Monastic Life
In order to remain faithful in their vocation, the nuns should have the highest esteem for regular observance, loving it in their hearts and endeavoring to carry it out in their actions.
—The Constitutions of the Nuns of the Order of Preachers
The monastic life encompasses the whole panoply of disciplines that form a life of renunciation and asceticism undertaken for love of God and to draw closer to Him.
We have already considered the main elements of our Dominican contemplative life: the common life, the celebration of the liturgy and private prayer, the observance of the vows and the study of sacred truth. Here we consider some of the monastic practices that shape our life and help us fulfill these each day.
Sources of Monasticism
Novices in formation study an intensive course of monastic history, learning about St. Anthony of the Desert, St. Pachomius, the Desert Fathers, and other early sources of the monastic life. When men and women wanted to seek God, they left civilization behind, went out into the desert, and turned their attention as much as possible away from the needs of this life and towards God, so that their conversation might be in heaven. Over time, experience proved which practices were the most helpful in achieving their goal.
Having followed the Rule of St. Augustine, and being well acquainted with the Cistercian monasticism of his day, St. Dominic gave a monastic form of life to his daughters, imbuing ancient practices with some of his own spirit. These work together to order our community life and dispose our hearts to better fulfill our Dominican vocation of fruitful contemplation at the heart of the Holy Preaching.
Monastic Practices
Work
Much of our day is spent in the normal everyday tasks of life, such as cooking, cleaning, sewing, or attending to the community mail. Working with perseverance and gaining the necessary skills to accomplish our duties around the monastery helps us stay balanced and grow in our human formation. It is also a way to put our religious poverty into practice, and to serve the common good by working together in sisterly charity.
While we often work in common, we maintain our monastic silence except for necessary words. It is in this time that our interior union with Our Lord must transform the most common task into an act of love for Him. As Our Lady’s loving daughters, we often use the recitation of the “Ave” to keep us close to her and her Son.
“Rejoicing that they can fulfill the design of the Creator and be associated with the work of the Redeemer, the nuns should readily give themselves to work with all their powers of mind and heart as well as their gifts of nature and grace.”
Recreation
“Blessed be Jesus Christ!” Twice daily the monastic silence breaks into the joyful sounds of recreation. Each Sister brings the day’s anecdotes, spiritual insights, and her own sense of humor to give joy to the community, and in doing so witnesses to the charity of God growing in our midst. Sometimes tackling a community project is the order of the day; at other times the paths and woods beckon, board games are spread out, or various yarn or needlework projects emerge. On holidays, one Sister might practice the piano, another work in the garden, while a third finishes up a secret project (shh!) for Mother’s Feastday. As in any close family, the pleasure of simply being together builds and strengthens the bond of love in Christ.
“At such gatherings the nuns should simply and cheerfully try to make themselves all things to all (cf. I Cor. 10:33), mindful of the words of the Lord Jesus who said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35) and the example of our Father Dominic of whom it was said: “No one was ever more community minded, no one more joyous.””
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Silence
“The blessed Dominic ‘rarely spoke except with God in prayer, or about God, and he exhorted the brethren to do likewise.’ Pondering this in their hearts, the nuns should make of their house, and especially of their hearts, a place of silence.”
—The Constitutions of the Nuns of the Order of Preachers
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The Cell
“The monastic cell is not only a place for rest, but like an enclosure within the enclosure it is a closed room for prayer in secret, a place for lectio divina, meditation, study or individual work.”
—The Constitutions of the Nuns of the Order of Preachers
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The Table
“At table, listen quietly and in silence to that which, according to custom, is being read to you, until you rise from the meal; so that not only your bodies may be refreshed with food, but your minds also may be strengthened with the word of God.”
—The Rule of St. Augustine
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The Habit
“The habit of the nuns, which is a sign of their consecration and a witness to poverty, consists of a white tunic, a belt with a rosary attached, a white scapular and a black veil and cappa.”
—The Constitutions of the Nuns of the Order of Preachers
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Works of Penance
“By reason of their religious consecration and the apostolic vocation of the Order, the nuns are urged more than the rest of the faithful to deny themselves, take up their cross, and bear the death of Jesus in body and soul, that they may merit the glory of the resurrection for themselves and for others.”
—The Constitutions of the Nuns of the Order of Preachers
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Regular Chapter
“The regular life of the community is to be examined in chapter, either by self-accusation of failures or in some other way according to the custom of each monastery. The one who presides may appropriately give a talk on the spiritual or religious life and make corrections. Prayers for benefactors should also be said.”
—The Constitutions of the Nuns of the Order of Preachers