Sunday, February 16, 2014

Why I want to live more like a nun

I have been reading about the Benedectines of Mary, Queen of Apostles. These are young Catholic nuns that live in rural Missouri. The reverend mother is in her 30's and was a professional musician before joining the Order.  I heard about them on a radio broadcast. They recently released their fourth CD.  They sound like what I imagine angels would sound like. I purchased a CD.

I can understand very few words of their songs. Some of the songs are in Latin and all of the songs were recorded at their priory in Missouri not in a studio. There are no instruments, just their voices.   But the music put me in such a peaceful space that I wanted to learn more about the sisters.

What I found on their website was enough to convince me that I wanted to live more like them.  Obviously, I can't live EXACTLY like them.  They have taken vows to be married to Christ. They grow their own food. Their jobs are all inside the priory.  Those things I can't emulate but they live by a motto of "work and pray."  All day as they work, they are devoting the activities to God. Their day begins with prayer and ends with prayer. They eat one meal a day.  All of their daily activities revovle around silence, solitude and prayer interspersed with devotional singing.  

How can I copy that?  I am married, so celibacy is out of the question.  I shop for my food.  My job is at a University.  However, I do desire to devote every activity to God. I do desire more silence, solitude and prayer in my life and I would love to sing out loud every day.  Through Sacred and Fit I have learned that I don't need to eat a lot.  I could probably survive on one big meal a day but I don't want to sacrifice alertness and clarity.  Maybe I need to find out what is the right amount and type of food that would help me be peaceful and still inside; less agitated by things in the world; less likely to cause agitation.  I think that the right type and the right amount of food might help me to live more like a nun.

I'm going to give this some thought.


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