As a cloistered carmelite I totally agree with everything said here. I entered a community and felt that “save us” pressure. It ended up breaking me mentally. I had to leave. Go back to college and grow up. I ended up re-entering the same community because I did feel called there but with the strong conviction that only God could save our community. Now our sisters in formation out number us poor solemn professed. It is a happy problem and all of them are good solid young women. Sometimes one person is called to “bridge the gap” between the old and new generations. That I felt was my specific calling. But it’s not everyone’s. And you’re right. It is unattractive and puts tremendous pressure on a young person.
Spot on Sr. Gemma! I too, am a perpetually professed Carmelite nun. What Sr. Natalia shared is so spot on and crystal clear. The Monastery l entered was a young community and they had flourishing vocations at the time. My Prioress was careful in discerning whom had a vocation or whom needed more life experience outside first prior to trying cloistered monastic religious life. For example, one of the nuns whom is already perpetually professed- she was 15 when she expressed the desire to enter Carmel. I was already halfway through my noviciate at the time. My Prioress told her she was too young and to wait a few more years. When she turned 18, my Prioress told her to have some life experience like get a job for a while and if she still felt strongly called to Carmel, come back after like 2 years. She did! She made her final vows at age 26 l think. Never think of numbers, only think of what is in accordance with God’s Holy Will!
Sr. Gemma you may not see this, but if you do would you please pray there is a way forward for me to become Catholic. Thank you for what you do for the world!
Considering the religious life and being called to the religious life are two entirely different things. Also, one has to decide if they can give up the world, family and friends. This young lady makes a valid point saying to do visitations, weekends, a summer program over three to five years. And...there is postulancy to complete and novitiate. So, a person has a lots of time to decide to stay or leave. discernment to be a religious or the priesthood can and should take some time.
I always think of that Spiritual Communion Prayer by St Alphonsus, "My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You ABOVE ALL THINGS, and I desire to receive You into my soul."
This is a really good channel. Its been along time since ive seen a Sister wearing her Habit. I havent watched the entire video, but im hoping she touches on the fact that a person should be joining the Order because they really want to...Clergy are people too. We will be seeing more of Sr. Natalia, im sure of it. Shes beautiful and very smart!
I think one of the bigger reasons is that it used to be that a nunly or priestly religious life offered one an option for a peaceful life away from the sometimes awful day to day life, whereas today, if you go into a religious order, you're increasingly missing out on a lot. It becomes a true sacrifice, so only the truly sacrificial will enter. Just a thought there.
Some people would argue that it's quite awful day-to-day now too (addictions, from food to social media to substances), and the same escapism could apply now
The is/was a source for insight. I say this with charity. There might be mental health problems that might be revealed during a decernment. God calls all to serve Him. This insight might appear a humiliation; but not true. It could be an ephaniny that the journey may be the single state. The voice of experience writes the message.
When it comes fown to it, the Catholic Church needs all.the Nuns they can get at this point. An American Nun is not too common anymore, unless it just looks like thst to me. I live in the NJ/NYC area.
40 is old for a single woman considering marriage. Stand your ground Matt, you were correct in stating that. Feminism that circulates needs to be addressed even if it comes from a sister who is on the path to holiness. I encounter single women who scramble to have kids who are 36+ but they pretend like one of the primary ends of marriage is not the creation of souls for God. There are alot of men and women who are not properly instructed on that and expend considerable time pursing other things at the cost of that.
I don't agree with many catholic specific doctrines: but at least the Pints with Aqinus is something I agree with and would love to toast a Guinness with you.
I don't agree with some of the catholic teachings either, I honestly can't see myself regurgitating some beliefs that i don't agree with. God can see what you believe from your heart, so stick with those
@@homiesenatep I suppose in a certain way, I view the Catholic church and its teachings as a stencil. If you're truly confident in your ability to draw (live the holy life) without a stencil to guide your hand, then God be with you. I might disagree with the judgment of the Church, but then I have to question if I "drew outside of the stencil" I think when I was able to say, "I believe (X) but the Church says (Y); let me see why they say (Y) and see if I'm wrong about (X)" that I could see that many of my disagreements were more "drawing outside of the stencil", and less "the Church is wrong and I'm right".
@@TheMadman911xx one danger of drawing a holy life without a stencil to guide you is ending up with your own ideas. Although God is everywhere and I suppose it is possible to have a holy life on your own, since God is there to guide you. It will take alot of discernment skill though to distinguish your own thoughts from intuitions from God. If you manage to understand the churches teachings on a deeper level and you end up agreeing with it, that is fine, although it is dishonest to "believe" a teaching out of conformity and fear. God sees what you believe from the heart
Apriori there's nothing wrong with your segments, and they are in fact quite educative even for a guy like me that hasn't even read the Catechism. So yes. On the other hand, Google knows your convent address. Think about that well.
Any religion that actually supports people leaving the world (leaving their brothers and sisters!) and living an enclosed life of isolation is not of Jesus! Jesus was all about charity - reaching out to the poor, the homeless, the deprived in our community and helping them with more than prayers! Prayer is not more important than charity, out-reach to the poor and homeless! What is the Catholic Church doing about homelessness! St. Vincent de Paul Society is not helping homelessness! The Salvation Army is actually follow Jesus and His call of charity, love and outreach!
If I were still a christian, I think the hijab style would be enough of a put off to keep me away from a religious order. Like are we tryna emulate Afghanistan here? Is she somehow holier because we can only see her face? Is she not holy enough because part of her hair is showing? This is the silliness that made me question religion in the first place, the petty things men think that god thinks is "holy"🙄
you are reading it wrong, completely wrong, it's not about she being holier, there's lots of religious vestments with a variety of symbols associated with them, but in the case of nuns, it's because they give themselves as wife's to God, that means, that their bodies are totally of God, not that their bodies are UNholy or anything... and also, NUNS and PRIEST go way back from the creation of the Islamic religion. If you look into jewish dressing you will find that the head covering thing was considered a symbol of humility towards God. Also the unHolyness of the body proposed by the muslims isn't truth for us christians, even the bible calls the hair of a woman her glory, and you can read many beauty and attractiveness connotations from the book Song of Songs, it shows that the body of the wife is what calls a man to give his body to hers... also look at what Adam said in the Eden, he claimed " this is flesh of my flesh and bone of my bones", so he was admiring himself in the body of Eve, BEFORE the fall, so we know this a holy observation, not made from lustful ideas... hijab is about submitting women to something that doesn't entail a decision a Catholic nun usually decides for herself as you can see from sister Natalia....
@@danialezero93 so what makes covering everything but your face humble? Other than gods personal preference and some contrived theology about people who never existed(Adam and eve)? Humility is an abstract concept like courage or love, wearing more or less clothing has no correlation, or do you think people like Trump would cease to be narcissists if we through a bedsheet over them? Do people measurably tone down their egos in the wintertime because they wear more clothing? I agree that in this nuns case she freely chooses to cover herself, but that's not a symbol nor indication of actual humility. If she's a humble person than that's a characteristic of her personality not her attire. And I think the same way about all the prayers and bells and kneelers and candles and stained glass. Its nothing but pomp and atmosphere. For a benevolent god to let millions of children die of cancer and tsunamis and starvation, innocent people who've done nothing wrong, and yet care about what exact ritualistic propitiations one undergoes if someone drops a wafer or how many beads should be on a rosary, call me a pragmatist but I cant think of anything more capricious and ignorant.
@@vehementvixen1124 Just a weird rationalization of Medieval clothing. Somehow clothing can go to that time, but no further. But somehow the Roman Catholic priest gets away with wearing a modern Presbyterian collar shirt instead of a cassock.
@@vehementvixen1124 Humility as in covering/nullifying that which makes you worldly attractive. It's for the same reason that male monks shave their heads - women just cover it.
@@user-uj5pc7dy2j that's not necessarily humility. Have you ever heard people "humble brag" about how much they exercise? Or about their vegan diets? Well people can humble brag about their supposed holiness and modesty. Think of the pharisees that jesus admonishes for praying on the street corners and making a spectacle of their faith, Just because you put on a black bedsheet doesn't mean you're therefore humble about it, it could be just as much a self absorbed call for attention for some "holier-then-thou" people as walking out your door with no clothes at all. Im saying this nun isn't humble, im just demonstrating that humility has no direct correlation to fabric in any amounts.
Being a priest, a nun, or a monk is simply a job. Why should one be exempted from starting a family? Its such a stupid groundless excuse for the catholic church to keep cheap labour in their disposal. I am sorry for all the talented people who cannot serve the lord because the are also called to start a family.
You can serve the lord as a nun, monk, or as a wife/husband/parent, or a single lay person. All of these vocations glorify the lord and all are needed in this world. I’m thankful for all the nuns, monks, and priests and their sacrifice for serving the Lord with their whole lives.
@@magnoliam4159 an unnecessary sacrifice. If someone wants to remain unmarried, that is their choice. But it should not be enforced as a precondition to become a clergy. Even in his letters st. Paul didnt force celibacy on anyone and encourage people to get married, if they are called to it.
@@misterprogressive8730 St. Paul actually said it is objectively better to live celibate. He said you should only marry if you cannot handle it to live celibate.
@@crodavid90 6 Now as a concession, not a command, I say this.[a] 7 I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another. 8 To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single, as I am. 9 But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion. (1 cor 6-9) Verse 6 said it clearly, it is a concession, not a command.
@@crodavid90 i have talked to many fellow catholics who believed that the clergy (nuns included) shouldnt be married..... but none of them wanted to even want to be a clergy. This is, in my opinion, is simply hypocracy in the highest order: to expect from others what they dont want to do themselves.
As a cloistered carmelite I totally agree with everything said here. I entered a community and felt that “save us” pressure. It ended up breaking me mentally. I had to leave. Go back to college and grow up. I ended up re-entering the same community because I did feel called there but with the strong conviction that only God could save our community. Now our sisters in formation out number us poor solemn professed. It is a happy problem and all of them are good solid young women. Sometimes one person is called to “bridge the gap” between the old and new generations. That I felt was my specific calling. But it’s not everyone’s. And you’re right. It is unattractive and puts tremendous pressure on a young person.
Spot on Sr. Gemma! I too, am a perpetually professed Carmelite nun. What Sr. Natalia shared is so spot on and crystal clear. The Monastery l entered was a young community and they had flourishing vocations at the time. My Prioress was careful in discerning whom had a vocation or whom needed more life experience outside first prior to trying cloistered monastic religious life. For example, one of the nuns whom is already perpetually professed- she was 15 when she expressed the desire to enter Carmel. I was already halfway through my noviciate at the time. My Prioress told her she was too young and to wait a few more years. When she turned 18, my Prioress told her to have some life experience like get a job for a while and if she still felt strongly called to Carmel, come back after like 2 years. She did! She made her final vows at age 26 l think. Never think of numbers, only think of what is in accordance with God’s Holy Will!
Sr. Gemma you may not see this, but if you do would you please pray there is a way forward for me to become Catholic. Thank you for what you do for the world!
I do see this and I will pray that a way opens up for you to become Catholic. My prayers are with you my friend.
@@jeremyj427Why not asking directly a priest ?
This is the most insightful thing I’ve heard about those considering the religious life. Thank you Sister Natalia
Sister Natalia's insights are enlightening. It seems most people don't understand what monastic life really is....
Considering the religious life and being called to the religious life are two entirely different things. Also, one has to decide if they can give up the world, family and friends. This young lady makes a valid point saying to do visitations, weekends, a summer program over three to five years. And...there is postulancy to complete and novitiate. So, a person has a lots of time to decide to stay or leave. discernment to be a religious or the priesthood can and should take some time.
Brilliant! I love Mother Natalia! I have learned so much about the faith! Thank you Matt for introducing us to this beautiful community!
I always think of that Spiritual Communion Prayer by St Alphonsus, "My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You ABOVE ALL THINGS, and I desire to receive You into my soul."
This is a really good channel. Its been along time since ive seen a Sister wearing her Habit. I havent watched the entire video, but im hoping she touches on the fact that a person should be joining the Order because they really want to...Clergy are people too. We will be seeing more of Sr. Natalia, im sure of it. Shes beautiful and very smart!
I think one of the bigger reasons is that it used to be that a nunly or priestly religious life offered one an option for a peaceful life away from the sometimes awful day to day life, whereas today, if you go into a religious order, you're increasingly missing out on a lot. It becomes a true sacrifice, so only the truly sacrificial will enter. Just a thought there.
Some people would argue that it's quite awful day-to-day now too (addictions, from food to social media to substances), and the same escapism could apply now
God bless you Sr Natalia!
@@juvenilenayem God
Fumbled with the number 40 at the end there hahaha
What happened to Sips with Aquinas?
Maybe it was bad for RUclips algorithm
It just.......died.......and Matt had to dig a hole to bury it .......then came up with a brand new name😁
Man, imagine the guy that she dated last, he would think crap I caused her to be a nun.
Thank you for sharing!
Thank you
We need more catholic family’s
The world is filled with "catholic families" is our religious houses that are empty!
Its considered an official heresy to say that being married is to be preferred over the religious life
@@kellykoistinen1934 that’s not what he said. Thanks though.
I tried to live like a hermit for one day in prospect park and failed miserably 😂.
What to do when i really want to enter a Carmelite cloisterd monastery and my parents and grieving and couldn't even agree with it
I'm not young. Can I, enter into the sisterhood?
That's a really great question
Without looking it up, I would be inclined to say Yes.
The is/was a source for insight.
I say this with charity. There might be mental health problems that might be revealed during a decernment. God calls all to serve Him. This insight might appear a humiliation; but not true. It could be an ephaniny that the journey may be the single state.
The voice of experience writes the message.
💛
Sadly, if you want to answer GOD's calling, but you are in your forties, the community will reject you due to your age.
Saw one where the cut off age is 30 years old! ridiculous
@@aeptacon I do not understand that. I respect their decisions as those are the rules, but honestly. People live to their 70s.
Watch mother Angelica.. beautiful nun.
When it comes fown to it, the Catholic Church needs all.the Nuns they can get at this point. An American Nun is not too common anymore, unless it just looks like thst to me. I live in the NJ/NYC area.
40 is old for a single woman considering marriage. Stand your ground Matt, you were correct in stating that. Feminism that circulates needs to be addressed even if it comes from a sister who is on the path to holiness. I encounter single women who scramble to have kids who are 36+ but they pretend like one of the primary ends of marriage is not the creation of souls for God. There are alot of men and women who are not properly instructed on that and expend considerable time pursing other things at the cost of that.
I don't agree with many catholic specific doctrines: but at least the Pints with Aqinus is something I agree with and would love to toast a Guinness with you.
I don't agree with some of the catholic teachings either, I honestly can't see myself regurgitating some beliefs that i don't agree with. God can see what you believe from your heart, so stick with those
@@homiesenatep I suppose in a certain way, I view the Catholic church and its teachings as a stencil. If you're truly confident in your ability to draw (live the holy life) without a stencil to guide your hand, then God be with you. I might disagree with the judgment of the Church, but then I have to question if I "drew outside of the stencil"
I think when I was able to say, "I believe (X) but the Church says (Y); let me see why they say (Y) and see if I'm wrong about (X)" that I could see that many of my disagreements were more "drawing outside of the stencil", and less "the Church is wrong and I'm right".
@@TheMadman911xx the Universal stencil of Christ's Church is much larger than the RCC or orthodox even when they were combined.
@@TheMadman911xx one danger of drawing a holy life without a stencil to guide you is ending up with your own ideas. Although God is everywhere and I suppose it is possible to have a holy life on your own, since God is there to guide you. It will take alot of discernment skill though to distinguish your own thoughts from intuitions from God. If you manage to understand the churches teachings on a deeper level and you end up agreeing with it, that is fine, although it is dishonest to "believe" a teaching out of conformity and fear. God sees what you believe from the heart
Nice video what a sharp young lady. Crappy outro. God bless you and your family and her 👉✝✝✝
Apriori there's nothing wrong with your segments, and they are in fact quite educative even for a guy like me that hasn't even read the Catechism. So yes. On the other hand, Google knows your convent address. Think about that well.
Young women who are discerning? All one of them!?
Was confused...Thought she was Moslem...
Eastern Catholic nun
Any religion that actually supports people leaving the world (leaving their brothers and sisters!) and living an enclosed life of isolation is not of Jesus!
Jesus was all about charity - reaching out to the poor, the homeless, the deprived in our community and helping them with more than prayers!
Prayer is not more important than charity, out-reach to the poor and homeless!
What is the Catholic Church doing about homelessness!
St. Vincent de Paul Society is not helping homelessness!
The Salvation Army is actually follow Jesus and His call of charity, love and outreach!
You would put God above your children? Why would you love a God who would make you choose?
Loving something above God makes that thing your god. An idol.
@@baconsarny-geddon8298 So Bacon Boy, I reckon then that you're an atheist, huh?
God bestowed to you your children in the first place
@@Mike-qc8xd you are saying that putting your child first means you are worshipping them as a god?
@@baconsarny-geddon8298 you sound confused and make false accusations. There is no human sacrifice in the Old or New testament.
Not wanting to take the next step? To what ruining your life!
So living a life of charity is “ruining your life”
If I were still a christian, I think the hijab style would be enough of a put off to keep me away from a religious order. Like are we tryna emulate Afghanistan here? Is she somehow holier because we can only see her face? Is she not holy enough because part of her hair is showing? This is the silliness that made me question religion in the first place, the petty things men think that god thinks is "holy"🙄
you are reading it wrong, completely wrong, it's not about she being holier, there's lots of religious vestments with a variety of symbols associated with them, but in the case of nuns, it's because they give themselves as wife's to God, that means, that their bodies are totally of God, not that their bodies are UNholy or anything... and also, NUNS and PRIEST go way back from the creation of the Islamic religion. If you look into jewish dressing you will find that the head covering thing was considered a symbol of humility towards God. Also the unHolyness of the body proposed by the muslims isn't truth for us christians, even the bible calls the hair of a woman her glory, and you can read many beauty and attractiveness connotations from the book Song of Songs, it shows that the body of the wife is what calls a man to give his body to hers... also look at what Adam said in the Eden, he claimed " this is flesh of my flesh and bone of my bones", so he was admiring himself in the body of Eve, BEFORE the fall, so we know this a holy observation, not made from lustful ideas... hijab is about submitting women to something that doesn't entail a decision a Catholic nun usually decides for herself as you can see from sister Natalia....
@@danialezero93 so what makes covering everything but your face humble? Other than gods personal preference and some contrived theology about people who never existed(Adam and eve)? Humility is an abstract concept like courage or love, wearing more or less clothing has no correlation, or do you think people like Trump would cease to be narcissists if we through a bedsheet over them? Do people measurably tone down their egos in the wintertime because they wear more clothing?
I agree that in this nuns case she freely chooses to cover herself, but that's not a symbol nor indication of actual humility. If she's a humble person than that's a characteristic of her personality not her attire.
And I think the same way about all the prayers and bells and kneelers and candles and stained glass. Its nothing but pomp and atmosphere. For a benevolent god to let millions of children die of cancer and tsunamis and starvation, innocent people who've done nothing wrong, and yet care about what exact ritualistic propitiations one undergoes if someone drops a wafer or how many beads should be on a rosary, call me a pragmatist but I cant think of anything more capricious and ignorant.
@@vehementvixen1124 Just a weird rationalization of Medieval clothing. Somehow clothing can go to that time, but no further.
But somehow the Roman Catholic priest gets away with wearing a modern Presbyterian collar shirt instead of a cassock.
@@vehementvixen1124 Humility as in covering/nullifying that which makes you worldly attractive. It's for the same reason that male monks shave their heads - women just cover it.
@@user-uj5pc7dy2j that's not necessarily humility. Have you ever heard people "humble brag" about how much they exercise? Or about their vegan diets? Well people can humble brag about their supposed holiness and modesty. Think of the pharisees that jesus admonishes for praying on the street corners and making a spectacle of their faith, Just because you put on a black bedsheet doesn't mean you're therefore humble about it, it could be just as much a self absorbed call for attention for some "holier-then-thou" people as walking out your door with no clothes at all.
Im saying this nun isn't humble, im just demonstrating that humility has no direct correlation to fabric in any amounts.
Being a priest, a nun, or a monk is simply a job. Why should one be exempted from starting a family? Its such a stupid groundless excuse for the catholic church to keep cheap labour in their disposal. I am sorry for all the talented people who cannot serve the lord because the are also called to start a family.
You can serve the lord as a nun, monk, or as a wife/husband/parent, or a single lay person. All of these vocations glorify the lord and all are needed in this world. I’m thankful for all the nuns, monks, and priests and their sacrifice for serving the Lord with their whole lives.
@@magnoliam4159 an unnecessary sacrifice. If someone wants to remain unmarried, that is their choice. But it should not be enforced as a precondition to become a clergy. Even in his letters st. Paul didnt force celibacy on anyone and encourage people to get married, if they are called to it.
@@misterprogressive8730 St. Paul actually said it is objectively better to live celibate. He said you should only marry if you cannot handle it to live celibate.
@@crodavid90
6 Now as a concession, not a command, I say this.[a] 7 I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.
8 To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single, as I am. 9 But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion. (1 cor 6-9)
Verse 6 said it clearly, it is a concession, not a command.
@@crodavid90 i have talked to many fellow catholics who believed that the clergy (nuns included) shouldnt be married..... but none of them wanted to even want to be a clergy. This is, in my opinion, is simply hypocracy in the highest order: to expect from others what they dont want to do themselves.