Bride of the Infinite Bridegroom: The Response

Part Two of the Portrait of a Cloistered Dominican Nun series. Click here for Part One.

The Dominican nun, having heard God call her to a vocation of love, longs to give herself completely to Him in love.

She has seen the things the world has to offer – many of them good things, created by God and which can lead people to knowledge and love of God. She has grown in knowledge and perhaps began exercising her talents and skills by means of her education, a career, in her parish and relationships with family and friends. Yet, her heart is not satisfied: she realizes that even these good things of life on earth are passing away. She desires to give herself completely to the eternal: Supreme Goodness in Truth and Love. And she burns with love for the souls around her who are wandering in darkness, without the light of Truth.

A Dominican nun sets herself to follow in the footsteps of our Holy Father Dominic, who first gave himself to God in a life of contemplation, and then was sent by God as a “useless servant” to preach the Gospel to those living in darkness.

The Dominican nun follows her Beloved into the desert and, in the example of Moses and Queen Esther, prays for God’s mercy and grace on behalf of lost souls. As her Beloved Jesus first expressed His thirst for souls while suffering on the cross, this desire burned in the heart of our Holy Father Dominic. A Dominican nun shares in this longing for souls and Dominic’s words continue to ring out toward heaven from the lips of his daughters and sons: “Lord, what will become of sinners?”

Look at a community of Dominican nuns and you will see all kinds of personalities, gifts and skills. Like a beautiful garden with a variety of flowers and plants, no two Dominican nuns are alike.

There is no one “type” of Dominican contemplative; you cannot look at a person and say he or she has a “natural disposition” for contemplation. Rather, the contemplative life is a calling to a life of love, of affective knowledge of God, that is, knowledge of the heart (as opposed to the intellect). God can impart knowledge of Himself through love to the heart, and it is this knowledge that forms the core of the contemplative life. It is aimed at eternal things, a supernatural life of grace and the living out of the theological virtues (faith, hope and love) in a radical way. In this way, it is a life at the heart of the Church, a lamp on a hill as a sign to all the faithful of the life to come.

The Dominican nun has an apostolic heart and participates intimately in the holy preaching of the Dominican Order.

There are many kinds of preaching: catechetical, apologetics, and so on. But holy preaching is the essential function of the contemplative life. Holy preaching unveils the mysteries that are the objects of the faith and presents them as nourishment to the faith; it is divine because God uses the preacher as His instrument. Holy preaching is a gift from God and as such, the preacher must content himself or herself to wait on God and be used at His pleasure, in His own way and time. Jesus’ life was one of holy preaching. But it was not until after Pentecost, when the disciples had experienced the silence of contemplation with the Blessed Virgin in the Cenacle, that the Spirit came upon them and sent them forth to preach.

A Dominican nun waits in silence and preaches as Mary – most often in her life of prayer and silence.

Sometimes she preaches through a word of encouragement to her brothers and sisters, and the faithful with whom she comes in contact. And always her example speaks volumes as it shows forth our dignity as children and spouses of the triune God.

Want to learn more about how to discover the gifts God has given you and about cloistered, contemplative life as a Dominican nun? Check out our resources for discernment on our website and contact Sister Joseph Marie with any questions or to arrange a visit to learn more.

Come Spouse of Christ! Sister André Marie Professes First Vows

June 29th, the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, was warm and bright as our chapel filled with friends and family, here to celebrate Mass and witness Sister André Marie of Divine Mercy make her first profession of vows. The principal celebrant and homilist was Very Rev. Christopher Fadok, O.P., prior provincial of the Western Dominican Province. The main concelebrants were Rev. Johnpeter Pragasam, Rev. Thuong Nguyen, Rev. Tri Pham, and Rev. Reginald Martin, O.P.

During his homily, Father Christopher tied together the balance and beauty of the life of the Church exemplified in Saints Peter and Paul, with the balance and beauty of discerning and living the contemplative vocation.

“Bishop and missionary. Integrity and creativity. Responsibility and freedom.” Father Christopher said. He went on to say that the Church needs both to strike the right balance and thrive, as do each of us individually. “What does it take to make us stand upright and proclaim the Gospel without falling over? It is a balancing act and creates a sense of tension, but good tension. A tension that brings us joy because we know we are making progress on the way.”

Sister André Marie professed vows in the hands of our prioress Sister Maria Christine of the Cross, O.P. After Father Christopher presented Sister André Marie with the black veil of a professed nun, Sister Maria Christine was assisted by our novice mistress, Sister Joseph Marie of the Child Jesus, O.P. in changing sister’s veil from the novice white to professed black.

Following the Mass, Sister André Marie greeted family and friends in parlor for a joyful and bountiful reception. Deo gratias!

Jesus' Second Birthday

Today we celebrate Jesus’ birthday. “Wait a minute?” You might exclaim. “Didn’t we do that a couple weeks ago?” Saint Maximus of Turin can explain.

At Christmas he was born a man; today he is reborn sacramentally. Then he was born from the Virgin; today he is born in mystery. When he was born a man, his mother Mary held him close to her heart; when he is born in mystery, God the Father embraces him with his voice when he says: “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased: listen to him.” The mother caresses the tender baby on her lap; the Father serves his Son by his loving testimony. The mother holds the child for the Magi to adore; the Father reveals that his Son is to be worshiped by all the nations.

But why would Jesus, a holy man, indeed, sinless, seek to be baptized by John, a baptism of repentance. Saint Maximus goes on:

Christ is baptized, not to be made holy by the water, but to make the water holy, and by his cleansing to purify the waters which he touched. For the consecration of Christ involves a more significant consecration of the water.

Jesus was baptized to cleanse the water - He was consecrated so that the water would be consecrated for our consecration into him. As the Israelites followed the pillar of cloud and fire through the Red Sea when they left the slavery of Egypt, we follow Jesus through the waters of baptism and are made free from sin - we become marked as God’s own and undertake a new path of life to holiness.

In three weeks, we will celebrate another related event in Jesus’ life - his presentation in the Temple. It was Jewish law that every firstborn male belonged to God and had to be redeemed by offering a sacrifice. Presentation, consecration, sacrifice. This is still how we grow in love of God and holiness today. Jesus’ life is re-presented (or should be) in the life of every baptized Christian.

It is also on the Feast of the Presentation that the Church celebrates World Day of Consecrated Life. As we celebrate Jesus baptism and give thanks for our own, let’s prepare to recognize consecrated men and women who follow Him in a very particular way. Beginning Friday, February 1st at 4:00 p.m. Pacific, a worldwide 40 Hours for Consecrated Life will begin! Will you offer to the Lord one hour for consecrated life? Take the pledge and invite your family, friends and parish to do the same! Also, be sure to follow this event on Facebook!

How We Spent Our Summer Vacation, Part 3: Fifty Years and Counting!

Our diminutive and energetic Mexican hermana, Sister Maria Carmela of the Heart of Jesus, O.P., celebrated her 50th Jubilee Anniversary of profession on the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  Father Mark Padrez, O.P., our vicar and Prior Provincial of the Western Dominican Province, celebrated the Solemnity Mass to a full chapel of Lara family and friends in honor of their Jubilarian, and received abundant graces during their visit with her. The schola led the choir in the Dominican Kyriale V Mass in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary with great gusto. Congratulations, Sister!