The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1905-01-07
LIFE efA CARMELITE NUN

and Master, to recognize Him, in, whom
will be forever her lover. husband
father, mother, brother, sister, family
| FRIENDS and country.
| After the example of her grave in
structors, she prostrates herself upoi
| the bare floor and kisses 1t, while sht
adores the Blessed Sacrament. tripl1
veiled by three grills, placed one ovel
! the other, and two sombre curtains.
Her glances have searched the
heavens and have found Him. The
great crucifix of the choir impresses
! her. She suffers the divine suffering
and her heart cries out in mute
! prayer: oh. my Christ! Here is Thy
creature and Thy lover Enfold me
! in Thy bloody arms and receive me
| the sister of charity of Thy incurable
] wounds.
A Mysterious Group.
Meanwhile the sharp stroke of a
little clock has summoned the relig-
ieuse to the reception of All unknown
! companion. Grouped in two choirs they
stand in the recreation hall; hands
under their scapulars, their feet to-
sether silent, motionless. they pray.
The prioress advances to the middle
of the hall conducting by the hand
her new-found child All the nurs
kneel down. With her cruclfiX the
prioress makes the sign of the cross
on the bowed heads of the assembly.
All then rise and the presentation fol-
lows.
MY sister n. (the name of the re-
ligieuse is then given by the prioress;
the postulant has no choice i'll the mat
teri. Age, ordinarily between Is and 20
years.
The mother prioress then embraces
the postulant and in turn each nun
gives the new conner fraternal kiss.
In it's austere simplicity, it is a chilli
ing ceremony, Does the pOstulent feel
the poverty of her surroundings? To
the contrary. she is ashamed of her
elegant toilet. and hastens to discard it
for the coarse sackcloth of her COM
panions. With the donning of the
white veil forevermore her face is
hidden, not only from the world, but
her companions. until death discloses
K on the garlanded bier
The great surprise awaits the postu-
liant when she enters the cell prepared
for her first nights rest in the cloister.
The Nuns Bed.
"On the coarse coverlet of the mar
row cot" recounts the Countess of
Noailles, like enormous topazes in
laid in a bed OF emeralds, are superb
tea roses, blossomirg between the
glistening leaves of a wreath of ivy.
In the middle are lilies and lilies, in
tertwining until their immaculate
petals form a large cross. Capricious
.z-
the pillow, the tender white blossoms
appearing to pursue one another With
out ever meeting. In the center of the
pillow is a crown of white roses and
orange blossoms, and fastened like
black pearl in the heart of this crown
is wooden cross-the cross of the
dead. the cross which she will carry
to the tomb claeped between her rigid
fingers when she will have merited
the crown Between this cross and
this crown passes the life of II Car
melite nun
The life of the Carmelfte nun may be
up in: Pray much. suffer |
much, work, much. love much" A
Carmelite has been compared to a wax
candle, slowly consumed to the honor
and glory of God. All day all night,
the Carnielite nurs throughout the
world chant or sing during four or
i've alternate hours the divine office. !
It is alteration for the millions of men
who adore nothing, praise for those |
who never praise. a form of love for |
those who know not how to love.
How the Day is Spent.
Two hours Of each day are given to
recitation (mental prayer, during
which they intercede for the world. |
;upplicate and implore God to give !
oriests and religieuse strength and in !
diligence to follow faithfully their vo-
:ation. to restore the sick to health, |
o give the dying supreme grace, to
ieliver suffering souls and to protect !
amily. friends and enemies. Sundays
md fete days their implorations are
loubled. A perpetual choir of Car
nelites adore. Others initiate the cru
ifixion. climb Mount Calvary, follow
fhTist on His way: prostrnted, their
oreheads In the earth, others say the
osary. Many prefer to be alone with
jod. Shut UP in their cells or seclud-
d in the heart of the cloister, they
Mediate on the Scriptures.
Bodily modification occupies
rominent place in their daily life.
he Carmelite5 are vegetarians. Flesh
1eat is vigorously interdicted. Their
asts are frequent and long. Ecclesias-
icnl fast days fol bid use of eggs but
81 and milk. This restriction holds
God for every Friday of the year ex-
ept between Easter and Pehteccst.
he great fast begins Sept. IA and
nds Easter. The fast days of the
rder are kept less vigorously than
nose of the church
Their bedding consists of straw,
18th sheets of serge. Not one is ad-
litted into the enclosure unless it is
bsolutely necessary. The Carmelities
peak TO visitors through iron graf
lgs and with yelled faces. Time not
gent in prayer or necessary recrea-
on is given to manual labor Fruits
f this labor are a source of revenue
the monastery. Continual silence
observed except at recreation. The
nuns. in this country rise at
O'Clock in summer and an hour later
winter. They retire usually at II
clock. Their only departure from
lie rule is in teaching. Since the mid
lie of the last century they have
lught in a small way, without, how
'er. relaxing the general austerity.