To our dear families, and moms, dads, brothers and sisters of discerning young women,
Heartfelt greetings to you from our Sisters at Our Lady of the Angels Monastery! We know that the prospect of your daughter entering a cloistered monastery brings a mixture of emotions, concerns and questions about this radical change. If there is anyone who understands where you are at, it is Our Lady. Having received Jesus, the Eternal Son as her own at the Annunciation, she also consented as she watched her Son embrace the Father’s Will as he fulfilled His Mission for the redemption of us all. She will walk with you through the days ahead as you too ask what the Lord desires for your daughter.
In discerning a contemplative vocation, your daughter is considering a courageous response to a call from the Lord to give herself entirely to Him. With its seclusion and prayer-only mission, to some people, the cloistered life appears useless. The contemplative life, it is true, only makes sense through the lens of faith because it exists for the worship of God and the salvation of souls. This life sets one apart to remain with the Lord who assures us that those who abide in Him bear abundant fruit that remains forever (Jn. 15).
A vocation to this way of life is a gift, a supernatural gift given by God to those He desires (Mk 3:13). The young woman who freely and generously embraces this life in order to seek union with the Lord experiences a joy and peace that the world cannot give. Nor does she forget her loved ones and family! On the contrary, a Sister carries her family in mind and heart remembering them daily in her prayer. Our familial love is not severed by the cloistered walls, but by being given over to God - who first gave us our families - our natural ties are made stronger and deeper.
We look forward to our Family visits here at the Monastery when Sisters spend a couple of days with her parents and siblings twice a year. These hours together bring great joy, deep gratitude for one another and much fun and laughter. As you become acquainted with your daughter’s new community, we hope you too experience a sense of belonging. We assure new postulant parents and siblings that they have not lost a daughter or sister, but have gained many more!
Most of all, the joy and fulfillment that radiate from the heart of a budding vocation is the testament that a life lived in and for God is not frustrated, wasted or repressed. Rather, living in the Lord’s Presence day and night and exchanging the ‘goods of earth for those of heaven,’ your daughter will come to know the sweetness the Lord gives to those who love Him. She will be one who upholds in prayer the Church, the priesthood, and the needs of all. In hours of trial, she and our community will do what we do every day: intercede with the Lord of all life for you and all those dear to you.
Any vocation lived well entails a great deal of sacrifice, as you know. It is the same for the cloistered nun, though her sacrifices may at times be unique. However, to have the Lord as one’s portion is no small return. The support you give to your daughter as she pursues Christ’s claim on her life is the greatest gift you can give her. It may seem that it is easier for her than for you, but she shares your heartache and will continue to do so in the days ahead. Whatever you can do now to express that you will embrace her vocation will strengthen her heart and draw you closer together than ever before. We know the Lord will bless you for this sacrifice even as He blessed Abraham for his faith. Know of our prayers for you as we entrust you to the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus.
In Christ our Life,
- The P.C.P.A. Nuns