The Dominican Contemplative Life

Hollywood, California! The city of glamorous clothes, bright lights, fun, movies, young people seeking discovery by television or movie scouts. Hollywood, an unlikely setting for a monastery of Dominican nuns? Saint Dominic, our founder, would not think so. He wanted his followers to be where the action is. He wanted us to bear witness to Christ where that witness was needed most. The gold and glitter of Hollywood, dreams of promise that all too often are lost in the bustle of the city, and fade into a clutter of obscurity and futility -- harsh realities in the day, and tragic nights -- these are in sharp contrast to the life of prayer, penance and unceasing adoration that goes on quietly behind our monastery walls.

What is this hiddenness all about? What do we really do here all day long. We invite you to come and see, as we present to you our life as it is lived here in the Monastery of the Angels. For each of us, this life began when we first responded to that mysterious beckoning of Christ in our heart to "come follow me."

The meals are eaten in a large room called the refectory. The food is plain but sufficient. Having reading during meals is one of the ways in which we maintain that harmony between our bodily and spiritual needs. The readings are from all kinds of good books: Sacred Scripture and other spiritual writings, and current topics of interest. Our rule says: "Give holy nourishment to the mind as you refresh the body." Cloistered nuns must eat well, sleep well, and laugh well. Keeping a balance is a very important thing in living the cloistered life, and we have a little rule of thumb as we begin to climb the mountain of sanctity: "Well begun is half done."

As the postulant adjusts to all these aspects of our life, she is soon to experience one that is more penitential in character and yet, one which she looks forward to eagerly and which our sisters regard as both a privilege and treasure. This is the nocturnal hour of adoration before the Blessed Sacrament exposed perpetually in our chapel. Yes, the sisters interrupt their night's sleep to take turns keeping watches with Jesus, maintaining constant prayer of love and intercession imploring God's mercy on the world and in making reparation for so much sad neglect of this great gift of Christ's true presence in the Eucharist. For the many people who ask our prayers, it is a comfort to know that there are these devoted women who will get out of their warm beds to adore the Lord through the night and intercede for those who might at this hour be far from God and so in need of our prayers.

At 4:55 A.M., a very insistent bell awakens us, and we open our eyes to a brand new day. God is in His heaven and we are His. Our first act upon rising is to greet our Lord and Maker in the first hour of the Divine Office, the Church's official public worship of God. Dominican nuns are committed and deputed by the Church for this public prayer, and it truly is the main work of our life. The Divine Office begins with the Office of Readings. Here we praise God in Psalms and hymns, delve into the riches of Sacred Scripture and the writings of the Fathers, Doctors and saints of the Church. This meditative hour is followed by Morning Prayer where the divine praise reaches a climax in a Gospel Canticle, the Benedictus, in which we lift the thanks of all creation for God's coming among us as Redeemer.

A period of private prayer in silence prepares us for the main event of our day -- the Liturgy of the Eucharist. This memorial of the death and resurrection of the Lord is the essence and heart of our whole life. It is the bond of fraternal charity and the primary source of apostolic zeal. Our contemplative life is a participation in this great mystery of salvation, and towards this end all our activities and energies are directed. After listening to God's Word and receiving Jesus into our hearts, we prolong our thanksgiving and intimate converse with Him. Then all of us together renew our determination to serve Him all the days of our life.

After a light breakfast it is time to get to work. Like any household, there is cleaning, cooking, sewing to be done; and generous hands man the buckets and brooms in the spirit handed down to us from our holy founder, Saint Dominic. He told us: "Since idleness is the enemy of the soul and the mother and nurse of all vices, let no sister in the Cloister remain idle, but let each one be always occupied as far as possible at some good work; for she is not easily ensnared by temptation who is intent upon some worthy employment." Until Midday Prayer at 11:30, we are busy in many work areas. In the bakery, the sisters bake all kinds of bread, especially our popular pumpkin bread. Other sisters work in the printing department. In the infirmary, a sister provides for the physical needs of the community. Sisters in the laundry see to it that the washing, ironing and mending are taken care of. Others are at work in the garden, or in the many office and secretarial jobs necessary for maintaining such a large household. In all our occupations, however, we work together in an atmosphere of silence, speaking only when necessity or charity demand. In this way, each of us can maintain a certain solitude wherein we can converse with God in our hearts. At the same time, we have the opportunity to practice the loving acceptance of our sisters in the healthy give and take of community living.

Following dinner, we have an hour in which we observe silence in an especially strict manner. During this time, we try to remain quietly in one place, and we are free to pray, read or study, do needle or art work, or take a siesta if we so choose. It is this spirit of silence which we strive to maintain throughout the entire day, which fosters the practice of recollection, and that inner docility to God's grace and attentiveness to His Word. "I will lead her into the desert and speak to her heart."

Studying is an important observance in Dominican contemplative life. It continues to be a part of each sister's day throughout her religious life. The ultimate aim of our study is to learn more and more about God and His Christ, and thus to assist our contemplation of divine things. Various classes are held during the afternoon: instructions in Sacred Scripture, theology, the Rule and Constitutions, and Dominican history. We have a well supplied library containing all the types of books and cassettes that we need in our monastic life. Each Sister spends at least one hour a day studying or reading.

At 4:00, our big bell summons us to chapel for Evening Prayer. Usually at this time of day, the freeways are bumper to bumper with traffic. People are anxious to get to their homes after a day's work. Some are aware of God's presence in their lives, but many are not. We try by our loving attention to Him to make up what is wanting and to pray that all will turn to their Creator. It is also at this time that we recite our daily Rosary together with the people who come to pray in our public chapel.

After a light supper, the Community comes together for our daily hour of recreation. This is a welcome, joyous time for all of us, as we relax and enjoy each other's company. Our day comes to a close with Night prayer. This is the last prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours, and ends as we make a procession to a shrine of Our Lady, singing the beautiful Salve Regina. We look to Mary as our Queen and Mother, and strive to foster in our lives a great filial devotion to the Mother of God, as the exemplar par excellence of the contemplative life.

The days, months, years pass quickly as the postulant experiences her successive stages of formation, until that day when she makes her Solemn Profession, promising to God her entire life and to live out her consecration here, as a member of the community at the Monastery of the Angels.

Pope Paul VI once said: "Many people, especially many of the young, have lost sight of the meaning of their lives, and are anxiously searching for the contemplative dimension of their being. They do not realize that Christ can, and does, respond in His Church to their expectations." In our hiddenness, we have found that response.

We hope that we answered the questions asked at the beginning of this presentation. For the Dominican contemplative nun, there is no uncertainty as to the meaning of her life, or the purpose of her chosen vocation. By faith, she has seen the glory of the Risen Lord. She seeks the purity of heart, integrity and peace of a life which fully responds to the demands of love. There is an urgency, a compelling quality about this search. There is room only, for total giving of self to God alone, forever.