to make a big omelet breakfast and were talking about playing cards. Suddenly, it hit me. Sisters are real people. I am a real person. And I think the Lord might call me to be this type of real person.

Naturally I freaked out at first, but thanks to a very holy priest, I started to discern religious life. Three years later, I'm still not exactly sure where the Lord is leading me, but I can look to that moment as the beginning of being open to thinking about religious life.

Now, why am I blabbering on and on about this? Because Imagine Sisters is a really neat organization that helps women become more open to discerning religious life. They have a bunch of really neat pictures on their Facebook page of authentic, beautiful sisters just being. They are also making a movie (a la Fishers of Men) about religious life that promises to be beautiful, along with other great resources. In other words, worth your time.

They have a website, Facebook page, and a blog. Lots of good stuff!
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ImagineSisters?ref=ts
Website: http://ImagineSisters.org/
Blog: http://imaginesisters.org/blog/

And...here's a nice little video talking about vocations and Imagine Sisters.

Now, get out there and be traddy!

Prayer for Priests

+LDM

One of the greatest joys in my life is praying for the Holy Priesthood. 

They bring us the Eucharist, they forgive our sins (well, God does...but through them), they anoint our loved ones. They stay up late praying for us, and are willing to drop things when we are in need. They confect the Eucharist. In a society of "me people", they have given up everything to follow the Lord. They confect the Eucharist.

Of course with all of these wonderful things they do, the evil one attempts to take them away from this. They receive angry phone calls from parishioners . They're criticized for being to "Traditional, conservative, and rigid". Some people are downright rude. 

We must remember to pray for them.

What better time than now?

O Jesus, Eternal Priest, keep all Thy priests within the shelter of Thy Sacred Heart, where none may harm them. Keep unstained their anointed hands which daily touch Thy Sacred Body. Keep unsullied their lips purpled with Thy Precious Blood. Keep pure and unearthly their hearts sealed with the sublime marks of Thy glorious priesthood. Let Thy holy love surround them and shield them from the world’s contagion. Bless their labors with abundant fruit, and may the souls to whom they have ministered be here below their joy and consolation and in Heaven their beautiful and everlasting crown. Amen O Mary, Queen of the clergy, pray for us; obtain for us a number of holy priests.

Hmmm. Isn't that nice?

Write this one down. Put in your journal, your breviary, your purse, wherever. PRAY for your priest.

St. John Vianney, ora pro nobis.