Nuns in the Orthodox church follow a similar path to the one taken by Catholic nuns, with some differences. In the Orthodox church, there are no distinct orders of monastics, for example. The different levels that nuns progress through do not have set time limits and nuns are not required to pass beyond a certain stage, but at least three years must pass between each stage. After the novice stage, nuns may become Rassophores, and then Stavrophores.
At the Stavrophore stage, nuns make their profession and are given a new name. There are few viharas, or Buddhist nunneries, in the United States where women can become novices and learn from teachers. Aspiring nuns first request refuge, a ceremony of commitment, from their teacher. During this ceremony, they take lay precepts and live under these precepts for several years until they are ready to begin the process of ordination. Novice monks take a number of vows, and depending on their tradition, take to vows to become fully ordained.
In each faith, nuns spend many years studying and participating in the life of their monastery before they can take their final vows. Nuns devote themselves to lives of poverty and simplicity.
Unless they perform an additional job, such as working as a teacher or doctor, they do not collect a salary. Some nuns support their monasteries by selling products they have made, but in many cases, the daily needs of nuns, such as housing and food, are provided for by their religious community.
Buddhist nuns in the United States, however, may not have this community support as Buddhism is not a major religion in the country and the structure to support monastics is still being established.
This vow frees her from the demands of an exclusive human relationship so that she can give all her love to God and through God to all people.
By taking a vow of chastity, a nun or sister also testifies that her life is not about sex and does not define her as a person. The vow of chastity is the way that nuns and sisters give themselves wholly and fully to God. This vow is expressed through her relationship with her religious community and her ministry. Having children and a spouse can make this more challenging.
My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. The vow of obedience means that a Catholic nun or sister will obey her lawful superiors according to the constitutions of her particular group, or congregation.
The vow of obedience is taken so that a nun or sister can imitate the obedience of Jesus Christ. As a member of her religious community, a nun or sister searches for the will of God, not in arbitrary commands, but in prayerful reflection and dialogue with others.
By seeking God's will for her and obeying her lawful superiors according to the constitutions of her particular group. As a member of her religious community, she searches for the will of God, not in arbitrary commands, but in prayerful reflection and dialogue with others. A nun or sister achieves obedience by seeking God's will for her and obeying her lawful superiors according to the constitutions of her particular group. In the article Why obedience is important to God , there are many more examples of obedience from the bible.
Some religious orders take a fourth vow after the three traditional vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. This fourth vow is a further step toward Jesus Christ and service toward others. The fourth vow is usually is an expression of the congregation's charism and particular insertion in the apostolic field of the Church. The chief juridical difference between the two is that religious who profess a solemn vow of poverty renounce ownership of all their temporal goods, whereas religious who profess a simple vow of poverty have a right to retain ownership of their patrimony an estate, endowment or anything inherited from one's parents or ancestors but must give up its use and any revenue.
In ordinary conversation, the terms "nun" and "sister" are used interchangeably. Both nuns and sisters are addressed as "Sister. In popular culture, the term "nun" is often more widely accessible and immediately understood to refer to women who have professed the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Together we can continue to help others find joy and meaning in life! Review your day and ask God to help you see how God has been with you in the daily stuff of life.
If you are drawn to the Rosary, consider praying the Rosary with the specific intention of knowing more deeply how Mary and how Jesus responded to their calling. Read scripture , particularly the stories of people trying to figure out how God is calling them and how they can respond.
Here are some of those stories for more check out this listing of Bible stories from vocations. Pray with others. Participate in the Eucharistic Liturgy, attend to a bible study or faith-sharing group, pray with others who can encourage and support you. Do you know any real nuns? Do you have nuns at your parish or school? Do you work with nuns? Getting to know nuns personally is a very important step in becoming a nun because each one is an example of how to live religious life "for real".
Also, interacting with nuns gives you a chance to begin to imagine yourself as a nun and see how it "fits". You don't even have to tell the nuns that you are scoping them out! I spent a good amount of time doing "nun surveillance" before ever saying anything to them well, just one of them about what I was thinking. Some nuns "fit" with how I felt God calling me; others, while stellar examples of religious, didn't quite fit me. I learned that that was okay and that religious life is very diverse, and along the way I found that I was called to the IHM way of religious life.
If you are in a place where there are no nuns around, you can do online nun surveillance. There's nothing like saying something out loud to make it really real! So start talking to trusted people about your attraction to religious life. These mentors could be family or friends. You might have a dear aunt or a close cousin that you can share you thoughts without fear of being discouraged. Talk with friends whom you know that will be supportive of you while you explore religious life and this feeling of being called to become a nun.
You may also consider talking with someone like a nun or a priest or a chaplain. There are many leaders in parishes and schools that are there to listen and encourage you on your spiritual journey.
A more intense way of doing this is by looking into spiritual direction. A spiritual director is someone who is trained to help you discern, think, and pray about how God is moving in your life. Most are familiar with religious life many in fact are religious and can be great mentors and sounding boards as you consider where you are and where you are going. You'll know when it's the right time for you to move from learning about nuns and religious life to formally exploring religious life with a specific community.
It can be a leap of faith making this transition, but remember, just because you contact a religious community doesn't mean you are signed up for life. Religious communities know that it can take a while for people to get to know them and religious life in general.
They welcome you where you are at and are there to help you discern if God is calling you to their particular community.
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