REGINA: And you, Sister Scholastica?
Sr. Scholastica: When I was in high school, it was required to study Latin, and I took a field trip to attend a Latin Mass. After attending more as a consequence of that field trip, I learned that a new community was starting. I heard the story of Sr. Wilhelmina [founder of the community]. When I saw the community’s liturgical life, still in seed form then, I thought it was beautiful to be so deeply connected to a tradition going back fifteen centuries according to the Rule of St. Benedict, who was continuing the Roman liturgy brought by St. Peter himself. When you read the Rule of St. Benedict, he describes how the Divine Office should be said. I’m proud to be carrying on his same work in the exact same manner, and he would have been chanting in Latin. We’re centered around the liturgical life, the Mass. We draw our strength from that.
REGINA: What about you other Sisters? What drew you to this Community?
Sr. Emmanuel: The Extraordinary form of the Roman Liturgy and its accompanying Divine Office. Gradually, I developed a life of prayer aided by the sacraments. Grace was flooding my soul and I soon came to see that behind worship was a Person. It all made sense now. The liturgy must bring us to Christ. He is the center of everything. The holy sacrifice of the Mass must engender reverence, silence and prayerfulness. I realized when we are able to practice these virtues during the liturgy that we find Him. A fire was enkindled in my heart by a reverent liturgy. Though I did not realize it at the time I was receiving the first spark of a Benedictine vocation.
Sr. Miriam Esther: Soon after graduating and settling into a full time job, I stumbled upon the website of the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles. I knew immediately that if I investigated the religious life, I would begin with their order. I began acquainting myself with the Benedictine Diurnal and finally made a visit to the convent in October of 2007, experiencing monastic life personally for about ten days. The rhythm of the monastic day establishes a prayerful, peaceful atmosphere. I discovered more profoundly the beauty of the Psalms, as we chanted eight times a day in the chapel. As my visit proceeded, I found that the words of Scripture, repeated again and again in public worship, begin to fill your mind and supply a vocabulary of love and praise for interior prayer as well.
Sr. Jacinta: The simple life of work and prayer “ora et labora” was something I appreciated from my past. Also, as a visitor it hit me that everything was for God. Nothing was for self. I finally found what my soul had been wanting as I saw that they lived for God, prayed for God, made beautiful things for God, sang for God, and shared and radiated joy and peace from God.
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