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AS056 Ask Sister – worldly Benedictine monastics, godly anger, dilemma for a Catholic-Protestant couple, not feeling called
AS056 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on January 14, 2011. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: Benedictine monastics outside the monastery, godly anger, church-going dilemma for a Catholic-Protestant couple, not feeling called, and more!
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Ask Sister podcast is a live podcast where you have the opportunity to engage with us and ask questions about nuns, prayer, religious life, or pretty much anything in between!
Here are some of the topics we addressed in this Ask Sister podcast:
- I feel I have a vocation but recently I’ve felt “not called” anymore. Should I be worried?
- How can Benedictines be considered monastics when so many of them work in the world? … Sister Christine Ereiser, OSB, responds
- What would cause God to be angry with us? (from a discussion about Meribah)
- Is it okay to be angry with God?
- What are some healthy ways for a couple to attend church when one is Catholic and one is Protestant?
- Plus, an update from the “nun-ordering-pizza” debate!
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{ 4 comments }
Only have time to answer 3 questions today:
I feel I have a vocation but recently I’ve felt “not called” anymore. Should I be worried? Nothing has really changed for you. We are all called to something. It’s only our perceptions that change, like when Mother Teresa saw that man begging her, “I’m thirsty.” It’s her in pt. 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DvT-yct0oY&feature=related If that doesn’t work, try this: Go to You Tube, type in Mother Theresa: In the Name of God’s Poor (Part 2). It’s near the beginning of the clip.
Is it okay to be angry with God? A priest friend once shared with me what his spiritual director said to him: “If you’re effin’ PO-ed at God, tell God, ‘I’m effin’ PO-ed at you!’” (8^0 …I stepped away quickly before the lightning could get me, too! I’ve never told God that, but I have said, “I sure hope You know what You’re doing, because I sure don’t!”
What are some healthy ways for a couple to attend church when one is Catholic and one is Protestant? Make sure that you attend a church where one faith doesn’t bash the other. That could be very awkward. Also, make sure that you are both strongly grounded in what you believe. It can be so easy to be a “cafeteria Christian.”
My thoughts…
1) I feel I have a vocation but recently I’ve felt “not called” anymore. Should I be worried? — No, I don’t think so. Sometimes, well, at least in my own process, I’ve gone through dry spells or periods of time where the call is not as intense or I’m able to ignore it…It always tends to resurface, sooner or later, sometimes later in the day, or week, or month, or even year. If you’re really called to religious life, I think it is something that will keep nudging you until you do something with it…at least that’s been my experience. That being said, God also won’t take away our free will, and even if we are called and follow a different path, God will understand and will allow us the freedom to pursue other vocations.
2) What would cause God to be angry with us? (from a discussion about Meribah) — I’m not going to pretend to be a biblical scholar and say anything about Meribah. However, my thoughts on this, is that God gets upset, like any loving parent, when His children don’t listen. They don’t follow the commandments, when they don’t love…when they’re cruel or selfish. When we choose to ignore Him, or worse, hear Him and then disobey. I think that is what happened at Meribah, because in the readings yesterday, the line kept repeating “If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts….like the people of Meribah…” To me, that means that the people of Meribah heard what God wanted of them, but chose to disobey…they hardended their hearts against Him…and that made Him upset…
Is it okay to be angry with God? — Yes. It is. God can take our anger. He doesn’t mind….and what’s even better, He loves us even when we’re mad at Him! He understands we have limited knowledge and don’t fully understand all of His workings, and that sometimes that causes us to become upset at certain situations that are outside of our control, and that makes us mad…and He’s okay with that…and loves us the more for it!
What are some healthy ways for a couple to attend church when one is Catholic and one is Protestant? Hmm…having grown up in a Protestant home and then converted to Catholicism, I understand the differences that occur within the churches. As it is part of our ‘obligation’ as Catholics to attend Mass on Sundays (or Saturday nights), my thoughts would be, attend Mass on Saturday night and go to whatever Protestant service on Sunday morning…(being mindful of the rules around Communion…) and then dialoguing about the services…I don’t think we ever can worship God enough…so church twice on a weekend wouldn’t bother me… : )
but…those are just my thoughts…
I found the monastery goodies website: http://www.monasterygreetings.com/
They even sell *BEER*….
Sr. Julie–Lip balm (Uh, *expensive* lip balm…)
http://www.monasterygreetings.com/prod_detail_list/Body_Care_from_Norway