Join us today for the Ask Sister podcast, a live podcast where you have the opportunity to engage with us and ask questions about faith, nuns, prayer, religious life, and pretty much everything in between!

What: Ask Sister LIVE Podcast
When: TODAY at 6 p.m. Central Time (your timezone)
Where: www.aNunsLife.org/LIVE

Here are some of the questions we’ll address in this Ask Sister podcast:

• Is it still a vocation if you’re attracted to a simple lifestyle in a convent community, but not so much to God and religion?
• The bible says that God punishes children for the sins of their parents. What does that mean? Isn’t life is hard enough with just our own sins?
• Would becoming a nun force someone to be a better person?
• According to scripture, wives are to submit to their husbands. Similarly, are nuns supposed to obey the pope?

Do you have a question for us? Contact us and, using your computer, record your question on voice mail. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

AS110 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on May 9, 2012. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: Prince of Peace causes anxiety, romantic relationships a productivity downer, good discernment questions to ask nuns, and more!

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

Subscribe to A Nun’s Life Podcasts:

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:

• What to do when thoughts about Jesus, God, and religion lead to great anxiety, not feelings of peace?
• How do I know if the pure path (abstinence from worldly pleasures ) is the right path for me?
• Romantic relationships take a lot of time. How can a person deal with relationships issues and still have a productive life of service?
• What are some good questions to as nuns when you go to talk to them about discerning religious life?

Do you have a question for us? Contact us and, using your computer, record your question on voice mail. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

AS109 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on May 2, 2012. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: disappearing prayer, Rules that nuns follow, charisms and Constitutions, mom encounters mum nuns, religious role models in schools.

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

Subscribe to A Nun’s Life Podcasts:

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:

• Where did the prayer at the beginning of the podcast go?
• I hear people in religious congregations speak of a “Rule,” a Constitution, and a charism. Can you explain what is meant by these terms?
• A reading from the 1920 IHM Constitutions and the current Constitutions.
• Ways to understand the vow of obedience.
• Do you ever speak of a particular sister being an example of a “living rule”? If so, what would be her defining characteristics?
• A mom wonders if she overlooked her calling to religious life when younger. Would her choice have been different if her nun-teachers had talked with her about their lives?
• If more sisters were teaching in schools, wouldn’t that help get the word out about religious life and increase the number of vocations?

Do you have a question for us? Contact us and, using your computer, record your question on voice mail. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

Two Catholic sisters who podcast on the Internet (me and Sister Julie)

Nuns on the Internet?! Yep. The topic is still making news, which is great! One of the latest articles, from the Associated Press, just appeared in ABC2News.com, the Huffington Post, CBSNews.com, and other major media sources around the world.

The article makes a point that merits emphasis—that interest in religious life is on the rise, and that sisters and nuns are using the Internet to raise awareness about what religious life is today.

These two things are interrelated. If a woman can’t imagine herself being a sister, even though she feels called to religious life, then it’s unlikely she’ll pursue religious life as an option. Case in point: myself. For years, religious life wasn’t even on the radar screen for me. Praying all day, yeah, that’s great. But I wanted action and adventure! What I didn’t understand then was these things are a huge part of religious life. When I became aware of that, hello religious life.

The article also quotes Patrice Tuohy of the National Religious Vocation Conference, which represents vocation directors in many religious organizations of women and men. She makes the point that interest in religious life is increasing. Contrary to a common misperception, it’s not just interest in orders that wear traditional habits. There’s a lot of new interest in orders of all kinds. The more awareness there is about the wonderful diversity of religious life, the more ways there are for people to imagine themselves in religious life.

One more thing—I kinda chuckle when I see the word “recruit” in the article. That’s not actually our job. It’s what God does! Our role is to help those who feel called by God to see the possibilities for their own life and to discern their calling. Maybe the discernment will lead to religious life, or maybe it will lead to a different way to serve God and others. But I sense that’s part of the renewed interest in religious life too—recognition that the traditions of religious life, such as discernment, can be of great service to the larger Christian community and beyond.

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Join us for a live prayer webcast this evening at 6 p.m. Central Time at aNunsLife.org/live. You can share your prayer requests in the chat room
On Wednesdays at 6 p.m. Central Time, join us for Ask Sister, a live webcast where we take your questions about God, faith and religious life.

Boxes are stacking up here at the convent as we get ready for a weekend pack-a-thon. Even Chloe is getting boxes ready! Early next week, we move the convent and the A Nun’s Life studio from Chicago to Toledo, Ohio.

In general, moving isn’t one of my favorite things to do. But what I like about moving is that it offers a metaphor for other aspects of life. For example, right now I’m sorting through things like books, files on my computer, photographs, etc., trying to decide what to take and what to give away or dispose of.

I try to be very thorough because the less I have, the less I’ll have to carry during the move. Plus, we have a steep set of stairs, so that’s an extra incentive. My goal is to bring along more of the things I really want and need, and fewer of the things I don’t.

The act of sorting out material items makes me think of non-material things that I value and want to have plenty of space for – things like compassion, a sense of humor, patience. This means sorting out things that take up too much space, like some of the impatience I feel when technology fails to cooperate. Or some of the frustration when things go awry despite careful planning. I’m sorry to say the list could go on, but you get the picture. As I sort material items, I imagine putting the unwanted non-material things in a composter, so they can be transformed. Yep, I feel lighter already!

Over these next few days, I invite you to join me in the sorting process. I have some extra boxes, so think about what you’d like to keep and what you’d like to send to the composter! It’s gonna be a great move!

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Join A Nun’s Life Community for prayer and chat tonight at 6 p.m. CT at aNunsLife.org/live.

Also a reminder — “Ask Sister” has moved to Wednesday evenings at 6 p.m. Central Time. “Ask Sister” is a live broadcast where we talk with listeners about faith, community, ministry, prayer, and many other topics!

Join us today for a live broadcast of In Good Faith, a conversation exploring God’s call in everyday life hosted by A Nun’s Life Sisters Maxine and Julie.

On Air: Today from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. Central Time (your time zone)

Where: www.aNunsLife.org/LIVE

Guest: Sister Patricia Wittberg, SC

Sister Patricia Wittberg is a Sister of Charity of Cincinnati who ministers as Professor of Sociology at Indiana University – Purdue University. She is also on the vocations team for her congregation. She is the author of many articles and books including Creating a Future for Religious Life and Pathways to Re-Creating Religious Communities. Among her most recent articles is “A Lost Generation?” in America on young women in the Catholic Church.

The sisters will talk with Sister Patricia about her life and ministry, how she got into the field of sociology, and some of her insights and discoveries along the way of bringing sociological study to bear on religious life and vocations. In particular, we’ll talk about her article Lost Generation? and the situation of young people in the church today. We’ll also discuss Sister Patricia’s understanding of the “religious virtuoso“, the attraction to intentional communities, and analogies such as “family” for understanding and negotiating religious life.

Details: The broadcast is free and open to the public. You can tune in from any place you have internet access. We also have a chat room for you to use during the broadcast in order to connect with one another and with us. You can also submit your questions ahead of time by using the comment box below.

If new to A Nun’s Life podcasts, the podcasts are basically like tuning into a radio program, but instead of broadcasting it on the airwaves, we broadcast it on our website. All you have to do is visit our website and make sure the volume on your computer is up.

More information including upcoming shows and recordings of past episodes can be found at the In Good Faith program web page.

AS108 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on April 4, 2012. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: what to do with blessed palms after Palm Sunday, how nuns decide to relocate, a mom desires different life, convent vs. plain old house.

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

Subscribe to A Nun’s Life Podcasts:

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:

• What’s the significance of palms? What should we do with blessed palms after Palm Sunday mass is over? WWJD about the huge number of palms used and the ecological issues that raises.
• How do nuns make decisions about moving? Does the vow of obedience come into play? Sister Maxine and Sister Julie tell the moving story of their upcoming relocation.
• A mom asks, Is it possible to live God’s call to religious life while residing with one’s family as a habited nun?
• Is a sense of failure in life the result of not acting on God’s call?
• I mentioned something about coming by the “convent” at a certain time and was told “It’s not a convent, just a house.” What makes a house a convent, and vice versa.

Do you have a question for us? Contact us http://anunslife.org/contact/and, using your computer, record your question on voice mail. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

AS107 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on March 28, 2012. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Guest: Dr. Margaret Susan Thompson. Topics include: nuns in history books, following God’s call into chaos, saying yes to God when tempted to say no, and more!

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

Subscribe to A Nun’s Life Podcasts:

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!

SPECIAL GUEST: Dr. Margaret Susan Thompson, professor of History at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University, where she also holds appointments in the departments of religion, political science, and women and gender studies.

Here are some of the topics we addressed in this Ask Sister podcast:

• I want to study the history of Catholic sisters. Can I find that in a Women’s Studies course? In a U.S. History course?
• Why does history include primarily the experience of men but not women (let alone nuns)?
• In ecclesiastical history, which is often organized by a bishop’s term of office, where do Catholic sisters and nuns fit into that kind of organizational scheme?
• Dr. Thompson offers suggestions around how to research the history of congregations of women religious
• What if I take a risk and follow where I think God is calling me, and then all hell breaks loose? Is it a sign I should quit? Is God testing me or what? The nuns discuss a number of themes including Saint Ignatius of Loyola’s understanding of consolation and Saint Alphonsus of Liguori’s understanding of “il distacco” or “detachment“
• In scripture, Mary said yes to God without hesitation. But what if we’re tempted to say no?

On the broadcast we mentioned a number of great resources on Catholic sisters and nuns in history. Check ‘em out!

• Dr. Thompson’s own 18-lecture series on The History of Women Religious in the United States. The publishers of this series, Now You Know Media, have provided the first lecture for free. Listen to the Introduction and Lecture 1: Discovering Foremothers: Origins of Women’s Religious Life.
• Dr. Thompson on our show “In Good Faith” back in 2011
• Building Sisterhood: A Feminist History of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Women and Gender in North American Religions. Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse University Press, 1997. (be sure to check out the bibliography which we’ll post as a PDF asap!)
• Weavers of the Tapestry – the story of the Congregation of the Sisters of Mercy of Newfoundland by Kathrine E. Bellamy, RSM (2006)
• Rebel, reformer, religious extraordinaire: the life of Sister Irene Farmer by Geraldine Anthony (1997)
• Work by Elizabeth Smythe including Wisdom Raises Her Voice: the Sisters of St. Joseph (2001)
• Work by Rosa Bruno-Jofréas at the University of Ottawa on Canadian French-speaking sisters
• Conference on the History of Women Religious

Do you have a question for us? Contact us http://anunslife.org/contact/and, using your computer, record your question on voice mail. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

AS106 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on March 21, 2012. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: unresponsive vocation directors, disappearing nuns, is religious life dying?, body language at Mass, what nuns study in the novitiate, and more!

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

Subscribe to A Nun’s Life Podcasts:

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’d like to be a nun who works in health care or with people with disabilities. Book mentioned: Adam: God’s Beloved by Henri Nouwen
• I’ve thought about becoming a nun for a long time. But when I called the vocations director at a local convent, she never called back! What should I do? Links mentioned: How to Become a Nun and The Vocation Forum
• It is a very rare thing to see a nun these days. There must have been something that not only drew the young girl to a convent but also kept here there pre-Vatican II. What happened? The nuns put to rest some incorrect information about the decline or religious life with the very good news that it is very much alive!
• What is the proper hand-folding protocol at Mass? Should everyone keep their hands folded whenever we’re standing at Mass?
• What do nuns study when they’re in formation? Find out how the nuns are taught not to smoke, drink, or curse!

Do you have a question for us? Contact us and, using your computer, record your question on voice mail. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

AS105 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on March 7, 2012. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. With special guest Audra Turnbull. Topics include: spiritual inventory, advice to a celebrity, singing nuns, finding patience, picking a religious order, etc.

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

Subscribe to A Nun’s Life Podcasts:

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!

SPECIAL GUEST: Audra Turnbull, author of the blog The Awkward Catholic.

Here are some of the topics we addressed in this Ask Sister podcast:

• How to take stock of your spiritual life using a spiritual inventory. Consider the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love; the Beatitudes, the Examen of Consciousness, the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy, Mindfulness, and more as helps in taking stock of your spiritual life.
• A celebrity seeks to escape the pressures of the world. The nuns offer advice about discernment, religious life, the convent, and sensible shoes.
• Our guest, Audra, tests her knowledge on the fine points of religious life. Questions that people often have about religious life … but hesitate to ask. For example, are nuns allowed to throw snowballs? Check out the video below for a preliminary response from Winter 2011!
• What to do about being impatient?
• What is the difference between enclosed and cloistered?
• How to pick a religious community when there are so many?

Do you have a question for us? Contact us and, using your computer, record your question on voice mail. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

AS104 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on March 1, 2012. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: self denial as a spiritual act, Jesus and the widow’s mite, why God answers some prayers but not others, and does God hear our prayers

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

Subscribe to A Nun’s Life Podcasts:

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:

• Self-denial as a spiritual act–is there meaning in making a sacrifice?
• What to do when asked to give to a good cause? Revisiting the Gospel story of the widow’s mite (Mk 12:38-44).
• Why does God answer some prayers…but not others?
• Does God really listen to our prayers?

Do you have a question for us? Contact us http://anunslife.org/contact/ and, using your computer, record your question on voice mail. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

AS103 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on February 22, 2012. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: Sr. Marie Gabriel and Sr. Dorothy guest nuns, living the life of Jesus, too much bling in church, ways to pray in everyday life, and more!

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

Subscribe to A Nun’s Life Podcasts:

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:

• Sister Dorothy and Sister Marie Gabriel share their stories about the journey to religious life.
• What does it mean to “live the life of Jesus”? How the gospel stories influence our lives.
• Opulence in the church. What about fancy vestments, expensive church buildings, etc., in the face of poverty and need in the world? WWJD?
• Churches as praise to God and as a reflection of the image of God.
• Walking outdoors, poetry, music, meditation, and other ways to pray in everyday life.

Do you have a question for us? Contact us http://anunslife.org/contact/and, using your computer, record your question on voice mail. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

“Do not think I am sitting here to pass the time away telling you that
religious life is poetry. It is the roughest kind of prose.”
- Mother Justina Reilly, IHM (b. 1848)

Tis the season to be romantic — an awesome thing to behold! Just a few letters away however, is the word romanticize — and that can be anything BUT awesome.

Let me start with my unabashed biases:

1. I love religious life.
2. I love being a Catholic sister in community with my nuns.
3. I never lived pre-Vatican II religious life having been born after the fact.
4. I love all things “nun” — from old-school nun stories, finding a beloved copy of Bernie Becomes a Nun, bumping giddily into nuns at the airport, meeting corporate board room sisters, and more!
   …. I honestly can’t help myself!

Sister Chloe the Convent Cat reads "Bernie Becomes a Nun"

Given #3 above, I have spent a lot of time reading and asking questions and learning about religious life not only in my Sitz im Leben but religious life throughout the years, across the globe, and spanning theologies and cultures. I’m no expert, but my explorations have been enough to give me a good flavor of religious life as a whole and to see myself situated within it.

One of the challenges in not having experiencing religious life before the second Vatican Council is that we can sometimes romanticize what it was like — nuns in their flowing habits, serenity and silence, compliance both within and outside of the convent, blissful singing and playing of guitar, etc. Aspects of these things were and continue to be accurate and beautiful! Yet it gets a little dicey when we begin to imagine that that is all it was or when we focus only on the poetry of religious life and forget the rugged prose.

In addition to the sisters and nuns whom I know, there are many great resources to check out in terms of seeing what religious life was and is really like. For historical scholarship I always turn to Dr. Margaret Susan Thompson, the leading expert on the history of Catholic sisters and nuns in the United States. Here are some links for Dr. Thompson:

• Guest appearance on In Good Faith – an hour-long show including a section where Dr. Thompson discusses what “the “good old days” of religious life was actually like.
• An 18-lecture series on The History of Women Religious in the United States. The publishers of this series, Now You Know Media, have provided the first lecture for free. Listen to the Introduction and Lecture 1: Discovering Foremothers: Origins of Women’s Religious Life.
• “Concentric Circles of Sisterhood” – an essay that appears in the book Building Sisterhood: A Feminist History of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Monroe, Michigan (Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 1997)
• Faculty and publications information at her page on Maxwell School of Syracuse University

For theological and scriptural scholarship I turn to my own nun, Sister Sandra Schneiders.

• Guest appearance on our very first episode of In Good Faith
• Another guest appearance for our A Nun’s Life fundraiser where Sister Sandra talked about saints, saints, and more saints! Father James Martin, SJ, is also featured on this podcast — he’s got some great stuff on religious life and vocations as well!
• A series of essays on religious life initially published by National Catholic Reporter and now gathered in the book Prophets in Their Own Country
• Books on religious life by Sandra Schneiders

This is only a smattering of what is out there, but very good places to begin!

So let’s talk about past and present religious life? What are “romanticizations” that you’ve encountered? What questions do you have about “the good old days” and today?

P.S. Check out the last night’s Ask Sister where we tangled with this topic as well — recording will be up by Saturday!

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Join the A Nun’s Life Community for prayer at 6 p.m. CT in the chat room today.

AS102 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on February 16, 2012. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: becoming a nun in the old days? hopeful husband-to-be wonders if convent trumps marriage, online vocation help, professional nuns, and more!

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

Subscribe to A Nun’s Life Podcasts:

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:

• What do today’s teenagers think about nuns?
• I have known a dear friend for over two years. One day I wish to be her husband. However she is seeking a life as a nun. Should I keep my feelings to myself in fear I may be in her way to a life as a sister, or should I confess my feelings?
• I have seen a few convents that have weekend retreats where women can go to experience what it is like. Is there any website where I can get a list of all convents that have these events? Be sure to check out Vision Vocation Network!

• • Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Peace
  • Poor Clares of New Jersey
  • Redemptoristine Nuns

    More info on scoping out nuns at aNunsLife.org/comeandsee – links to resources to help discern how to become a sister or nun

• What to do if you don’t get a good vibe from a religious community? Does that mean you don’t have a vocation?
• Can you be a speech language pathologist and a nun too?
• Knowing what you know now about past nun life, as opposed to modern day nun life, would you have joined then, or not?

Do you have a question for us? Contact us http://anunslife.org/contact/ and, using your computer, record your question on voice mail. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

AS101 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on February 9, 2012. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: how nuns elect their community leaders, saying no to nun smear campaigns, the common good, the book of Genesis, varied images of God and more!

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

Subscribe to A Nun’s Life Podcasts:

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:

• The IHM sisters recently elected a new leadership team. How is this done?  Do sisters run against each other? Are there term limits? Is the process similar for most orders?
• What about general chapter for contemplative monasteries or for international communities? And differences or similarities?
• A listener named Anna talks about her joys and challenges in reading the book of Genesis and encountering a myriad of images of God — are there any wrong images of God? What happens when one image is used as the only image of God?
• Mentioned in the broadcast: “Are Our Images of God Growing?” by Pat McCloskey, O.F.M. in Catholic Update

Do you have a question for us? Contact us http://anunslife.org/contact/and, using your computer, record your question on voice mail. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

AS100 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on February 2, 2012. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: Highlights in honor of 100th episode, World Day for Consecrated Life, GPS rosary for religious life, vow of obedience vs. doormat, and more!

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

Subscribe to A Nun’s Life Podcasts:

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:

• In honor of the 100th episode of Ask Sister, audio clips of some of our favorite shows: tin-can podcast #1, Chloe the Convent Cat, putting the “man” in “mantilla,” and the sisters’ best jokes.
• World Day for Consecrated Life–an opportunity to celebrate God’s calling in our lives.
• The Rosary as a GPS for finding one’s way to religious life.
• The Rosary as a Marian devotion, and the role of Mary in our lives and in the tradition of religious life.
• Fond memories of the glow-in-the-dark Rosary.
• How does one live out the vow of obedience, without falling into the unhealthy habit of being a doormat? The ups and downs of obedience not just for sisters but for all Christians!

Do you have a question for us? Contact us http://anunslife.org/contact/ and, using your computer, record your question on voice mail. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

Welcome back today’s guest blogger — Sister Lynne Smith, OSB, a member of the inclusive Benedictine community, Benedictine Women of Madison, at Holy Wisdom Monastery in Madison, WI. Sister Lynne was our guest on a recent Ask Sister podcast so be sure to listen in!

Someone asked me recently if I felt I had to give up a lot to become a sister. Something in me resists thinking about religious life in terms of giving something up. The question might come from the image of monks “leaving the world” to live in the desert or from the image of religious life as made up of strict ascetical practices.

To be sure, one does give up some things to enter a community and there is asceticism involved in religious life. The practice of asceticism is different in each order. For Benedictines, living in community with our promises of stability, obedience and conversion of life is the asceticism. The rub of daily life and living patiently with our own and one another’s weaknesses is asceticism enough!

My aim of seeking God through Benedictine life leads me to make choices that might seem to others to be loss. For me, those choices help me be available to God and others. I find it helpful to think about entering religious life as a change of lifestyle just as marriage is a change of lifestyle. One exchanges one way of living for another. The change involves some loss as well as gain and it takes time to adjust to the new way of living.

Religious life is about pursuing your heart’s desire. It’s like falling in love. When you fall in love with someone and start spending more time with him or her, you give up some of the ways you used to spend your time. In the process, you gain the love of your life. Over time as you nurture your relationship, you discover you have gained much more than you ever gave up. So it is in religious life.

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For a taste of life in community, check out our Benedictine Sojourner experience for single Christian women. Live in an inclusive ecumenical community at Holy Wisdom Monastery for a year. Pray, play, work and learn with us.

For a shorter experience in the summer consider spending two weeks to a month with us as a Volunteer in Community.

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Join the A Nun’s Life Community for prayer at 6 p.m. CT in the chat room today.
Our prayer leader for this week are Audra of Awkward Catholic fame
and Regina who is engaged in Soul Composting!

AS099 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on January 19, 2012. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: Mass fracas over word changes in liturgy, unruly use of church rules, finding a spiritual mentor, does God have plans for the world, and more!

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

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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:

• Why are some people vehemently upset about the changes to the Mass? Jesus is still Jesus in the Eucharist — isn’t that why we go to Mass anyway?
• Can I be a sister if I am not a conservative Catholic (or in other words, have a problem with strict applying of rules in the church)?
• Where to find a spiritual mentor when it seems there’s not one anywhere nearby.
• What are God’s plans for today’s world?

Do you have a question for us? Contact us http://anunslife.org/contact/and, using your computer, record your question on voice mail. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

IGF013 In Good Faith with Coach Cathy Rush, recorded live on January 18, 2012. Produced by aNunsLife.org Ministry. Topics include: coaching 1st national champs in women’s basketball, working with nuns, Mighty Macs movie, Future Stars summer camps & more

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Guest: Coach Cathy Rush

Cathy Rush was the head women’s basketball coach at Immaculata College (now University) from 1970-1977. She led Immaculata to three consecutive AIAW national titles from 1972-1974. Coach Rush also led the 1975 U.S. Women’s basketball team at the Pan American games to a gold medal finish. She was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on April 7, 2008. She was inducted into the women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame in 2005. She is the founder and president of Future Stars Camps.

Be sure to check out The Mighty Macs movie featuring Cathy and the Immaculata IHM Sisters!

Show Notes:

• From underdog to national champion–Cathy talks about her experience as a young head coach at Immaculata College and the team that won against great odds.
• What it was like to work with nuns at a women’s college.
• Cathy talks about the making of The Mighty Macs movie and its depiction of the nuns, the team, the school, and herself.
• How Title IX affected women’s sports at Catholic universities.
• Sports, femininity and young female athletes today.
• What it means to follow your dream, even when it leads to unexpected places.
• The development of Future Stars Camps for children.

Details: The broadcast is free and open to the public. You can tune in from any place you have internet access. We also have a chat room for you to use during the broadcast in order to connect with one another and with us. You can also submit your questions ahead of time by using the comment box below.

The podcasts are basically like tuning into a radio program, but instead of broadcasting it on the airwaves, we broadcast it on our website. All you have to do is visit our website and make sure the volume on your computer is turned up.

More information including upcoming shows and recordings of past episodes can be found at the In Good Faith program web page.

AS098 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on January 12, 2012. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: the difference between penance and sacrifice, speechless God, is grief a rejection of faith, and more!

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

Subscribe to A Nun’s Life Podcasts:

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:

• What is the difference between penance and sacrifice?
• Austerities and asceticism
• I don’t feel like God is telling me much. Am I going to hear a voice one day before graduation telling me to go to a convent? Or is saying “I want to go to college and study anthropology” sufficient?
• Measuring up to the holiness of friends and other people.
• My mother died recently and I’m very sad. But some of my bible study friends say, “She’s in heaven with God now and you should be happy about that.” Is my sadness somehow a rejection of my faith?

Do you have a question for us? Contact us http://anunslife.org/contact/and, using your computer, record your question on voice mail. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

IGF012 In Good Faith with Sister Patricia Daly, OP, recorded live on January 11, 2012. Produced by aNunsLife.org Ministry. Topics include gospel values in corporate culture, Catholic nuns, corporate responsibility, socially responsible investing and more.

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Guest: Sister Pat Daly, OP

Sister Patricia Daly, OP, is a Dominican Sister of Caldwell , NJ and has worked in Corporate Responsibility and Socially Responsible Investing for over 25 years. She serves as the Executive Director of the Tri-State Coaltion for Responsible Investment, an organization of 40 Roman Catholic Dioceses and Congregations of Women and Men in the NY metropolitan area. Pat represents these institutional investors to the national Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility: 275 Roman Catholic, Protestant and Jewish organizations holding more than $110 billion in investments. Pat is also the Corporate Responsibility Representative for the Sisters of St. Dominic of Caldwell , NJ and consults for the American Baptist Churches in their Socially Responsible Investment Program. See Sister Patricia onCBS News!

Show Notes:

• Sister Pat’s community, the Dominican Sisters of Caldwell, New Jersey, and her attraction to their commitment to social justice
• what it means to do socially responsible investing
• personal investors and institutional investors (including dioceses and other Catholic organizations)
• asking the question about where people who are poor, hungry, homeless, etc. fit in with our choice of investments
• “the power of one is not to be underestimated”
• helping companies do good in the community and also have just practices within their corporate structure and policies and how they are impacting society as a whole
• sometimes (especially in the early days) it’s a struggle for companies to engage with their shareholders about social responsibility
• how Jesus informs Sister Pat’s ministry — Jesus as a change agent who understood the abuses in the economic governance and faith systems and challenged them
• a critical vocation to speak up for people who have no role or power in society
• successes that Sister Pat has seen through the years, e.g., working with General Electric (responsible for much of the contamination), other companies, religious orders, and the community to clean up PCB contamination along the Hudson River
• the effects of global warming being addressed more and more compared to 20 years ago when they filed the first shareholder resolution on climate change
• criteria to evaluate companies in which one wishes to invest can be found at iccr.org, tricri.org, greenamerica.org
• disappointments that Sister Pat has encountered, e.g., addressed the irradiation of food but didn’t at the time have the resources to address concerns around genetically-modified foods
• is better to only invest in companies that have their social-responibility acts together or to stick it out in less socially responsible companies and demand change?
• it’s all about dialogue — understanding a companies culture and bringing in one’s concerns so that both can walk away and say “I did a good thing”
• the Catholic Church’s role in promoting socially responsible investing
• a quandary when a company that has questionable practices invests generously in church and community work
• the Occupy Wall Street movement
• abuses around compensation for senior executives
• what it’s like to be a Catholic sister in the board room and in the media spotlight
• Ford on the “best of” list of the really good guys in terms of social responsibility — also Darden Restaurants (Olive Garden, Red Lobster) with food sustainability, Walt Disney Company with concerns in supply chain — not only make changes with their companies but instigate change within their industry
• a company that could do better is Exxon Mobil, especially around greenhouse gas emissions
• the so-called “sin stocks” — gambling, liquor, and tobacco stocks
• myth busted — the truth is that you can do well investing in socially responsible investing

Details: The broadcast is free and open to the public. You can tune in from any place you have internet access. We also have a chat room for you to use during the broadcast in order to connect with one another and with us. You can also submit your questions ahead of time by using the comment box below.

If new to A Nun’s Life podcasts, the podcasts are basically like tuning into a radio program, but instead of broadcasting it on the airwaves, we broadcast it on our website. All you have to do is visit our website and make sure the volume on your computer is up.

More information including upcoming shows and recordings of past episodes can be found at the In Good Faith program web page.

AS097 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on January 5, 2012. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: travel troubles for road nun, Christian feminists – do they really exist?, building the kingdom of God locally and more!

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

Subscribe to A Nun’s Life Podcasts:

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:

• What happens when a nun is traveling and runs into really bad weather? Is prayer her only option?
• What does it mean to be a Christian feminist?
• What does it mean to build the kingdom of God? How can we do that locally?

Do you have a question for us? Contact us http://anunslife.org/contact/and, using your computer, record your question on voice mail. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, 1774-1821

Dear Sister Elizabeth Ann,

Just a short note to say that I’m a big fan of yours! It’s not just because your feast day is on my birthday, which it is. Or that my momma’s name is also Elizabeth Ann (BTW she’s a huge fan too).

I really admire your sense of adventure, or whatever spirit it was that allowed you to say “yes” to God in so many different ways. Raised an Anglican in New York, you married and went to Italy with your hub and one of your five kids. (My mom and dad also raised five kids).

It must have been very difficult when your husband died in Italy. Yet even then, you did not lose faith. Even then, you turned to God. Maybe the challenge of being a single parent led you to such a deep desire to help others. Back in New York, you became a Catholic and raised your kids.

And then you began a religious order! Way to say “yes” to that one – the Sisters of Charity, Emmitsburg, Maryland, was the first order of women religious that originated in the United States! (My congregation was also founded in the U.S.!) Not only did you and your sisters help many poor young women by providing free Catholic education, but you left a legacy that’s still vibrant nearly 200 years later!

Throughout the day today, I’m going to pray in these words you wrote to a good friend in a letter in 1810:

“Faith lifts the staggering soul on one side, hope supports it on the other, experience says it must be and love says let it be.”

Thanks for the many ways you said “yes” to God, Sister Elizabeth Ann!

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Join the A Nun’s Life community for prayer (Mon.-Wed and Friday) at 6 p.m. Central Time at aNunsLife.org/live. Join us there on Thursdays at 6 p.m. for the Ask Sister broadcast.

AS096 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on December 29, 2011. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: run-ins with the Blessed Virgin Mary, hanging on to pre-Vatican II stuff, adopt-a-nun, how to know and respond when God is calling, and more!

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

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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’m not Catholic but have had a few run-ins with the Blessed Virgin Mary. What could this possibly mean?
• Is it wrong to hang onto pre-Vatican II understandings and expressions of the faith? Of religious life?
• I’d love to spiritually adopt a nun. How to I go about doing so?
• How do you know if God is calling you to something, and what can you do about it?

Do you have a question for us? Contact us http://anunslife.org/contact/and, using your computer, record your question on voice mail. Be sure to give us your first name and city from which you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

Icame across this article yesterday about Prof. Thompson, one of my fav historians! Through her work, she tells the stories of U.S. women religious and how they have shaped U.S. culture and society. Plus she’s a lively writer–she makes history come alive! I am grateful to her and all historians who help to share accurate, authentic stories about sisters!

Sister Julie and I were delighted to have Prof. Thompson join us on a live podcast last year. To hear a recording of the conversation, go to the In Good Faith webpage.

Are there sisters you know whose stories should be told? Please share your stories here and on the A Nun’s Life Discussion Forum

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Join the A Nun’s Life community for prayer tonight and every weekday at 6 p.m. Central Time at aNunsLife.org/live.

AS095 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on December 8, 2011. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: nature and theology of grace, renouncing things one never had, nun vows, the Trinity as two men and a hen?, my church NO my church!, and more!

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

Subscribe to A Nun’s Life Podcasts:

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:

• What exactly is grace? Is it like The Force or getting a shot of Red Bull?
• How does grace lead to freedom?
• Two men and a hen — A new image for the Trinity?
• Can a person renounce something if they’ve never had it? e.g., can I give up sex if I’ve never even had a romantic relationship?
• Aren’t the vows about renouncing things?
• Whose church is it, anyway? Is the Church my church, your church, God’s church, or our church?
• A Sister is interviewed on CBS News regarding the Apostolic Visitation and sisters’ responses

Do you have a question for us? Contact us http://anunslife.org/contact/ and, using your computer, record your question on voice mail. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

IGF011 In Good Faith with Father Anthony Gittins, recorded live on December 1, 2011. Produced by aNunsLife.org Ministry. Topics include mission, evangelization, discipleship, and liberation; magisterium and ministerium of the Church; discernment and more!

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Guest: Father Anthony Gittins, CSSp

Father Anthony Gittins is a member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans) and a professor of mission and culture at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, Illinois. For the past twenty-five years he has with and among homeless women on the streets of Chicago and in a shelter. For seven of those years he was part of Genesis House – a community where women struggle to escape from prostitution (from CTU website).

Show Notes:

• How Fr. Tony’s faith journey informs his sense of mission
• Edwina Gately and working at Genesis House

“Just love them, she said. And I thought how simple it sounds, and how complicated it is to love people.”

“Our job is to love them, not to judge them. And once they begin to love themselves then they have the responsibility to love their neighbor as themselves. But meanwhile it is their neighbor’s job to love them.”

• Ministering  as a pastor in Sierra Leone to learn the “grammar of the language and the grammar of the culture”
• Teaching theology at Catholic Theological Union through the lens of culture, e.g. the cultural implications of reading Scripture
• The relationship between mission, evangelization, discipleship, and liberation
• Mission is about God is intrinsically a God of movement, of engagement, of relationship — reaching out into the world … it is like God’s dynamic breathing out God’s spirit (God’s cosmic, creative breath that is sending forth) — and God’s breathing in (God calling people, reconciling people, embracing people, forgiving people)
• Evangelization is the way we talk about Jesus, the incarnation of God’s mission … Jesus’ mission brought down to earth … describes everything that Jesus does because Jesus is utterly and totally committed to God’s mission
• Discipleship is a one-word job description for us, a faithful living out of what Jesus was doing — not doing our own t hing but learning how to do Jesus’ thing by watching and learning from Jesus
• Liberation – Jesus says, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me and has SENT ME to liberate people, to set people free from anything that binds them in any way.”
• God’s mission has a church! The church’s job is to do God’s mission
• Discernment is required to know where we fit in God’s mission
• Discerning and making decisions “in good faith”
• The difference between feeling comfortable or content and feeling peaceful
• The Church and the relationship of tension between “power” and “piety”
• How to deal with “catechism flame-throwers”
• The relationship between Magisterium and Ministerium

Details: The broadcast is free and open to the public. You can tune in from any place you have internet access. We also have a chat room for you to use during the broadcast in order to connect with one another and with us. You can also submit your questions ahead of time by using the comment box below.

If new to A Nun’s Life podcasts, the podcasts are basically like tuning into a radio program, but instead of broadcasting it on the airwaves, we broadcast it on our website. All you have to do is visit our website and make sure the volume on your computer is up.

More information including upcoming shows and recordings of past episodes can be found at the In Good Faith program web page.

AS094 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on November 30, 2011. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: nun hairstyles, a question of morals, debunking nun myths for your friends, explaining nuns to a 4-year-old child, weird detours, and more!

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

Subscribe to A Nun’s Life Podcasts:

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:

• A novelist wants to know what’s under the veil for sisters circa 1960: hair or no hair?
• A listener asks if there are moral qualifications to be a nun. We’ll expand the convo to talk about moral qualifications for vocations of all types.
• What to tell friends about nuns and virginity, nuns and trust funds, and nuns who are parents.
• Can sisters and nuns keep assets and inheritances when they enter religious life?
• Do nuns get an allowance or stipend?
• A mom wonders how to explain what nuns are to her four-year-old.
• Are weird detours part of God’s plan?

Do you have a question for us? Contact us http://anunslife.org/contact/and, using your computer, record your question on voice mail. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

Ilove this reflection on discernment! For me, it pretty much describes in a nutshell my experience of discerning God’s call, especially at times when I find an intersection where I thought only one road existed.

Photo by Alesa Dam

The reflection was written by Sister Mary Fran Gilleran, IHM, and was published in Midwiving a Vibrant Future, by the Leadership Council of Women Religious.

The work of discernment sets a challenge before us. We enter a process of choice and decision-making with many aspects to it. The deepest calls of our lives, the times when we know we have to choose, are profound moments.

These moments always seem to have two sides: call and dread. A call that challenges us, that we know is right, confronts us with dread at the same time. We know this call will require new demands of us. It will require taking on and letting go of familiar patterns and ways of being comfortable. It elicits dread even though we know it is time, it is needed, it is even good for us and for the whole.

Midwives of the new must know when to push for the next stage and when to simply breathe in and through both call and dread. They are two sides of the same invitation. There is a time to throw away. And it is all part of one process.

How does this reflection resonate with your experience of discernment?

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Join A Nun’s Life community tonight for prayer at aNunsLife.org/live at 6 p.m. CT (your time zone) Come a bit early or stay a bit late and chat with us in the chat room!

AS091 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on November 9, 2011. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry.  Topics include: novelist needs info for nunfiction, hanging up on a call from God, how nuns pray, submissiveness, unholy spirits, gay saints

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.
Subscribe to A Nun’s Life Podcasts:

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:

• A novelist is looking for info for a new work of nunfiction
• Hanging up on a call from God? What happens when a nun leaves religious life?
• A rosary a day? How nuns pray.
• What is submissiveness?
• Unholy spirits and what to do about them
• Are there any gay saints?

Do you have a question for us? Using your computer, record your question on voice mail. It’s easy to do! Just click this Record link to get started! Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

AS090 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on November 3, 2011. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Special Saintly Edition. Topics include: saints in a cave, saintly symbols-coffee and ice cream, decommissioned saints, saintliness in scripture

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.
Subscribe to A Nun’s Life Podcasts:

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:

• How St. Syncletica ditched her entourage and headed for a cave
• Coffee, bicycles, trees, open vessels, ice cream and other symbols of sainthood
• When saints go marching off the General Roman Calendar–where do they go?
• Sister Sandra Schneiders on holiness from the perspectives of St. Paul and the Fourth Gospel

Do you have a question for us? Using your computer, record your question on voice mail. It’s easy to do! Just click this Record link to get started! Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

For many U.S. Catholic sisters and indeed for many Catholics across the U.S. and abroad, the Apostolic Visitation of American Women Religious that began in 2009 turned out to be a graced opportunity to reflect on apostolic, or ministerial, religious life. At the public helm of this reflection has been Sister Sandra Schneiders, IHM, professor emerita of New Testament Studies and Christian Spirituality at the Jesuit School of Theology/Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. She has served as president of the Society for the Study of Christian Spirituality and on te board of directors of the Catholic Theological Society of America. Perhaps her greatest claim to fame, however, is that she is a person deeply grounded in prayer who has given her life to serving God, the Church, and the world. She is a person whom I am proud to call my sister.

At the time of the Apostolic Visitation, Sister Sandra stepped up, offering her reflections on religious life into the public forum. These were certainly not random thoughts and opinions but ones steeped in faith and “in decades of biblical scholarship, religious life scholarship, and lived experience in a congregation.” (Sister Maria Cimperman, OSU, writing about Sister Sandra). These reflections, originally published by National Catholic Reporter, are now collected in the book Prophets in Their Own Country: Women Religious Bearing Witness to the Gospel in a Troubled Church, published by Orbis Books.

A note about the title … We can be a bit sceptical about prophets, especially when one self-appoints oneself as a prophet! The job description for a prophet has never been public acclaim or celebration or even a pat on the back. It is perhaps one of the most arduous of callings that exists. Yet the Church recognizes that some callings are prophetic by nature. One such calling is religious life.

“Religious Life has, from its inception, been recognized not simply as a ‘work force’ in the church but as a prophetic vocation…. For a hundred years before the [Second Vatican] Council a process of institutionalization, standardization, and even domestication muted to the point of virtual silence the specifically prophetic character of the life. Religious began to rediscover that important dimension of their identity as they emerged into public life by their increasing participation in social justice issues in the 1960s and their enthusiastic espousal in the Church of the agenda of Vatican II. Intrinsic to the prophetic vocation within the Judaeo-Christian biblical tradition is the tension between prophecy and institution.” (Prophets in Their Own Country, 22-23)

Though the Apostolic Visitation has faded from the news, the important articulations of who we are as women religious remain as well as the deep connection that women religious have across congregations and with the wider lay Catholic community (women religious are lay people after all). Sister Sandra’s book is a great springboard into deeper reflection on religious life as a gift to the Church and to the world.

Sister Sandra has joined us before at A Nun’s Life Ministry for our In Good Faith program, and she will join us again for a live broadcast on Tuesday next week, November 1, at 9 a.m. CST. We’ll talk with Sister Sandra about the saints as we honor All Saints Day. Join us! The event is one among many others to help kickoff the A Nun’s Life Ministry 1st Annual Fundraiser, and we encourage you to support this ministry that strives to promote religious life and to encourage people in living their calling. Please consider a one-time gift or a monthly gift to support the ministry.

What’s up with the news coverage of Anita Caspary?

Caspary, a luminary in religious life died at age 95 on October 5. She was a great woman, scholar, and leader. Her faithfulness to the call of the Second Vatican Council and her love of the gospel are impressive. Anita Caspary had integrity. Too bad that some of the recent news articles about her don’t.

The headlines give the first clue. Here’s the headline from a recent New York Times article: “Anita Caspary, Nun Who Led Breakaway From Church, Dies at 95.” A similar headline appears in the Washington Post: “‘Rebel nun’ Anita Caspary, leader of breakaway Los Angeles order, dies at 95.”

Breakaway? From the church? Really? In the 1960s, Caspary served in leadership for the Immaculate Heart of Mary sisters in Los Angeles. The congregation took seriously the Vatican II call for the renewal of religious life. They began to make changes accordingly – in daily prayer times, in religious dress, in their types and locations of ministry, etc. (And they weren’t the only ones. Sisters across the U.S. were moving in similar directions.) But the archbishop of Los Angeles objected to the changes. And when the sisters didn’t stop, he retaliated.

Ultimately, Caspary and about 300 other sisters chose to leave the congregation and begin a new, non-canonical community. To my way of thinking, they didn’t “breakaway.” There wasn’t a “schism,” as the NYT article characterized it. The sisters left an oppressive, unfair situation. They did so after much deliberation and prayer. And their departure wasn’t from “the church” but from an abuse of power by some in formal roles of authority in the church.

Compare those headlines with this one, from the National Catholic Reporter: “Anita Caspary, religious visionary, dies in Los Angeles: ‘Integrity’ moved her community to sever canonical ties to church.” A great headline and a good article.

As I read the articles, I gave thanks for Caspary. I celebrate her life and her legacy to religious, the church and the world.

May you rest in peace, Anita Caspary.

Anita Caspary published a book in 2003, Witness to Integrity, that describes the events that took place during her time in leadership in the 1960s. It’s an interesting and informative account!

This past weekend Sister Maxine and I had congregational meeting — IHM Sisters and Associates gathered in person and via the Internet to pray and talk about our life together. Coming up in January we will be electing a new leadership team (each religious community does this ever 4-6 years) and so we wanted time together as a community to discern and discuss what will be needed for and from the leaders who will be elected in January.

What amazes me about religious life, and in particular my IHM life, is that we are very intentional about making decisions together, truly discerning how the Spirit is calling us, and being willing to hang in there with each other even when it’s tough. In our elections for a new leadership team, we don’t send out head-hunters or gather up a search committee, or start campaigns and platforms. Instead, true to our life as Catholic sisters and nuns today, we gather the whole community together to pray, discern, discuss, and pray some more.

We believe that community governance, founded on Jesus’ presence in
our midst and on our love and respect for one another, enables us more
fully to live the gospel and to proclaim the reign of God.

“We are committed, therefore, to governance which expresses

• faith in Jesus Christ,
• love of one another,
• respect for the individual,
• participation and collaboration,
• corporate decisions and actions.” (from our IHM Constitutions)

I don’t think I ever would have thought this type of corporate decision-making was possible prior to my becoming a nun. I’d just never seen this kind of thing done before. Seriously — a group of 200+ people coming together, valuing each person’s voice, open to the Spirit of God, and making big decisions together. Whoa!

Granted, we hit bumps in the road on occasion — after all, there’s that little thing I like to call our human condition that enters in! But what never ceases to amaze me is that we hang in there together. We don’t throw up our hands and leave the table. We stick it out, trusting that by the grace of God, we will make it through and end up in a good place — even if we can’t see it at the moment.

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Join A Nun’s Life Community for evening prayer and chat at 6 p.m. CST (your time zone) today at aNunsLife.org/live.

Rock star! That’s how National Catholic Reporter described the response of Catholic sisters to Sr. Sandra after her talk last Saturday in Notre Dame, Indiana. Rock on, Sandra!

Sandra’s insights into religious life are music to the ears! Her rendition of religious life past, present and future is one of the clearest and most articulate that I’ve ever heard. The NCR article does a good job of highlighting her key points.

I especially like Sandra’s explanation of why the works of Catholic sisters have changed over time. She describes how the changes in ministry affect the way that Catholic sisters live, what they wear, how they pray, etc. She also offers a compelling vision of religious life for the future – and there will be a future! (She opened her talk with, “Reports of the demise of religious life, to paraphrase Mark Twain, are greatly exaggerated.”)

I appreciate how Sandra links the past to the present, then suggests directions for the future that are already emerging. Here’s an excerpt about that from the NCR article:

Increasingly, religious women have taken their expertise into ministries that, while still in continuity with those of the past and arising directly out of their communities’ charisms, are not ones most Catholics tend to associate with “the Sisters.” Schneiders grouped them into four “clusters”:

• Social justice ministers focused on systemic or structural change, whose “theological glue” tends to be Catholic social teaching. These include social scientists, activists, lawyers, political and community organizers, economists and sociologists, urban farmers and legislators.

• Ministers who work directly with the victims of social injustice or natural disasters, whose theological glue is deep compassion for the suffering Body of Christ. These include chaplains, social workers, counselors, literacy tutors, providers of child care or elder care, managers of low-income housing, those who work in homeless shelters or with victims of torture or sex trafficking.

• Intellectuals, scholars and artists, whose theological glue is faith seeking understanding in our time. These include composers, performers, journalists, writers, teachers and researchers in theology, philosophy and the sciences.

• Ministers who address the thirst for meaning and transcendence, with the theological glue of spiritual nourishment and growth. They work in spirituality centers, campus ministry, spiritual direction, retreats, holistic healing, or as popular writers or speakers on the lecture and workshop circuit.

I encourage you to read the article and to share your responses to it!

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Join A Nun’s Life Community and the nuns for prayer today at 6 p.m. CST (your time zone).

We have a special guest blog post from A Nun’s Life community member Joyce Elaine, who reflects on the heart and sole of discernment.

There are sandals that I wear that my closest friends affectionately call my “Jesus sandals.”

They are white and strappy with gold accents, and they do make me think of the sandals that Jesus is often depicted in. They are a special pair in my collection of “Jesus shoes.” I wear them to Mass, and almost always get asked about my discernment there. I wear them to family gatherings and again, I get asked about religious life: “What things can you do as a nun?” ” Do you go to school to become a nun?” I wear them where I pray with my church and sometimes with the nuns I know.

I also have a pair of black shoes that I wear on cold, wet, muddy, or rainy days. When I walk around with friends, the questions still pour out. “Can a nun be an electrical engineer?” “Is a nun allowed to keep her birth/baptismal name?” I also tend to wear these shoes when I am feeling sick or worried. They remind me that I’m carried by God.

My running shoes are also Jesus shoes. I wear them when I run, when I take walks, when I take bike rides, and when I work out. They are what I wear when I feel closest to God–when I am just myself.

What do your “Jesus shoes” look like? Please share your Jesus shoe stories in the comment box below!

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Join A Nun’s Life Community and the nuns for prayer today at 6 p.m. CST (your time zone).

She dared to dream. They dared to believe.” The words are from the promo poster for The Mighty Macs. The movie is inspired by the true story of the coach, players, and sisters of Immaculata College. Against great odds, the small college won the U.S. national women’s basketball championship in 1972.

Yesterday, Sister Julie and I dared to drive through Chicago at rush hour to see an advance showing of The Mighty Macs. It was well worth it! We heard about the movie several months ago from our IHM “cousins” in Immaculata, Penn., home of the Mighty Macs. The movie will be in theaters beginning October 21.

During the movie, I was especially interested in the portrayals of the sisters. So I’m offering a few thoughts on the topic in this post. I’ll start by describing the story line.

The Story
The film is set in 1972, at Immaculata College (now University), at the time a small all-women’s college. The school then and now is run by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM), of Immaculata, Penn., not far from Philadelphia.

The story begins as 23-year-old Cathy Rush takes on the job of coaching the Mighty Macs. She is newly married to a successful NBA referee. She also is searching for more meaning in her life, which puzzles many people. At that time, most women work in the home, not outside of it, and the roles of wife, homemaker, and mother are closely tied to a woman’s identity and value.

Rush takes the job, despite having no gym and no experience as a head coach. Meanwhile, the college itself is having severe financial problems and is at risk of being sold. Rush dreams of the Mighty Macs being #1 in the country. But the season starts badly as the Macs are thrashed by other teams. Rush, the players, and the nuns have good reason to simply give up, but they don’t. Instead, they draw on the strength and encouragement of each another and together go on to make history.

Some things I like about the movie
The movie reflects the reality that “a vocation” isn’t just for sisters, it’s for all people. Cathy Rush and Sister Sunday, who became the assistant coach, both found their “vocations” as coaches. Being a coach was more than just a job. It was a way for them to find deeper meaning in their own lives and to help others do the same.

One of the scenes I especially like in the movie is when Sister Sunday is in church, praying to God for direction. She doesn’t understand why God brought her to religious life simply to work in the Admissions Office of the college. She prays, “Send me a sign, any sign, as I will be listening for your voice.” Just then, to her annoyance, her prayer is interrupted by the sound of a basketball bouncing against a floor in the nearby makeshift gym. God has a sense of humor.

I also like the way that the sisters supported Rush and the players. The movie conveys a strong message about the power of community. In the movie, when no one else is cheering for the Macs after they’ve been crushed by the opposing team, the nuns are there, in solidarity with the players and coach. That’s what it means to be community – being with one another even when the chips are down. And as the coach and players learn, that’s also what it means to be a team.

The movie also carries a strong feminist message—that society benefits when all people have the opportunity to pursue their hopes and dreams. In some circles historically, there have been questions as to whether a sister or any woman for that matter, can be Catholic and a feminist at the same time. To that question in the discourse, the movie would say “absolutely YES!” It’s true that in the early 1970s, sisters might not have called themselves feminists. But thousands of sisters in the US and elsewhere have worked for decades on behalf of women—in education, in society, and yes, even in basketball!

Some things I don’t like about the movie
Ok, I understand the whole thing about artistic license for the sake of storytelling. But here’s a few things that raised issues for me.

The depiction of the priest as the one who would determine the fate of Immaculata is just plain wrong. The priest didn’t own Immaculata, nor did he dictate to the nuns how the place should be run. The nuns built Immaculata with their own hard work and wise decision making, and the college endured because of their efforts with others committed to an excellent Catholic education for young adults.

The depiction of the coach is also one I’m still mulling over. In some senses, her role is so powerful that it overshadows the roles of the sisters. The coach’s arrival at a critical do-or-die moment in the college’s history could suggest that she was largely responsible for the transformation of the college. I agree that she was a part of that transformation and a powerful symbol of it– no question! But I’d bet all of Mother Superior’s poker winnings in the movie that the college’s transformation wouldn’t have happened if the nuns weren’t already moving in that direction.

For more info about The Mighty Macs

Although the movie doesn’t come out until Oct. 21, you can read the book it’s based on: O God of Players, by Julie Byrne. There’s also lots of links to movie previews and photos of the Mighty Macs. Here are some for starters!

• The Mighty Macs on Immaculata’s website
• The Mighty Macs movie website
• The Mighty Macs on the Internet Movie Database

I’d love to hear your comments and questions about the images of Catholic sisters that you see in the promotional materials for The Mighty Macs. Please share them by writing in the comment box below.

Welcome to a special ENCORE PRESENTATION of Ask Sister podcast. The nuns are in nunly meetings all week but wanted to be sure you still had an opportunity to listen to an Ask Sister podcast. This is one of our favorite ones with special guest Sister Kathie Budesky, IHM, the director of Visitation North Spirituality Center.

As you listen to this podcast, jot down your questions and insights and then head on over to the A Nun’s Life Community Forum and start a conversation! Go for it!

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

In this podcast episode, we chatted about the “Examen Prayer”, God and free will, the difference between vowed religious vocations and ‘non-vowed religious vocations’, and what to do when you don’t feel connected with God.

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!

Do you have a question for us? Visit our new portress Sister Mary Evoca http://anunslife.org/contact/and leave a message for us. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

AS079 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on July 21, 2011. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: bible books aplenty, dropping “sisters” from liturgical language, control freaks and God, 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 questions we address in this Ask Sister podcast:

• I came across an older bible recently. It has more books than one I recently bought, e.g. the book of Enoch. Why are these bibles different?
• Do you find yourself allowing God to direct your ministry and life or do you need complete control over such matters?
• Why do some churches omit “and sisters” from parts of the Mass such as the penitential rite which says, “and you, my brothers and sisters”?

Do you have a question for us? Visit our new portress Sister Mary Evoca http://anunslife.org/contact/and leave a message for us. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

AS078 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on July 14, 2011. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: engineering nuns, total consecration, when the saints go marching off the General Roman Calendar, 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 address in this Ask Sister podcast:

• Can I use my engineering skills as a sister? What kinds of ministries could I be involved in?
• What does “total consecration” mean theologically and how does it fit into a person’s daily faith life?
• Who in the Catholic Church decides if a saint like Christopher or a “place” like limbo no longer exists? How do they decide?

Do you have a question for us? Visit our new portress Sister Mary Evoca http://anunslife.org/contact/and leave a message for us. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

AS077 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on July 1, 2011. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: The sisters fav Catholic jokes; discerning religious life; origins of A Nuns Life Ministry; why stay Catholic; 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 address in this Ask Sister podcast:

• Guest host Regina Heater interviews the sisters about their experience of discernment
• The sisters’ favorite Catholic jokes
• What was the sisters’ “pre-nun” life like?
• How did A Nun’s Life Ministry begin, and what’s ahead
• Adventures of A Nun’s Life
• Why Catholic, why now?

Do you have a question for us? Visit our new portress Sister Mary Evoca http://anunslife.org/contact/and leave a message for us. Be sure to give us your first name and city from which you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

AS076 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on June 23, 2011. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: going on retreat, detachment from (YIKES) gadgets, nun-fiction writer seeks authentic religious life, 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 address in this Ask Sister podcast:

• I want to go on retreat. Where would I go and what should I expect?
• Could you talk about what detachment from material things means? I’m thinking about religious life, and I’m scared about giving up my things especially my gadgets!
• Another novelist contacts the nuns! The author wants to authentically portray a modern-day nun for her sitcom-esque story. Help the nuns in their advice for the story.

Do you have a question for us? Visit our new portress Sister Mary Evoca http://anunslife.org/contact/and leave a message for us. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

AS075 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on June 16, 2011. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: college grad talks about volunteering for a year, recognizing God at work in daily life, called to be a nun or doctor (or both?), 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 address in this Ask Sister podcast:

• How to recognize God at work our daily lives — putting on our God goggles
• Should I become a doctor or a nun or can I do both?
• SPECIAL ON-AIR GUEST: Eilis talks about volunteering for a year and living the three pillars of service, community, and spirituality. We talk with her about the Franciscan Community Volunteers, helping refugees resettle in the U.S., how it has affected her faith, and more!

Do you have a question for us? Visit our new portress Sister Mary Evoca http://anunslife.org/contact/and leave a message for us. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

AS074 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on June 9, 2011. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: testing God, praying for safety in risky situations, religious medallions, psalm selections, does prayer really work.

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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:

• Does participating in something inherently risky, like bike racing, equate to “testing” God?
• A lot of bike racers have religious medallions. My Mom also puts guardian angel pins in my car. Do medallions actually do anything?
• Does prayer really work? How can you tell?
• How does the church pick which verses of a psalm to use?
• What does it mean to test your “readiness” for a vocation?

Do you have a question for us? Visit our new portress Sister Mary Evoca http://anunslife.org/contact/and leave a message for us. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

IGF010 In Good Faith with Sister Barbara Reid, OP, PhD, recorded live on June 2, 2011. Produced by aNunsLife.org ministry. The nuns talk with Sister Barbara about finding God in everyday life, Sacred Scripture, prayer, biblical spirituality, and more!
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Guest: Sister Barbara Reid, OP

Sister Barbara Reid, OP, is a Dominican Sister of Grand Rapids, Michigan. She holds a PhD in Biblical Studies from The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC and is professor of New Testament and vice president and academic dean at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. Her most recent books are Taking Up the Cross: New Testament Interpretations Through Latina and Feminist Eyes , The Gospel According to Matthew: New Collegeville Bible Commentary Series , the three-volume work Parables for Preachers, and Choosing the Better Part? Women in the Gospel of Luke.

Topic: The sisters talk with Sister Barbara about her experience of living faith in everyday life, drawing on her work as a scripture scholar and as VP/academic dean of CTU, the first woman to hold that role.

Show Notes:

• The Bible as a way to understand our present experience of God in light of the experience of our ancestors in the faith
• New to the Bible? Suggestions for how to get started
• Conflicting images of God in the scriptures – who is the “real” God?
• Jesus, the incarnation of the loving God
• Biblical spirituality
• Ways to pray with the Bible
• Saint Dominic’s Nine Ways of Prayer
• Women in the scriptures and their messages for us today
• ”Feminism” – a commitment to dignity and equality for all people
• How the feminist perspective challenges interpretations of scripture that justify violence and abuse
• How to keep the scriptures “fresh”

In Good Faith is a conversation exploring God’s call in everyday life hosted by A Nun’s Life Sisters Maxine and Julie. Our monthly program features guests who are nationally known for their ministry in spirituality, religious life, and discernment. We’ll look at how our guests understand their own life as a calling and discuss a variety of perspectives on living faith and call in everyday life. The program is broadcast live from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Central Time. Tune in at www.aNunsLife.org/LIVE.

AS073 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on May 26, 2011. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: does the bible prohibit women from teaching the faith, God and suffering, romance-mystery novelist returns, lessons from the rapture.

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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:

• What is your take on why God allows suffering?
• Our romance-mystery-suspense novelist returns with more questions about her nun character (and assures us that the nun won’t get bumped off … yet)
• Does the bible say that women shouldn’t teach the faith? Which verses do that, and how should we interpret them?
• Rapture update: what have we learned?

Do you have a question for us? Visit our new portress Sister Mary Evoca http://anunslife.org/contact/and leave a message for us. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

AS072 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on May 19, 2011. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: the surfing Madonna, purgatory discovery, why Jesus was baptized, dealing with mockers and naysayers, 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:

• How to deal with people who mock your life and the choices you’ve made
• Is it a myth or legend or truth that Saint Patrick discovered Purgatory?
• Why Jesus was baptized
• An apparition of Mary that’s causing waves in one California town
• Up for discussion: “The more someone is present on the internet, the less they are present in real life.”

Do you have a question for us? Visit our new portress Sister Mary Evoca http://anunslife.org/contact/and leave a message for us. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

AS071 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on May 11, 2011. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: Lady Gaga and Judas, blessed and cursed, dieting and Eucharist, 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:

• What’s your take on Lady Gaga’s music video “Judas”?
• Biblical imagery in Lady Gaga’s “Judas”
• If we are blessed by God when things go well, does that mean we’re cursed by God if things aren’t going well?
• Rohald Rolheiser’s and “blessed consciousness”
• Update on Lenten fasting by a province of Felician sisters
• Dieting and the Eucharist

 

Do you have a question for us? Visit our new portress Sister Mary Evoca http://anunslife.org/contact/and leave a message for us. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

IGF009 In Good Faith with Father James Bacik, PhD, recorded live on May 5, 2011. Produced by aNunsLife.org ministry. The nuns talk with Father Jim about finding God in everyday life, prayer, Christian spirituality, theologian Karl Rahner, and more!
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Guest: Father James Bacik

Father James Bacik, a priest of the Diocese of Toledo, is the pastor of Corpus Christi University Parish in Toledo, Ohio and serves as a campus minister and adjunct professor of humanities at the University of Toledo. His doctorate in theology is from the University of Oxford in England. His many articles, chapters and books include Apologetics and the Eclipse of Mystery; Contemporary Theologians; Catholic Spirituality, Its History and Challenge and most recently A Light Unto My Path, a book on preaching he wrote with psychologist Kevin Anderson. He has lectured throughout the United States as well as in China, Latin America, Japan and Russia. Father Bacik combines the academic study of theology with the pastoral work he has been doing for many years.

Show Notes:

• Father Jim’s intersecting roles — pastor, theologian, academician
• Father Jim’s intersecting roles — pastor, theologian, academician
• Encounters with theologian Karl Rahner
• The Method of Correlation — bringing the scriptures and Christian tradition to bear on people’s everyday concerns
• The human orientation to Holy Mystery, Gracious Mystery
• “Jesus, the ‘P.S.’ at the end of a long letter of service”
• Contemporary Catholic apologists and the long tradition of Christian apologetics
• Mystagogy
• Even sin can be revelatory of God’s mercy and love
• Prayer as “truth-telling”
• The increasing diversity within the Catholic Church
• Father Jim’s current work on the issue of Catholic identity

In Good Faith is a conversation exploring God’s call in everyday life hosted by A Nun’s Life Sisters Maxine and Julie. Our monthly program features guests who are nationally known for their ministry in spirituality, religious life, and discernment. We’ll look at how our guests understand their own life as a calling and discuss a variety of perspectives on living faith and call in everyday life. The program is broadcast live from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Central Time. Tune in at www.aNunsLife.org/LIVE.

AS070 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on May 4, 2011. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: feeling okay about the filioque, Ninja Nuns, living community, following in a religious brother’s footsteps. A surprise guest joins the nuns!

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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:

• What’s up with the two Anglican Nuns at the Royal Wedding? Is the taller one really a ninja?
• Please explain the filioque and how the trinitarian relationship has implications for our daily life.
• How do ideas about the filioque relate to generosity and kindness?
• What has been your biggest struggle and/or benefit from living in community?
• Living in community, and living community
• Is God really calling me to be a religious sister or could it just be because my brother is a religious brother and I want to follow in his footsteps?

Do you have a question for us? Visit our new portress Sister Mary Evoca http://anunslife.org/contact/and leave a message for us. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

AS069 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on April 28, 2011. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: what are nuns good for? Dial 666 for Devil, nun generations, romance-thriller novelist consults the nuns, Great Schism of East and West 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:

• Is there a generation gap in orders of women religious? Do the older nuns ‘think’ different from the younger ones? or does ‘community’ transcend that type of thing?”
• We wanted to know what religions nuns are for. [Nun Note: So many ways to take this question but we'll do our best tackling it from all sides!]
• What’s the deal with 666? Is it really a sign of the devil? Should we be concerned when it pops up? [For more on hell-related items, descend to the depths of our blog and read Free Trip to Hell]
• Could you talk about what the Great Schism of the East and West is?
• A romance-thriller-suspense novelist asks for help with the character development of a young woman who may be thinking about joining a religious community.

Do you have a question for us? Visit our new portress Sister Mary Evoca http://anunslife.org/contact/and leave a message for us. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

AS068 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on April 15, 2011, at the Motherhouse of the Racine Dominicans. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org Ministry. Topics include: making your own scapular, opposing human trafficking, becoming a nun, the Stations of the Cross.

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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:

• Can you make your own scapular?
• How can scapulars be blessed, and what does the blessing do?
• Do the Racine Dominican sisters have associates, and if so, what is associate life like?
• The call to social justice–how the Racine Dominicans and other sisters are working against human trafficking?
• Ways to pray the Stations of the Cross, including an app for your smart phone!

Do you have a question for us? Visit our new portress Sister Mary Evoca http://anunslife.org/contact/and leave a message for us. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

IGF008 In Good Faith with Bren Ortega Murphy, PhD, recorded live on April 12, 2011. Produced by aNunsLife.org ministry. The nuns talk with Prof. Murphy about nun images in popular culture, such as Nunzilla, Boxing Nuns, movie nuns and more!

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Guest: Bren Ortega Murphy, PhD

Bren Ortega Murphy holds a joint appointment in Communication Studies and Women’s Studies/Gender Studies at Loyola University Chicago. She is the co-author of two books, Cultural Hegemony in the Unites States with Lee Artz and Voices of Strong Democracy with David Droge. Dr. Murphy has also written, directed and produced one radio documentary and two video documentaries, the latest of which is “A Question of Habit: The Image of Women Religious in U.S. Popular Culture.”

Visit the film’s website and check out the trailer below.

Show Notes:

• the fascination with Nunzilla, the Boxing Nuns, Late Night Catechism, and other images of nuns in popular culture
• what’s the big deal about nun images – they’re just funny, right?
• A Question of Habit, The Image of Women Religious in U.S. Popular Culture—Bren Murphy’s latest documentary
• why habits almost always are used in nun images in popular culture
• why so much nun kitsch but not so much priest kitsch in comparison?
• portrayals of sisters and nuns in popular culture “that got it right”
• buying nun image products – does it perpetuate stereotypes?
• the intersection of images of nuns and of women in popular culture
• the glass-ceiling phenomena in business
• what nun images reflect about popular culture

In Good Faith is a conversation exploring God’s call in everyday life hosted by A Nun’s Life Sisters Maxine and Julie. Our monthly program features guests who are nationally known for their ministry in spirituality, religious life, and discernment. We’ll look at how our guests understand their own life as a calling and discuss a variety of perspectives on living faith and call in everyday life. The program is broadcast live every first Thursday of the month from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Central Time. Tune in at www.aNunsLife.org/LIVE.

AS067 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on April 8, 2011. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org Ministry. Topics include: leveraging nunly shareholder powers for good, obedience and authority, associate commitments, marriage, 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:

• Can spouses release one another from marriage vows in order to enter religious life?
• What does it mean to make a commitment or covenant as an Associate of a religious community? What would such a commitment look like?
• The vow of obedience as it relates to authority and how the vow affects a Catholic sister or nun in daily life (for context, see our last episode AS066 Ask Sister)
• Plus the Sisters talk about nuns in the boardroom and how congregations are leveraging their shareholder powers for good

Do you have a question for us? Visit our new portress Sister Mary Evoca http://anunslife.org/contact/and leave a message for us. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

AS066 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on April 1, 2011. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org Ministry. Topics include: trash-talkin nuns, questions about becoming a religious after having been in prison or divorced, the vow of obedience, bathtub Marys, 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:

• What is the converse of the vow of obedience? Is that a struggle for you in everyday life?
• Is a divorced person whose ex-husband dies free to become a nun?
• The sisters consider a new podcast series … Trash-Talkin’ Nuns
• Is it possible to enter a religious community after been a felon?
• What’s the deal with bathtub Marys?

Do you have a question for us? Visit our new portress Sister Mary Evoca http://anunslife.org/contact/and leave a message for us. Be sure to give us your first name and city from which you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

AS065 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on March 25, 2011. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org Ministry. Topics include: psychics and nuns, meditating on Scripture, sisters in the parish, Celibacy in the City TV show?, meet Sister Mary Evoca, 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 visited a psychic who told me to go to nuns for direction. Help!
• What does it mean to meditate over (or on) scripture?
• What is the role of Catholic sisters and nuns in parish life?
• What’s up with that new recording gizmo on aNunsLife.org/contact (aka our new portress Sr. Mary Evoca)
• Celibacy is CRAZY! Can anyone really live that way?

Do you have a question for us? Visit our new portress Sister Mary Evoca http://anunslife.org/contact/and leave a message for us. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

AS064 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on March 18, 2011. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Guest: Sister Julianna Vagnozzi, CSSF. Topics include: confession and reconciliation, chapel veils, Lent, a real nun on the set of Sister Act II, 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:

• New Protestant religious order seeks advice on habits.
• What’s up with chapel veils and mantillas in church — too old-school, sign of respect, gender stereotyping?
• Confession and reconcilation
• Do habits “cause” vocations?
• Lenten solidarity with people who are poor
• A real sister gets into the act in the movie Sister Act II

Do you have a question for us? Visit “Sister Mary Evoca” at http://anunslife.org/contact and record your question or comments for us and the A Nun’s Life Community. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

AS063 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on March 11, 2011. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Guest: Sister Kathie Budesky. Topics include: the daily Examen prayer, God and free will, different notions of vocation, feeling unconnected to God, and more!

This episode was broadcast live from the IHM Motherhouse in Monroe, Michigan, with an in-house audience! Sister Kathie Budesky, IHM, the director of Visitation North Spirituality Center, joined Sister Maxine and Sister Julie on air.

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

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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:

• Can you talk more about the “Examen Prayer”? What is it? How do you use it/apply it?
• How do we make sense of God and free will?
• What is the difference between vowed religious vocations and ‘non-vowed religious vocations’?
• What do you do when you don’t feel connected with God as usual?

Do you have a question for us? Call our toll-free Voicemail Hotline at 888-703-4732 and leave a voicemail for us with your question. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

IGF007 In Good Faith with Mike Hayes, co-founder of BustedHalo.com, recorded live on March 8, 2011. Produced by aNunsLife.org ministry. Our hosts talk with Mike about parish ministry with young adults, technology, young adults and the church, and more!

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Guest: Busted Halo’s Mike Hayes

Mike Hayes, co-founder and senior editor at BustedHalo.com. Mike is also author of Googling God. He is currently in campus ministry at Saint Joseph University Parish in Buffalo, NY. His website is http://GooglingGod.com/.

Show Notes:

• being called to minister with young adults
• some of the spiritual challenges faced by young adults today
• parish ministry on a university campus
• the inspiration for creating BustedHalo.com
• Googling God — the Internet and the search for the Divine
• difference between on-line and face-to-face communication
• “Brief Relief” — a creative social justice approach
• campus ministry at the intersection of pre-professional coursework
• keeping it real — talking with young adults about controversial social issues
• how to make a place in the church for young adults
• advice on starting an online outreach to young adults

In Good Faith is a conversation exploring God’s call in everyday life hosted by A Nun’s Life Sisters Maxine and Julie. Our monthly program features guests who are nationally known for their ministry in spirituality, religious life, and discernment. We’ll look at how our guests understand their own life as a calling and discuss a variety of perspectives on living faith and call in everyday life. The program is broadcast live every first Thursday of the month from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Central Time. Tune in at www.aNunsLife.org/LIVE.

AS062 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on March 4, 2011. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: common v. personal prayer, spiritual poverty, preparing for Lent, ways to pray, and prayer and healing.

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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:

• Is there a dynamic in community prayer that you cannot get from praying on your own?
• What is spiritual poverty? Should I run from it or embrace it?
• With Lent approaching, how do you plan to honor the season?
• The nuns’ favorite ways to pray
• Does prayer promote healing?

Do you have a question for us? Call our toll-free Voicemail Hotline at 888-703-4732 and leave a voicemail for us with your question. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also send us an email or comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

AS061 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on February 25, 2011. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: cathedral v. basilica, dealing with depression, the basics on Catholic prayers, encountering less-than-nice vocation/formation personnel.

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

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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:

• What is the difference between a cathedral and a basilica?
• Do nuns and sisters get depressed? Can prayer help?
• Unpleasant encounters with vocation/formation personnel — should this be a determining factor in whether or not to enter religious life?
• How to listen to Ask Sister in Spain…and other places around the world!
• Is there a comprehensive resource for basic Catholic prayers and practices?

Do you have a question for us? Call our toll-free Voicemail Hotline at 888-703-4732 and leave a voicemail for us with your question. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also send us an email or comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

AS060 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on February 11, 2011. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: praying to Mary, missing God’s call, nuns in India, Saint Scholastica, 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:

• Do Catholics pray to Mary? What is the Church’s teaching, especially in
  light of 1 Timothy 2:5?
• Finding Catholic sisters in India — be sure to check out our interview with Sister Sabitha
• Can you become a nun if you have a child? (see also episode AS059 where Sister Hildegard talks about being a contemplative nun with grandchildren!)
• Is it possible to miss God’s call? What do I do if I did?
• Thoughts on Thursday’s feast of Saint Scholastica

Do you have a question for us? Call our toll-free Voicemail Hotline at 888-703-4732 and leave a voicemail for us with your question. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also send us an email or comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

AS059 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on February 4, 2011. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Guest: Sister Hildegard Pleva. Topics include: becoming a parent, nun, or actress, am I worthy of God’s calling?, apostolic or contemplative life, 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:

• How did you decide between being an apostolic sister or a contemplative nun?
• I’m 23 and feel like something is missing, the sense of fulfillment and happiness. I feel God is calling me, but I wonder, “Why me? Am I worthy enough of God’s call?”
• I am attracted to both being a religious and being a parent. This tug-of-war makes it difficult to listen to God’s voice, and I wonder if you have any advice for me.
• My dream is to be an actress – acting makes me happy. But when I’m at church I feel at peace and hear a call to be a nun. Help!

Do you have a question for us? Call our toll-free Voicemail Hotline at 888-703-4732 and leave a voicemail for us with your question. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also send us an email or comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

IGF006 In Good Faith with Sister Laurel O’Neal, a diocesan hermit, recorded live on February 3, 2011. Produced by aNunsLife.org ministry. Our hosts talk with Sister Laurel about about the life of a hermit, eremitical solitude, chronic illness, and more!

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Guest: Sister Laurel O’Neal, diocesan hermit.

Sister Laurel O’Neal is a diocesan hermit, theologian, spiritual director and author of the blog notesfromstillsong.blogspot.com.

Show Notes:

• what a hermit is
• historical origins of the eremitical life
• eremitical life in the Camaldolese Benedictine tradition
• discerning a call to eremitical life
• relationship of diocesan hermit to the diocese and bishop
• difference between eremitical life and other forms of consecrated life
• the daily pattern of life for a hermit — the horarium
• lay hermits
• the digital hermitage — a blog as a window to the world
• common misperceptions about the life of a hermit
• chronic illness and vocation
• the unusual vividness of chronic illness
• solitude in the life of a hermit
• deepening the relationship with God through solitude

In Good Faith is a conversation exploring God’s call in everyday life hosted by A Nun’s Life Sisters Maxine and Julie. Our monthly program features guests who are nationally known for their ministry in spirituality, religious life, and discernment. We’ll look at how our guests understand their own life as a calling and discuss a variety of perspectives on living faith and call in everyday life. The program is broadcast live every first Thursday of the month from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Central Time. Tune in at www.aNunsLife.org/LIVE.

For more information, including upcoming guests on In Good Faith, please visit the program page of In Good Faith.

Here in the Chicago area, we’re getting snow, snow, and more snow! Plus the winds are whipping around, so that when I look out the window, it’s like looking at a snow-globe that’s just been shaken. I’m not real fond of snow, but I love to engage with nature. So this morning, which BTW is World Day for Consecrated Life, I put on a ton of warm clothes and went outside with Sister Julie.

If there are religious sisters, brothers, priests or other consecrated persons who have been an important part of your life, we’d love to hear about them! Please share your thoughts in the comment box below.

Join the sisters and A Nun’s Life community at 6 p.m. Central Time (your time zone) at http://aNunsLife.org/LIVE for Praying with the Sisters live podcast and chat.

AS058 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on January 28, 2011. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: pooh-poohing a vocation, a matter of conscience, original sin and sex, sudden conversion, female Doctors of the Church, and more!

Special Guest: Sister Sarah Foster, RSM

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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:

• How do you talk to people who do not understand your calling (e.g., to religious life) or who react in negative ways?
• Conscience. What is it? Is it formed by nature or nurture?
• Is original sin all about sex? Is sex really sinful?
• Why are there so few female Doctors of the Church?
• Is it possible to have a sudden conversion and have it “stick”?

Do you have a question for us? Call our toll-free Voicemail Hotline at 888-703-4732 and leave a voicemail for us with your question. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also send us an email or comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

AS057 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on January 21, 2011. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: legit baptisms, stuff and the vow of poverty, novitiate reception ceremonies, looking for faith on the Internet, commitment to God, 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:

• Is baptism in other Christian traditions recognized by the Roman Catholic church?
• When a person enters the religious life, what becomes of the person’s stuff?
• What was your novitiate reception ceremony like? How did you plan it?
• What are you thoughts on Christian websites with lots of inspirational articles, podcasts, etc. Is this a trend for future generations? Should people also incorporate an outreach such as attending a church service?
• How do I as a layperson consistently dedicate my life to God?

Do you have a question for us? Call our toll-free Voicemail Hotline at 888-703-4732 and leave a voicemail for us with your question. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling, and an email address in case we need to contact you. We’ll play your message and respond on the next Ask Sister podcast — your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

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!

Do you have a question for us? Call our toll-free Voicemail Hotline at 888-703-4732 and leave a voicemail for us with your question. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also send us an email or comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

AS055 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on January 7, 2011. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include:nun eating habits, ordering pizza, cultivating mindfulness in daily life, making and breaking religious vows, the four-week psalter, 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 questions we addressed in this Ask Sister podcast:

• What vows do a nun take? What would happen to a nun if she broke one of her vows?
• How can we live mindfulness, especially when we are always multitasking?
• What are samples of your typical meals? are you allowed coffee?
• Do nuns order pizza?
• Why the variety in styles of dress across religious congregations?
• What’s up with the four-week psalter and how do I know what week we’re in?

Do you have a question for us? Call our toll-free Voicemail Hotline at 888-703-4732 and leave a voicemail for us with your question. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also send us an email or comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

AS054 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on December 31, 2010. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: angels, nuns exchanging gifts, finding meaning in life, letting go of expectations and control, centering prayer ideas and tips, 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!

During this special edition broadcast, we discussed 3 of our favorite segments of 2010:

• the spouse of Christ and other images to view our relationship with God (episode AS039)
• Chloe the Convent Cat responds to a question about Mickey Mouse (episode AS032)
• angels and choirs thereof (episode AS053)

We also addressed some of the questions in the book Nuns Having Fun such as:

• What do you wear to bed?
• Do you get to choose where you live?
• What do you carry in your pockets?

Do you have a question for us? Call our toll-free Voicemail Hotline at 888-703-4732 and leave a voicemail for us with your question. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also send us an email or comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

AS053 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on December 17, 2010. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: angels, nuns exchanging gifts, finding meaning in life, letting go of expectations and control, centering prayer ideas and tips, and more!

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

Subscribe to A Nun’s Life Podcasts:

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 questions we addressed in this Ask Sister podcast:

• What are some of the Catholic views on angels and their role in God’s service?
• I feel like there’s a distant meaning in life, but I don’t know if it’s religious or not. Could you shed some light?
• Do nuns exchange gifts for family and friends at Christmas?
• How can I let go of expectations and control when I am on the precipice of change?
• Could you talk more about centering prayer, what it is different ways to do centering prayer, and any tips?
• … and much, much more!

Do you have a question for us? Call our toll-free Voicemail Hotline at 888-703-4732 and leave a voicemail for us with your question. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also send us an email or comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

AS052 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on December 10, 2010. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Guest: Sister Donna Hart, IHM. Topics include: military sisters, convents defined, Franciscan knotted cord, down and unmotivated, why be Catholic?, and more!

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

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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 questions we addressed in this Ask Sister podcast:

• Can Catholic sisters be in the military or national guard?
• What makes a particular abode a “convent”?
• How does one find the knotted cord that Franciscans wear?
• I’m feeling down and have no motivation unless I become a nun. What do I do?
• Why be Catholic if there other ways to get to heaven?
• Do you find your lives particularly stressful? When you are stressed, what do you do? How do you cope with the unknown?

Today we’ll be joined by special guest Sister Donna Hart, IHM. We’ll ask Sister Donna about her life as a Catholic sister, and in particular what it was like to experience life as a sister before the Second Vatican Council, during the Council and now 40+ years later.

Do you have a question for us? Call our toll-free Voicemail Hotline at 888-703-4732 and leave a voicemail for us with your question. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also send us an email or comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

AS051 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on December 3, 2010. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: cool stuff v. vow of poverty, understanding changes to Roman Missal, tattoos, converting and becoming a nun, prayer, transfer nuns, and more!

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

Subscribe to A Nun’s Life Podcasts:

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 questions we addressed in this Ask Sister podcast:

• What makes a particular abode a convent?
• Can you bring your awesome cool stuff to the convent when you enter? What about the vow of poverty?
• Why are there changes to the Roman Missal?
• How long do you have to wait after you’ve converted to Catholicism to enter a religious community?
• How do each of you pray?
• Can nuns have tattoos?
• Can sisters transfer from one order to another?

Do you have a question for us? Call our toll-free Voicemail Hotline at 888-703-4732 and leave a voicemail for us with your question. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also send us an email or comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

IGF004 In Good Faith with Father James Martin, SJ, recorded live on December 2, 2010. Produced by aNunsLife.org ministry. Our hosts talk with Father Jim about his vocation and life of prayer, faith in real life, Ignatian spirituality, the Examen and more.

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Guest: Father James Martin, SJ

Father James Martin, SJ, is author and culture editor of America magazine and author of the new book The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything. He writes for a number of publications and is a regular commentator on religion and spirituality for major media networks.

Topic: The sisters talk with Father Jim about faith in real life, Ignatian Spirituality, what it means to be a contemplative in action, incorporating prayer into the hecticness of daily life, and more!

Show Notes:

• Father Jim’s calling to become a Jesuit priest
• a vocation to be a writer
• signs we know we are where God wants us to be
• what is spirituality?
• Ignatian spirituality as distinct from other spiritualities
• finding God in all things
• being a contemplative in action
• freedom and detachment
• using the imagination to pray
• Saint Ignatius of Loyola
• The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything
• Father Jim’s “spiritual tool chest”
• the saints and their role in our lives
• living simply
• incorporating prayer and faith in a life already packed with activity and commitments

In Good Faith is a conversation exploring God’s call in everyday life hosted by A Nun’s Life Sisters Maxine and Julie. Our monthly program features guests who are nationally known for their ministry in spirituality, religious life, and discernment. We’ll look at how our guests understand their own life as a calling and discuss a variety of perspectives on living faith and call in everyday life. The program is broadcast live every first Thursday of the month from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Central Time. Tune in at www.aNunsLife.org/LIVE.

For more information, including upcoming guests on In Good Faith, please visit the program page of In Good Faith.

AS050 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on November 26, 2010. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Special Thanksgiving Edition. Topics include: festive meals, turkey sound effects, recipes, prayers, our favorite Thanksgiving stories, gratitude, 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 recipes and stories mentioned in this special edition Ask Sister podcast:

Pumpkin Cheesecake from Suze

9″ or 10″ spring-form pan

Crust:
1 1/4 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs (about 27 or so cookies crushed fine)
5-6 tablespoons melted butter

Filling:
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1/3 cup cool water
1 cup heavy cream
2 – 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 – 16 oz can pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

For crust combine the gingersnap cookie crumbs with melted butter and press into the bottom of the spring-form pan. Refrigerate for 15 or so minutes to set the crust.

For filling, in a one cup glass measuring cup, combine the unflavored gelatin with the cool water, let sit for 5 minutes to soften. Place the measuring cup into a small saucepan with an inch of boiling water, cook over medium heat until gelatin is dissolved (about a minute or so, don’t overcook). Remove the cup from pan and let cool.

Beat the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. In another bowl beat the softened cream cheese and the sugar for about 2 minutes. Add the pumpkin puree and spices to the cream cheese, beating just until combined (I use a wooden spoon for this step). With the wooden spoon, stir in the softened gelatin until combined. Gently fold in the whipped cream just until incorporated, mixture will look a bit streaky that is ok. Refrigerate at least 4-6 hours or overnight. Sometimes I make pie crust shapes (cut outs of numbers for birthdays, leaves in the fall, a turkey at Thanksgiving and a snowman for Christmas, etc) to decorate the top. If you do this, bake the crust pieces then put onto the cheesecake just before serving.

Sweet Potato Pie from Suze

Single layer pie crust, uncooked. Cover the edges with foil for the first 20 minutes of baking so edges don’t get too brown then remove foil for remainder of baking time

1 cup boiled sweet potatoes, smashed with a potato masher to smoothness or riced if you are a purist (like my mom was)
1 cup sugar (I use only 1/2 cup)
2 beaten eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon (or you can use 1/2 teaspoon, I like lots of cinnamon)
1/2 cup brown sugar (the dark brown sugar gives a nice color to the finished pie)
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup broken pecan pieces

Mix the smashed sweet potatoes, sugar and eggs together. Add milk, flour and spices and blend all together. In a separate bowl, mix the brown sugar, melted butter and pecan pieces together and set aside. Pour sweet potato mixture into unbaked the pie shell. Bake at 325 about 20-25 minutes (TOTAL baking time is 45 minutes or so, until the custard is set). When you remove the foil from the crust edge, sprinkle the top of the pie with the brown sugar, butter and pecan mixture then continue baking.

Let cool completely before cutting into the pie as this recipe is based on a chess pie so the pie will be a bit puffy when first out of the oven but settles into a simply delicious consistency.

Colcannon from Julia

Here’s a recipe that I like, called Colcannon (don’t ask me how to pronounce it). It’s an old Celtic way to make mashed potatoes, traditionally made by the Irish on All Saints day to predict the future of the children. For the divination: after the dish is ready, stir in a thimble (spinster), a ring (marriage), a button (bachelor), coin (wealth), and a cross (priest or nun). I’ve never done that game, but if you do, I recommend you sterilize the game pieces, and warn everyone to eat carefully.

4 cups mashed potato’s
2 1/2 cups cabbage, cooked and chopped fine
1/2 cup butter (avoid corn oil margarine as they will not add the needed body and flavor)
1/2 cup cream or evaporated milk
3/4 cup onion, chopped very fine and sauteed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper

Saute onions (traditionalist’s saute in lard or grease, but butter is acceptable). Boil the potato’s and mash them (don’t use artificial potato flakes). Boil (or steam) the chopped cabbage

In a large pan place all the ingredients, except the cabbage, and cook over low heat while blending them together.

Turn the heat to medium and add the cabbage. The mixture will take on a pale green cast. Heat and serve.
(Serves eight.)

AS049 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on November 19, 2010. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: no desire for a vocation, saints and symbols, Therese of Lisieux and Teresa of Avila, exercise habits, putting the holy in holiday, and more!

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

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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 questions we addressed in this Ask Sister podcast:

• Can you be called by God to a vocation that you don’t really want? NOTE: The article mentioned in the conversation is 4 Steps for Discernment and Decision-Making
• In art and on holy cards, why are saints pictured with symbols?
• Two Saint Theresa’s? How are they different?
• Can nuns go swimming with their habit on? Horseback riding?
• How do you put the “holy” in “holiday”?

Do you have a question for us? Call our toll-free Voicemail Hotline at 888-703-4732 and leave a voicemail for us with your question. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also send us an email or comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

AS048 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on November 12, 2010. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: images of God, dreaming about Jesus, priesthood and/or romance, Blessed Mary v. Mary Magdalen, becoming Catholic, serving God in blue jeans!

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

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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!

This is a special Ask Sister IHM Edition which was broadcast from the IHM Motherhouse in Monroe, Michigan, before a live studio audience of IHM Sisters. In addition hosts Sisters Maxine and Julie were joined by their IHM Sisters Theresa Koernke and Angela Hibbard, both trained in theology and in liturgy.

Here are some of the questions we addressed in this Ask Sister podcast:

• Is it okay to be more of a “Mary Magdalen” than a “Blessed Mary,” that is, to be not quite so perfect, to serve God and still wear our blue jeans?
• What is your image of God? Can we have more than one image of God? Do our images of God ever change?
• Can you discern a calling to become a priest and have a romantic relationship simultaneously?
• What does it mean if you have dreams about Jesus? And what do nuns dream about?
• I’m on the fence about becoming Catholic. What should I do? What questions would be helpful for me to ask to help me figure out what to do?

Do you have a question for us? Call our toll-free Voicemail Hotline at 888-703-4732 and leave a voicemail for us with your question. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also send us an email or comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

AS047 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on November 5, 2010. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: Trent and Second Vatican Council, growing in understanding God, a devil for loving, joining a religious community in another country and more!

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

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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 questions we addressed in this Ask Sister podcast:

• I’m a guy in love and want to go out with girl who wants to be a nun, does that mean like I’m the devil or something?
• Is it possible for someone discerning to be a nun to join a religious community in another country? How would this work?
• Could you describe the Council of Trent in a nutshell and how it affected the church?
• What do you think was the greatest positive impact that the Second Vatican Council had on the church?
• What do you know now about God that you wish you’d known in the beginning?
• What are somethings to consider before making a big life decision?

Do you have a question for us? Call our toll-free Voicemail Hotline at 888-703-4732 and leave a voicemail for us with your question. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also send us an email or comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

IGF003 In Good Faith with Sister Bernie Lynch, MM, recorded live on November 5, 2010. Produced by aNunsLife.org ministry. Our hosts talk with the Maryknoll missioner about her life, the book Bernie Becomes a Nun, and being a missioner in everyday life.

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Guest: Sister Bernie Lynch, MM

Sister Bernadette Lynch is a Maryknoll Sister and was the subject of the book, Bernie Becomes a Nun (1956). She has served as a missioner for many years in Peru, El Salvador and Guatemala and also has worked with families affected by HIV/AIDS. Sister Bernie has been worked with the Maryknoll Sisters mission awareness team visiting U.S. schools and parishes to help educate people about the missions.

Topic: The sisters talk with Sister Bernie about her life as a missioner, including her unique mission around the book about her journey to becoming a sister, and her insight into how each of us is called to be a missioner.

We welcome your questions for our guest. Please submit them using the comment box below or you can type them in the chat room during the live broadcast.

Show Notes:

• the path to discovering her call to become a Maryknoll sister
• the supportive role of her parents and parish in helping her choose religious life
• being missioned to Peru and then Central America
• the adventure of being a missioner
• facing danger and unpredictability and the unexpected in mission
• spiritual grounding  during the tough times
• new learnings about God
• being a missioner means being able to receive as well as to give
• the effects of the Second Vatican Council on religious life
• Sister Bernie’s “mission” with the popular book Bernie Becomes a Nun
• how she was chosen for the Cosmo article and why Cosmopolitan was interested in a story about a nun
• working with photographer George Barris who would later photograph celebrities like Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor
• on recreating the process of becoming a sister with help from the book’s author Sister Maria del Rey Danforth, MM
• advice to someone discerning their vocation to religious life
• Sisters Ita Ford and Maura Clarke, the Maryknoll sisters who were killed in El Salvador
• stories of the people Sister Bernie ministered to/with
• culture shock after coming back to the US after almost 40 years in Peru, El Salvador, and Guatemala
• everyone is called to be a missioner in a way unique to each person

In Good Faith is a conversation exploring God’s call in everyday life hosted by A Nun’s Life Sisters Maxine and Julie. Our monthly program features guests who are nationally known for their ministry in spirituality, religious life, and discernment. We’ll look at how our guests understand their own life as a calling and discuss a variety of perspectives on living faith and call in everyday life. The program is broadcast live every first Thursday of the month from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Central Time. Tune in at www.aNunsLife.org/LIVE.

For more information, including upcoming guests on In Good Faith, please visit the program page of In Good Faith.

In 1954 a young nun by the name of Sister Bernadette Lynch, MM, was profiled in none other than Cosmopolitan magazine and photographed by the legendary George Barris, who also photographed the likes of Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe.

Sister Bernie's mission crucifix, a symbol of her misionary vocation, given to her before departing for her assignment in Bolivia

The topic? An article presenting religious life as an attractive option for young women through the story of someone their age who embraced it. Sounds like a typical Cosmo story, right? Well the article following Bernie’s journey into religious life with the Maryknoll Sisters was so well received that the book author Sister Maria del Ray Danforth, MM, and George Barris decided to create a book based on the article. Thus was born Bernie Becomes a Nun a fascinating book that describes the process of becoming a sister from the inside out, complete with over 200 photos with captions from Bernie about what she was thinking and feeling. The book, published in 1956 by Farrar, Straus and Company, had a huge impact on young women — both those who found that extra encouragement to pursue a religious vocation and those who felt called to other vocations through marriage or ministry. And, not only does the book continue to inspire people, but Sister Bernie herself continues to be an inspiration.

Yesterday, Sister Maxine and I met Sister Bernie for the first time via phone and got to talk with her a bit about her experience with the book and as a missioner for over 61 years! Sister Bernie will be joining us tomorrow night for In Good Faith podcast — a live broadcast at 7 p.m. CST (your time zone). We’ll talk with Sister Bernie about the book, life as a missioner and Maryknoll sister, and what it means for each of us to be a missioner in everyday life.

The classic book Bernie Becomes a Nun by Sister Maria del Rey with photographs by George Barris (New York: Farrar, Straus & Company, 1956)

More on Sister Bernie tomorrow!

For today, we wanted to be sure to tell you about the book which is a classic — out-of-print and not easy to find! We were fortunate enough to score one from our dear friend Suze!

The book has four parts:

• Entrance – You make up  your mind
• Postulancy – You knock on the door
• Novitiate - Just inside
• Professed - At home, within

Each of the four parts begins with some writing by Sister Maria describing the stage of becoming a nun in ordinary, accessible language. Here’s the beginning of the book for example:

It isn’t so easy to start being a Sister.

If you appear at the front door of any convent, for instance, and announce, “Here I am, ready to live my life for God,” I am sure the Sisters will tell you, “Think it over and come back in six months or so.” That is, unless they know you very well and realize that you have already been thinking about it for a long time.

Let’s get down to the crux of a vocation. You must begin with the basic question, “Why do I want to be a Sister?” …

You see, a religious vocation is not a question of your making a heroic gesture of “throwing your life away,” “trampling on the glittering pleasures of the world,” “toss away the joys of married life.” No. It is simply a matter of following the path God points out for you.

Throughout each part, we are treated with photos of Bernie and her reflections on her journey from deciding to enter religious life to boarding the Santa Luisa as a professed sister and missioner headed to Bolivia.

We look forward to a conversation with Sister Bernie tomorrow night. And we would love for you to join us by listening in and chatting with us in the chat room during the live broadcast where you can ask your questions and interact with us and other listeners! More info tomorrow!

AS046 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on October 29, 2010. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: mother superiors, nun rings, sin and voting, solitude v. loneliness, called to be a nun, prayer and having a Mass said for someone, and more.

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

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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 questions we addressed in this Ask Sister podcast:

• Who determines who will be the leader (sometimes called the President or Mother Superior) of a religious congregation?
• Did Saint Francis of Assisi wear a wedding ring?
• Can religious leaders attempt to influence voters by suggesting that voting for or against someone is “sinful”?
• From a spiritual point of view, what is the difference between solitude and loneliness?
• How do I know if I’m called to be a nun?
• Did religious life change in the past 30 years?
• Does your prayer change as you progress in religious life?
• Can a person from one country join a religious community from another country?
• What does it mean when a person asks you to say a Mass or have a Mass said for someone who is living or has died?

Do you have a question for us? Call our toll-free Voicemail Hotline at 888-703-4732 and leave a voicemail for us with your question. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also send us an email or comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

AS045 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on October 22, 2010. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: philosophy and theology, gifts for nuns, God active in our thoughts, choosing a religious community, responding to the call of God, and more!

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

Subscribe to A Nun’s Life Podcasts:

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 questions we addressed in this Ask Sister podcast:

• Can all these thoughts I’m having really be an invitation from God?
• Which religious community is for me?
• Why did you want to become a nun? Why did you choose IHM as you community?
• What is an appropriate gift to a nun celebrating her diamond jubilee?
• Why do some Catholics not like the philosophers Kant and Descartes?

Do you have a question for us? Call our toll-free Voicemail Hotline at 888-703-4732 and leave a voicemail for us with your question. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also send us an email or comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

How times change! I found it interesting to read through the “horarium” (the hourly schedule for sisters) that was used early in IHM religious life. It reflects a time in history when the main purpose of all religious life around the world was to develop personal holiness. Service to others was a “secondary” purpose. But times—and theology—change. In the 1950s and 1960s, service to others was understood as not being somehow separate from holiness, but a path for holiness.

If you were a novice with the IHMs in 1902, here’s what your day would look like!

IHM sisters performing their “charges” – serving meals in the sisters’ infirmary

1902 IHM Novitiate Directory

[Sisters arose to the sound of the bell at 5:00 a.m.]

As good order is the life of a well regulated Institute, the Sisters shall make it their duty to observe most strictly the following regulations. They shall rise in the morning at the first sound of the bell, without in the least giving way to sloth, thinking that it is God who calls them. Entertaining themselves with holy thoughts, they shall dress with greatest modesty. Afterwards, make the sign of the cross, and recite the usual morning prayers, offering to God all the actions of the day. Then, prostrate, they shall say three Aves and ask her blessing while in spirit kissing her hand. And having kissed the floor, before and after the three Aves, they shall kneel and with arms extended, say one Pater and Ave in honor of their yearly Patron.

Assemble in the chapel for meditation
Assist at Holy Mass
Breakfast
Manual work/study until 11:45
Particular examen [of conscience]
12:00 (in silence) go to dinner
Te Deum in Chapel after dinner
After Chapel, repair to refectory, kitchen, or other departments for charges [daily chores]
After these charges, recreation
Study/manual labor from 1:30-3:00
3:00 Spiritual reading (from a book selected by the Novice Mistress)
3:30 One-third of the rosary
4:00 Free time
4:30 Visit to the Blessed Sacrament and the BVM
5:00 Study or instructions
6:00 Supper, followed by recreation
8:00 Silence
8:30 Night prayers
9:30 Last signal shall be given, when all unnecessary lights shall be extinguished and each Sister is strictly commanded to be in bed.

Source: Building Sisterhood: A Feminist History of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, published by Syracuse University Press, 1997. Photo: page 192.

* * *

Join A Nun’s Life Community for prayer today via our live podcast “Praying with the Sisters” and chat room. Just before 6 p.m. Central Time (your time zone) join us at http://aNunsLife.org/LIVE … more info on that page.

AS044 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on October 15, 2010. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Guest: Sister Joyce Durosko, IHM. Topics include: recycled nun rings, spiritual detachment, how prayer changes and stays the same, rosaries, nuns, and more!

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

Subscribe to A Nun’s Life Podcasts:

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 questions we addressed in this Ask Sister podcast:

• Can you say more about the tradition of newly professed sisters receiving a “recycled” ring from a sister who has since pass away?
• Other thoughts on nun jewelry?
• What does detachment mean in a spiritual sense? Does it mean being detached from people or from things?
• How has your prayer life stayed the same and changed over time?
• Did you wear a wedding dress when you became a sister?
• Plus Sister Joyce offers insight into her life as an IHM Sister and on discernment

Do you have a question for us? Call our toll-free Voicemail Hotline at 888-703-4732 and leave a voicemail for us with your question. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also send us an email or comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

IGF002 In Good Faith with historian Dr. Margaret Susan Thompson recorded live on October 7, 2010. Produced by aNunsLife.org ministry. Our hosts talk with Dr. Thompson about the history of U.S. Catholic sisters and nuns and find out some surprising things.

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Guest: Dr. Margaret Susan Thompson

Dr. Thompson is professor of history at Maxwell School of Syracuse University, where she also holds appointments in the departments of religion, political science, and women and gender studies. She is a leading expert on the history of Catholic sisters and nuns in the United States.

Topic: The History of Catholic Sisters and Nuns in the U.S.

The sisters talk with Dr. Peggy Thompson about calling and history, her experience working with women’s religious communities across the country, the significance of Catholic sisters and nuns in the context of the American experience, and what the “good old days” of religious life was actually like. We’ll also talk about how many of the stories of founders and pioneer sisters can inspire us today in our daily quest for God.

Dr. Thompson recently did an 18-lecture series on The History of Women Religious in the United States. The publishers of this series, Now You Know Media, have provided the first lecture for free. Listen to the Introduction and Lecture 1: Discovering Foremothers: Origins of Women’s Religious Life.

Show Notes:

• from broadway aspirations to history scholar
• history, it’s not about “dead things”
• the first sister-President of the United States (and Vice President too)
• what the lives of pioneering sisters can tell us about living an active live and a life of prayer
• what we can learn from religious founders about living a faith-filled life
• sisters caring for the wounded during the Civil War
• the impact of Catholic sisters and nunson U.S. culture
• skeletons in the closet and other surprising tales from religious archives
• habits for apostolic religious — not as traditional as they seem
• revisiting their founding inspiration — lots of surprises along the way
• apostolic orders : are they morphing into Beguines?
• prayer: always central to Catholic sisters and nuns throughout the ages

In Good Faith is a conversation exploring God’s call in everyday life hosted by A Nun’s Life Sisters Maxine and Julie. Our monthly program features guests who are nationally known for their ministry in spirituality, religious life, and discernment. We’ll look at how our guests understand their own life as a calling and discuss a variety of perspectives on living faith and call in everyday life. The program is broadcast live every first Thursday of the month from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Central Time. Tune in at www.aNunsLife.org/LIVE.

For more information, including upcoming guests on In Good Faith, please visit the program page of In Good Faith.

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “nun”? Risk-takers? Innovators? Entrepreneurs?

The Oblate Sisters of Providence -- Mother Mary Lange, the founder of this religious community, is another foremother you should know! www.oblatesisters.com

The more I study the history of sisters, the more I see the truth of those images. A number of scholars are helping bring those images to light. One is Margaret Susan Thompson, a historian at Syracuse University. In her work, she shows how risk taking and innovation, as well as lots of persistence, are part of the very nature of religious life.

Sister Julie and I often talk about religious life as an adventure, and history helps us see that it always has been!

Here are some examples that Prof. Thompson uses in her discussion about religious life in her article “Discovering Foremothers.” (To listen to a 25-min based on this article, click here.)

What examples come to mind for you?

Mary Ward, [a] seventeenth-century Englishwoman … founded the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a society she envisioned as a female counterpart to the Jesuits: without habits, convents, or fealty to local bishops. [She] was imprisoned by one Pope and who walked hundreds of miles to Rome to win the patronage of another and whose descendants did not … [gain] permission to acknowledge her as their founder until the 1800.

Katharine Drexel, an American … used the millions of dollars left to her use by her banker father (a partner of J. P. Morgan) to found and fund the works of a community dedicated solely to “Indians and Colored People” and who, because her father authorized that only she receive the income from his estate and only for the duration of her natural life, managed to survive until the age of 97 so as to get as much of that income as possible.

Sister Julie and I are delighted to have Prof. Thompson as our guest on “In Good Faith” tomorrow, Thursday, at 7 p.m. Central Time (your time zone). Hope you can join us!

* * *

Join A Nun’s Life Community for prayer today via our live podcast “Praying with the Sisters” and chat room. FOR TONIGHT ONLY we’ll be one hour earlier than usual at 5 p.m. CST (your time zone). Join us at http://aNunsLife.org/LIVE … more info on that page.

FP006 Feature Podcast on Discovering Foremothers: Origins of Women’s Religious Life by historian Dr. Margaret Susan Thompson. Published in her 18-lecture series, The History of Women Religious in the United States, through NowYouKnowMedia.com.

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

Introduction and Lecture 1: Discovering Foremothers: Origins of Women’s Religious Life

If you are interested in purchasing or learning more about the lecture series, visit Now You Know Media.

Listen to Sister Maxine and Sister Julie’s interview with Dr. Thompson on the In Good Faith program.

AS043 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on October 1, 2010. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: inclusive language and using male pronouns exclusively for God, Catholic stance on gambling and bingo, nun titles, a right to life, and more!

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

Subscribe to A Nun’s Life Podcasts:

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 questions we addressed in this Ask Sister podcast:

• Where does the Church stand with gambling such as betting on matches, playing poker, etc.? What about bingo?
• What is “inclusive language” all about? What’s wrong with using all-male language in prayer?
• What are the different titles that Catholic sisters and nuns use to refer to themselves and to their sisters in leadership positions?
• The nuns talk about what it means to have a right to life. Backdrop: young people, bullying, outing of others, controlling others, taking care of ourselves–and others–in the midst of our relationships in school, family, online communities, etc.

Do you have a question for us? Call our toll-free Voicemail Hotline at 888-703-4732 and leave a voicemail for us with your question. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also send us an email or comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

In her recent essay “When good (bad) things happen: Religious life in the wake of the investigation“, Sister Sandra Schneiders, IHM, hits a very key point about how we understand God and God’s relationship to us and the world. She also well articulates many of the positive effects of both the Apostolic Visitation and the doctrinal assessment of the Leadership Council of Women Religious (an organization representing 95% of women religious in the United States).

Read the article and let’s have a conversation here about our questions, concerns, observations and hopes. To start, here are just a few of the lines that struck me …

The “attribution of direct causality for mundane happenings to God can be a spontaneous reaction to bewilderment in the face of inexplicable evil and suffering, but it reflects bad theology and encourages worse spirituality.”

“God is not manipulating by some giant computer in the sky …”

“God is supporting us, urging us to the best responses to reality of which we are capable and even beyond what we think we are capable of, consoling us in suffering, sharing and affirming our joy, strengthening us in conflict, and enabling us to learn and grow through everything we experience no matter how tragic or overwhelming it may be. But this does not make God the direct and immediate cause of each event that happens in the universe.”

“In short, bad causes, whether natural disasters or accidents or stupidity or human evil, do not produce good results, but human beings dealing courageously and creatively with natural or moral evil can cause great good to emerge for themselves and others.”

“Many people … are beginning to realize that two Vatican investigations of U.S. women religious and their leaders … have nevertheless been the context for some very positive developments. These developments were clearly not intended by the investigations and certainly not caused by them. But God is not limited by human intentions …”

“Perhaps the most important development is the impetus … to articulate much more clearly the theology and spirituality that has developed in and energized the last 40 years of ministerial religious life in this country.”

“Are we taking time to interact with younger women who, as they were growing up, may not have known personally any sisters and perhaps thought of them as timid and domesticated “good little nuns” or “father’s little helpers” but who now are hearing and reading about educated and powerful women religious committed to a Vatican II church and a redeemed world?”

“Adversity often calls out of people conviction, strength and commitment that they were not conscious of possessing. That does not make adversity, especially gratuitous adversity caused by human beings, a blessing, even a “blessing in disguise.””

For more on Sister Sandra Schneiders, check out our recent interview with her on our monthly series In Good Faith as well as other articles we’ve written.

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Join A Nun’s Life Community for prayer today via our live podcast “Praying with the Sisters” and chat room. Just before 6 p.m. Central Time (your time zone) join us at http://aNunsLife.org/LIVE … more info on that page.

AS042 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on September 17, 2010. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Guest: Sister Connie Supan, IHM. Topics include: getting rid of loans, athletic asceticism, sport and God, nun uniforms, high school nun project, and more!

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

Subscribe to A Nun’s Life Podcasts:

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 questions we addressed in this Ask Sister podcast:

• Is there help for paying off a loan even if one isn’t discerning with a specific community? (see also Ask Sister 041)
• What is “athletic asceticism”? Is there a relationship between sport and pursing God?
• What are the different levels of importance in the hierarchy of nuns?
• Do you have traditional foods that you eat that non-nuns eat?
• Do you always have to wear your “nun uniform”?

Do you have a question for us? Call our toll-free Voicemail Hotline at 888-703-4732 and leave a voicemail for us with your question. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also send us an email or comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

Religious & Ethics Newsweekly on PBS recently aired an episode about Abbot Barnabas Senecal, OSB, of the Abbey of Saint Benedict located on the campus of Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas.

Abbot Senecal is a photographer and says that in the midst of his life of prayer and contemplation he has found a spiritual practice in photography.

“Taking photographs reminds me of the positive. Monastic mindfulness is pursuing what Benedict taught about being aware daily of your presence of God with you and in the world. It’s mindfulness of creation and of sharing that with others….

Watered by Father Joaquim, a photo by Abbot Senecal

I am nourished by taking pictures. Yes, it’s a spiritual exercise in that I don’t just take a picture and store it. I will reflect on it. Entering into these moments of photograph is a conviction that I’m seeing something that I didn’t make, the other person didn’t make. It’s there, it’s there because it’s part of God’s creation….

A quick camera shot, up close, holds that beauty before me. I don’t own such beauty. No one does. It is the Creator’s forever, and mine for now, and I share it with you.”

Abbot Senecal often takes photos of his fellow monks, with each photograph telling a story not only about the man but about the way of monastic life.

Watch the video of Judy Valente’s interview with Abbot Senecal at Photographer Monk (September 10, 2010). And don’t miss the link to the Extended Interview with Abbot Senecal in which the abbot reflects on the Psalms, prayer, photography, and the Benedictine desire “to seek God daily.”

See a gallery of Abbot Senecal’s photos on the website of his community.

What sparks your imagination as you read about Abbot Senecal? What “ordinary” activity such as photography is or might be your spiritual practice?

* * *

Join A Nun’s Life Community for prayer today via our live podcast “Praying with the Sisters” and chat room. Just before 6 p.m. Central Time (your time zone) join us at http://aNunsLife.org/LIVE … more info on that page.

AS041 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on September 10, 2010. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: debt and entering a religious order, dealing with the Dark Night, understanding the idea of a sister, what’s up with Satan?, and more!

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

Subscribe to A Nun’s Life Podcasts:

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 questions we addressed in this Ask Sister podcast:

• What advice do you have for wanting to enter a religious order but having debt?
• What can you do when God is distant and you have a “dark night of the soul” moment?
• What happened to talk about Satan or the Devil in religious education, preaching, or other teachings of the church? It’s still one of our biggest temptations.
• Do I have the “idea” of a sister right?

Do you have a question for us? Call our toll-free Voicemail Hotline at 888-703-4732 and leave a voicemail for us with your question. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also send us an email or comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

AS040 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on September 3, 2010. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: spiritual direction, being an only child, lost vocations, is God really calling me?, a good age to consider religious life, and more!

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

Subscribe to A Nun’s Life Podcasts:

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 questions we addressed in this Ask Sister podcast:

• Who can be a spiritual director? How do you find one?
• How do I address a vocation director’s concern that I am an only child?
• How do you know that God is really calling you? I feel like I have a void in my life.
• What happens when we are called but say no? What happens if we feel we are being called again? Is there such thing as a lost vocation?
• What’s a good age to start thinking about religious life?

Do you have a question for us? Call our toll-free Voicemail Hotline at 888-703-4732 and leave a voicemail for us with your question. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also send us an email or comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

IGF001 In Good Faith with guest Sister Sandra Schneiders recorded live on September 2, 2010. Produced by aNunsLife.org ministry. Our hosts talk with Sister Sandra about vocation, discernment, the Gospel of John, biblical spirituality, and religious life.

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

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Guest: Sister Sandra Schneiders, IHM

Sister Sandra is a leading authority on Catholic women’s religious life and a renowned author. She is professor emerita of New Testament Studies and Christian Spirituality at the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University in Berkeley. She is the author of a number of books on scripture and religious life. Among them are Written That You May Believe: Encountering Jesus in the 4^th Gospel and The Revelatory Text: Interpreting the New Testament As Sacred Scripture. She is also completing a three-volume series on religious life: the first is Finding the Treasure and the second Selling All are already published and the third book is on the way.

Topic: Exploring God’s call in everyday life.

The sisters talk with Sister Sandra about her call as a Catholic nun as well as her call as a scholar and theologian. The sisters also discuss her work with the Gospel of John and how biblical spirituality can help us in our daily quest for God.

Show Notes:

• on being a self-described “God junkie”
• putting out the last cigarette before entering the convent
• take time to discern but not too long lest you fall into “analysis paralysis”
• on whether and how we can know for sure that God is calling us
• favorite passage in the Gospel of John
• how biblical spirituality can help us in today’s quest to find and to live God’s calling in our life
• the bible as one story and many stories, like our own lives
• ecumenical and interfaith dialogue
• young women discerning religious life
• on having one’s affective needs met in religious life
• living community v. living in community
• “Staying in the Fire” Phyllis Kittel
• the Apostolic Visitation and women religious
• on being faithful to our own identity, not to give it up because it’s been called into question, but “to affirm it more strongly, to claim it more firmly, to live it more truthfully”
• on experiencing loneliness in one’s life
• does God make bad things happen to us?
• the most rewarding aspect of living as a religious

In Good Faith is a conversation exploring God’s call in everyday life hosted by A Nun’s Life Sisters Maxine and Julie. Our monthly program features guests who are nationally known for their ministry in spirituality, religious life, and discernment. We’ll look at how our guests understand their own life as a calling and discuss a variety of perspectives on living faith and call in everyday life. The program is broadcast live every first Thursday of the month from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Central Time. Tune in at www.aNunsLife.org/LIVE.

For more information, including upcoming guests on In Good Faith, please visit the program page of In Good Faith.

Just the other day a large vase of incredibly beautiful roses arrived at the convent, to our great surprise and delight. The flowers were a gift from the Divine. Really. The card that came with them said so. It was signed, “Love, Jesus.”

The roses truly brighten our day. Every time we see them, we smile. Partly that’s because we love a good mystery. (OK, so I tried to convince the florist to tell me if Jesus had another name, like a name on a credit card, but nothing doing. I think the florist enjoyed the mystery too!).

The roses also make us smile because they remind us of conversations we’ve had with people about images of God and their meaning.  On a recent Ask Sister podcast, we were asked about God imagery in religious life. Sister Julie and I don’t espouse the “spouse of Christ” image in terms of our relationship with God. For us, other images better express our connectedness with God. Sometimes the spouse imagery can tend toward the literal. Sister Julie and I don’t really expect Jesus to bring home flowers at the end of the day. But when roses appear, it’s really wonderful!

There is no doubt in our mind that the appearance of the roses was an act of God. Sister Julie and I will continue to admire the beauty of the roses – God’s goodness expressed through creation and in human creativity, kindness, and sense of humor!

BTW, Sister Sandra Schneiders has written a lot about the topic of spousal imagery in religious life. She’ll be with us on a live podcast this Thursday. (FYI if new to A Nun’s Life podcasts, they are basically like tuning into a radio program, but instead of broadcasting it on the airwaves, we broadcast it on our website. All you have to do is visit our website and make sure the volume on your computer is up.) If you have a question for Sister Sandra, please write it in the comment box.

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Join A Nun’s Life Community for prayer today via our live podcast “Praying with the Sisters” and chat room. Just before 6 p.m. Central Time (your time zone) join us at http://aNunsLife.org/LIVE … more info on that page.

AS039 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on August 27, 2010. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: vocations to religious life, images of God, respect for other religions, pink bunnies, temporal punishment and forgiveness, and more!

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

Subscribe to A Nun’s Life Podcasts:

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 questions we addressed in this Ask Sister podcast:

• What is temporal punishment and does it mean I’ll still be punished even though I’ve gone to confession and been forgiven?
• What is the best way for a Christian to address the controversial issue of plans for building a mosque near the World Trade Center memorial in New York City?
• What are some ways or images that you use to view your vocation? (e.g., marriage with Jesus, covenant relationship with God, etc.)
• Can God be imaged in different ways? What does this mean in terms of our own relationship with God and spiritual growth?
• Why are bunnies pink? (a deeply philosophical issue!)

We welcome your insights and conversation on these topics and more by interacting with us via the chat room during the live broadcast.

Do you have a question for us? Call our toll-free Voicemail Hotline at 888-703-4732 and leave a voicemail for us with your question. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also send us an email or comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

The IHM Sisters of Monroe, Michigan (my nuns!), are co-sponsoring a discernment retreat in the Toledo, Ohio area. It’s for younger women who are thinking about religious life. If you are (or know someone who is), why not check it out. Here’s a link to our IHM Vocations blog “IHM Calling” with the information on the discernment retreat.

Retreat in the foothills of the Rockies - a hike at Castlewood Canyon State Park (2004)

So what’s a discernment retreat all about anyways?

Well, religious communities offer many different kinds — some for women (or men if a religious community for men) who are discerning that particular community and some (like the one above) are more general so you can get to know a variety of communities. There are also retreats in general offered by retreat centers that are for anyone who is in a discernment mode, be it discerning a life commitment or a ministry or just in general. Many of these are facilitated by spiritual directors who are well trained in the area of Ignatian spirituality and discernment.

A discernment retreat, like other retreats, is set in a prayerful mode and is primarily directed at helping retreatants become more conscious of how God is moving in their lives, how God is calling them. A discernment retreat typically offers time for prayer, reflection, and input on how to discern (e.g., helpful tips and tools, insights from our faith tradition, etc.).

For retreats that are specifically for folks discerning a call to religious life, the retreat typically has more focused input on religious life. There may also be input on the particular congregation that is offering the retreat. This includes an introduction to the life and mission of the community, the kinds of ministries, the story of the foundation and lived tradition of the community.

Retreatants typically have the chance to meet with sisters and talk with them about discernment in general, religious life, and/or the community itself. There may also be an opportunity to talk with a spiritual director or to share conversation with the other retreatants.

Attending a discernment retreat does not mean you are “signing on the dotted line” or that you are in an “exclusive relationship” with a community. It just means you are serious about checking things out and learning more about how God is calling you. You don’t have to commit to anything. All you have to do is be open to allowing the Spirit to be with you, surprise you, challenge you, and inspire you!

A great place to find listings of discernment retreat opportunities is the opportunities section of Vision Vocation Network.

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Join A Nun’s Life Community for prayer today via our live podcast “Praying with the Sisters” and chat room. Just before 6 p.m. Central Time (your time zone) join us at http://aNunsLife.org/LIVE … more info on that page.

AS038 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on August 20, 2010. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: file cabinets in the image of God (do animals or rocks have souls?), vows human or God made, religious brothers, nun terms, obedience and more!

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

Subscribe to A Nun’s Life Podcasts:

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 questions we addressed in this Ask Sister podcast:

• Are the vows that Catholic sisters and nuns take made by God or by humans?
• Do file cabinets have souls?
• Is the vow of obedience always understood strictly?
• What are some of the distinctions between the terms nun, sister, consecrated virgin, and lay sister?
• Are brothers the male equivalents of sisters and nuns?

Do you have a question for us? Call our toll-free Voicemail Hotline at 888-703-4732 and leave a voicemail for us with your question. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also send us an email or comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

AS037 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on August 13, 2010. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Topics include: lies, sins, and truth; women Doctors of the Church; having a religious life without being a nun; hanging out with the IHM Sisters, and more!

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

Subscribe to A Nun’s Life Podcasts:

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 questions we addressed in this Ask Sister podcast:

• If a nun or a sister goes along with what she knows to be a lie, what is her sin?
• How does a person become a Doctor of the Church and why are there so few women recognized as Doctors of the Church?
• If it’s not possible for me to become a nun, what kind of religious life can I have other than being part of my church choir and handbell chorus and attending Mass regularly?
• Can you tell us about your weekend at the IHM Motherhouse for Jubilee and Final Profession?

Do you have a question for us? Call our toll-free Voicemail Hotline at 888-703-4732 and leave a voicemail for us with your question. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also send us an email or comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.

AS036 Ask Sister podcast recorded live on July 30, 2010. Sponsored by aNunsLife.org ministry. Special IHM Sisters Edition. Topics include: vocation stories, prayer and relating with God, ministry, and responses to questions from listeners.

Click PLAY below or right-click here to download the MP3.

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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!

This is a SPECIAL EDITION episode as we broadcasted live from the IHM Motherhouse in Monroe, Michigan. We were joined on air by two of our sisters — Sister Mary Ann Hinsdale, IHM,  Associate Professor of Theology at Boston College, and Sister Katherine Collard, IHM, Director of Liturgy & Adult Faith Formation at Saint Andrew Catholic Church in Roanoke, Virginia. Plus you’ll hear the live studio audience of IHM Sisters and Associates and some folks from A Nun’s Life community who were visiting.

Here are some of the questions we addressed in this Ask Sister podcast:

• Could you each tell us a little about your ministry?
• When did you first think you might want to be a nun?
• What do you find helpful in your prayer life? What might you recommend to others?
• Why does God feel so distant sometimes?

Do you have a question for us? Call our toll-free Voicemail Hotline at 888-703-4732 and leave a voicemail for us with your question. Be sure to give us your first name and city from where you are calling. We’ll play your message and respond on the Ask Sister podcast. You can also send us an email or comment below. In whatever way you contact us, please know that your last name, email address, and any other private information will be kept confidential.