Beloved: The Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia (2009) - Official Trailer

Summary

The speaker recounts her journey of discerning a religious vocation, initially hesitant due to fear of losing her identity. Influenced by her Dominican sister and the charism of teaching within the Dominican Order, she embraced her calling. The summary highlights the daily life of a Nashville Dominican, the importance of prayer, and the commitment to an intimate relationship with Christ. It concludes with the transformative power of God's love and the potential for a life of surprising fulfillment in religious service.

Takeaways

• 🌟 The speaker first felt a calling to religious life at 15 but hesitated for nine years due to fear of losing personal identity and happiness.
• 👭 The influence of her Dominican sister, Sister Mary Angelica, played a significant role in her eventual decision to join the religious order.
• 🕊️ The speaker's mother initially had different expectations, hoping for her to marry and find a 'beautiful husband', but later came to accept and support her daughter's vocation.
• 📅 A typical day for a Nashville Dominican begins early with meditation, prayer, mass, and a structured daily routine emphasizing spiritual life.
• 📚 The Dominican Order is characterized by a charism of teaching, emphasizing the importance of sharing the fruits of contemplation with others.
• 🛡️ The metaphor of a shepherd guiding the sheep is used to illustrate the role of a religious in guiding and protecting others from danger and sin.
• 🙏 The necessity of a deep, consecrated life rooted in prayer is highlighted as the foundation for the religious's activities and identity.
• ❤️ The religious life is described as a balanced life lived for the Lord, with vows enabling a total union with Christ as the bride of Christ.
• 🌱 The speaker emphasizes the importance of being rooted in prayer and recognizing oneself as a spouse to Christ for the religious life to have meaning.
• 🎉 The final profession is a significant event, symbolizing a complete commitment to the religious life with a profound sense of love and service.
• 💌 A heartfelt letter from the speaker's mother signifies her acceptance and joy in her daughter's choice, recognizing God's plan for her life.
• ✨ The speaker conveys the message that God's love and power can bring about surprising and fulfilling paths in life, beyond human expectations.

Q & A

At what age did the speaker first hear the Lord's call?

The speaker first heard the Lord's call when they were 15 years old.

Why did it take the speaker nine years to accept the Lord's call?

It took the speaker nine years to accept the Lord's call because they were afraid of losing their identity and the things they thought would make them happy.

What is the speaker's relationship with Sister Mary Angelica?

Sister Mary Angelica is the speaker's blood sister, and they are very close, visiting each other at least once a year.

What impact did the speaker's visits to Sister Mary Angelica have on them?

The visits had a tremendous impact on the speaker, as they could see something beautiful and deep that they desired within the religious life.

What was the speaker's initial career aspiration?

The speaker initially aspired to be a dancer, which was a role they believed God wanted them to fulfill.

What was the speaker's mother's wish for them?

The speaker's mother wished for them to get married and prayed for God to give her a beautiful husband for her daughter.

What is the typical start time for a day in the life of a Nashville Dominican?

A typical day for a Nashville Dominican begins at 5:00 a.m. with meditation and prayer in the chapel.

What is the charism of the Dominican Order that first attracted the speaker?

The charism of teaching, the idea of not only contemplating God but also sharing the fruits of that contemplation with others, attracted the speaker to the Dominican Order.

What is the significance of the shepherd's staff in the speaker's analogy?

The shepherd's staff is significant as it helps direct the sheep, preventing them from walking into danger, which is an analogy for the guidance provided by religious life.

What is the speaker's view on the importance of prayer in their life?

The speaker believes that being rooted in prayer and seeing oneself as a bride of Christ is essential, as it gives meaning to the activities of life.

What does the speaker believe about the vows they took as a religious sister?

The speaker believes that the vows enable them to live a life totally united to Christ, starting heaven on earth with a profound sense of love and commitment.

What was the speaker's mother's reaction to their final profession as a religious sister?

The speaker's mother expressed that her prayer for a beautiful husband for her daughter had been answered in the form of Christ, showing her acceptance and happiness for the speaker's choice.

What message does the speaker wish to convey to their students about God's love and power?

The speaker wants to teach their students that God has created them out of infinite love and has the power to do unbelievable, phenomenal, and surprising things in their lives.

Outlines

00:00

🙏 Answering the Call

The narrator reflects on the long journey to saying 'yes' to God's call, initially hearing it at 15 but taking nine years to embrace it due to fears of losing personal identity and happiness. Visits to her sister, a Dominican sister, played a significant role in shaping her desire to follow this path. Despite family pressures and obligations, including her mother's prayers for her to find a husband, she ultimately decided to enter the convent.

05:01

🌅 A Day in the Life of a Dominican

Describes the daily routine of a Nashville Dominican, beginning at 5:00 a.m. with meditation, the Divine Office, and Mass, followed by breakfast and various activities. The narrator was drawn to the Dominican Order by the charism of teaching and the idea of contemplating God while sharing that contemplation with others. The analogy of shepherds guiding sheep illustrates the role of guiding others away from danger and sin.

❤️ The Vows and Union with God

Emphasizes the significance of a deep, consecrated life and union with God. The narrator views herself as a bride of Christ, with every aspect of life, whether studying, playing, or praying, dedicated to living for the Lord. This balanced life aims to start living in union with Christ on earth, as everyone is ultimately called to do in heaven. The vows taken enable this deep connection and commitment.

💌 A Mother's Prayer Answered

Recounts a touching story of the narrator's mother praying for her to find a beautiful husband, which culminates in the realization that her prayer was answered through her daughter's vocation as a religious sister. The narrator discovers profound happiness and fulfillment in her calling, experiencing God's love and power in unexpected ways. She aims to teach her students about God's infinite love and the incredible, surprising plans He has for their lives.

Keywords

💡Lord's call

The term 'Lord's call' refers to a spiritual calling or invitation to serve God. In the video, the speaker first heard this call at the age of 15 but hesitated to accept it for nine years due to fear of losing her identity and happiness. This concept is central to the video's theme of discerning and responding to a divine vocation.

💡Dominican Order

The Dominican Order is a religious order within the Catholic Church known for its emphasis on preaching and teaching. Sister Mary Angelica is a member of this order, and the speaker's visits to her influenced her own decision to join. The Dominican charism of teaching and contemplation is a key element in the video's exploration of religious life.

💡Contemplation

Contemplation, in a religious context, is the act of meditating on divine truths or having a deep, spiritual awareness. The speaker mentions St. Thomas Aquinas's idea that members of the Dominican Order are called to both contemplate God and share the fruits of that contemplation with others, illustrating the balance between personal spiritual growth and active service.

💡St. Cecilia

St. Cecilia is the patron saint of musicians, and the speaker's mother had a strong desire for her daughter to marry and not become a religious sister. The mention of St. Cecilia reflects the mother's wishes and the speaker's initial aspirations, contrasting with her eventual religious vocation.

💡Divine Office

The Divine Office, also known as the Liturgy of the Hours, is the official set of prayers that mark the hours of each day for those in religious life. The speaker describes it as part of a typical day for a Nashville Dominican, emphasizing the importance of communal prayer in their daily routine.

💡Apostolate

The term 'apostolate' refers to the work of spreading the Christian faith, often through teaching, preaching, or other forms of service. The speaker mentions the zeal for the apostolate among her sisters, highlighting the active, mission-driven aspect of their religious life.

💡Consecrated life

A consecrated life is one that is dedicated to God, often through vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. The speaker believes that living a deep, consecrated life is the first obligation of religious sisters, underlining the priority of spiritual commitment over other aspects of life.

💡Brides of Christ

Religious sisters are sometimes referred to as 'brides of Christ,' symbolizing their spiritual marriage to Christ and their commitment to Him. The speaker uses this term to emphasize the intimate relationship with Christ that is central to her vocation and the life of the sisters.

💡Vows

Vows in a religious context are solemn promises or commitments made to God, often including poverty, chastity, and obedience. The speaker discusses the vows she made, indicating a complete dedication to God's will and a willingness to follow wherever He leads.

💡Surprise of God's love

The 'surprise of God's love' refers to the unexpected ways in which God works in people's lives, often surpassing human understanding or expectations. The speaker reflects on her own surprise at the unfolding of her vocation and the profound happiness it has brought her, illustrating the transformative power of divine love.

💡Final Profession

Final Profession is the ceremony in which a person makes lifelong vows to their religious order, signifying a complete commitment to their religious life. The speaker's mother's letter and the speaker's reflections on her final profession highlight the personal and emotional significance of this event in her journey.

Highlights

The speaker first heard the Lord's call at 15 but took nine years to accept due to fear of losing personal identity and happiness.

The speaker's blood sister, a Dominican sister, had a profound influence through annual visits, showcasing a beautiful and deep life.

The speaker initially believed they were meant to be a dancer, influenced by family expectations and personal aspirations.

The speaker's mother prayed for her to find a beautiful husband, reflecting the societal and familial pressures.

Despite initial resistance, the speaker eventually decided to enter the religious life after much prayer and contemplation.

A day in the life of a Nashville Dominican begins with early morning meditation and prayer, emphasizing the importance of spiritual discipline.

The Dominican Order's charism of teaching is highlighted, with the speaker expressing a calling to share the fruits of contemplation.

The analogy of a shepherd guiding the sheep is used to illustrate the role of a teacher in guiding and protecting their students from danger.

The speaker discusses the importance of recognizing Jesus as the true teacher in their classroom, emphasizing reliance on divine guidance.

The necessity of a deep, consecrated life rooted in prayer is underscored as the foundation for the Dominican sisters' apostolate.

The sisters are described as having a simplicity, love for the church, zeal for the apostolate, and commitment to prayer.

The vow of the sisters to live as brides of Christ is highlighted, signifying a life of intimate union with God.

The balanced life of the sisters, where all activities are done for the Lord, is emphasized, including study and leisure.

The vows are likened to a marriage, where the sisters give themselves with abandon and a profound sense of love.

The speaker's mother's acceptance and joy upon the speaker's final profession, seeing it as God's answer to her prayers.

The transformative journey of the speaker from initial resistance to embracing a life of religious service as a surprise from God.

The speaker's desire to teach students about the reality of God's infinite love and the potential for surprising things in their lives.

Transcripts

I first heard the Lord's call when I was

15 years old but it was nine years

before I finally said yes and the reason

it took me so long to say yes was

because I was afraid that in doing so I

would lose something of who I was and of

the things I thought would make me happy

my blood sister is a Dominican sister in

this order sister Mary Angelica I would

visit her at least once a year because

we're very close and these visits had a

tremendous impact in that I could see

something so beautiful and deep down I

desired it but I thought that I was

supposed to be this dancer that I had

always thought that God wanted me to be

because I was the oldest girl and my

mother depended upon me a lot she wanted

me to get married so much and she prayed

all through the years just give her a

beautiful husband just God give her a

beautiful husband so she prayed and

prayed and of course my heart was set on

st. Cecilia's and she got very very

upset she went about every priest in

Nashville I think to try to talk me out

of finally after all the obligations

were taken care of and and I prayed

about it quite a bit and I decided this

was the time to enter

you

you

a typical day for a nashville dominican

begins at 5:00 a.m. and we all come down

to the chapel and we're there for 30

minutes of meditation and then we pray

the Divine Office which is the prayer of

the whole church together and we have

the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of

the mass and then breakfast and after

breakfast fall we're off

one of the things that first drew me to

the Dominican Order was the charism of

teaching the idea that st. Thomas gives

us that we are called not only to

contemplate God but also to share with

others the fruits of that contemplation

Shepard's with shepherds to see the

lands okay so here's good shepherd he's

got a staff

now that staff helps him to direct the

lens hood lands are the dumbest animals

did you know that that they don't know

if they get to the end of a cliff they

don't know that there's a cliff there

you know what happens he'll go right off

and so the Shepherd has they all don't

go there so they don't know when there's

danger they'll walk right into trouble

if we do go on to danger we do sin he

gets this little hook and he pulls this

right back if you think back to the very

beginning of this commissioning that he

gave these disciples they were up on the

mountain and Jesus is about to ascend

into heaven and leave them and he says

something shocking go you know baptize

all nations all nations that you know

here are these eleven guys all nations

and teach them all that I've taught you

but there's that that key part that he

is with us and that we are not alone and

that he is really the teacher in our

classroom

the first thing that we must do is be

united with God and love the first thing

that we must do is live a deep

consecrated life and that's our first

obligation I believe that our sisters

have a real simplicity a real sense of

love for the church our zeal for the

apostolate and and a commitment to

prayer and all of those together I

believe comprise who we are essentially

if we're not rooted in prayer if we if

we don't see ourselves truly as brides

of Christ then the activity of our life

does not have meaning and so having

having been rooted in that which is most

essential is critical

the whole of our life is union with God

I'm called by him to an intimate

relationship of love I am a spouse to

Christ he is mine

we live a very balanced life and so we

really get to live for the Lord no

matter what we're doing whether we're

studying as postulants or whether we're

going outside to play frisbee or were in

the chapel praying the rosary

if you think about it all people are

called ultimately to live totally United

to Christ and most people will do so in

heaven we wish to start heaven here on

earth

and the vows enable us to do that

yes he was

Oh

like two people who marry who don't know

exactly what is going to unfold in their

life we give with abandon and we give to

it with a profound sense of love I vow

myself and then I lay down my life with

a willingness to go wherever I am sent

and to do whatever is asked of me on the

day of my final profession my mother

said to me she said if you got the

letter I sent you and I said no and she

said well go get it well and I so I went

to the mailbox a little bit all had long

little mail boxes and I went to it and I

pulled it out and there she'd written

this beautiful letter it makes me want

to cry

when I say about it because she said all

down through the years I prayed that God

would give you a beautiful beautiful

husband and as I saw you grow older and

more mature and learning the ways of the

world things I kept oh dear God please

give her a beautiful husband in the

letter she said and now God has answered

my prayer

it's here that I discover really who God

has met me to be for all my life he's

given me a happiness that I I never

imagined possible before for me my call

to be a religious sister came as a

surprise and it's a surprise that

continues to unfold and what is that

surprise the surprise of God's love and

of his power to do unbelievable things

with our lives and I think if there's

anything I would want to teach my

students it's it's that it's the reality

that God has created you out of infinite

love and he wants to do

unbelievable phenomenal surprising

things in your life beyond your wildest

dreams

so let them

Oh