Postulant Kathleen Del Monte – Ora et Labora: Pray and Work

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Postulant Kathleen Del Monte – Ora et Labora: Pray and Work

Pax!  Hi!  My name is Kathleen.  I’m the “new kid on the block” here at the Monastery.  Since I have never blogged before, I ask your patience and indulgence as I get the hang of this thing.  You might wonder what my days are like as a Postulant here at St. Scholastica.  Well, they are truly full and fulfilling.

On a typical day (which is really a misnomer, as no two days are completely alike) I rise in time to gather at 6:45 a.m. in Our Lady Queen of Peace Chapel for communal Morning Prayer which lasts about a half hour.   Then it’s off to breakfast, after which I spend an hour in lectio divina.  I spend the remainder of the morning either in formation classes (which usually last about an hour) or completing assignments for courses in my theology program (something I have personally elected to do and have been wanting to pursue for many years) after carrying out any chapel duties I may be assigned (such as vigil lights, participation aids, and the like). 

Ora et Labora – hymnals, the Benedictine cross, and the apron:
symbols of the life of a new Postulant – prayer and work.

Soon, it is time for our 11:45 a.m. Eucharist Celebration, after which we have lunch.  The afternoon is spent variously visiting Sisters on Benet Hall (our Monastery infirmary), working in the Vocation Office, reading or writing for my formation classes, gathering for communal Midday Prayer (about 15 minutes), and carrying out chapel duties. 

Then it’s time for Evening Prayer (which lasts about a half hour) and supper after which (depending on the day and the week) I work at the front desk, spend time with Sisters assisting them with whatever needs they may have, participate in group lectio divina, and gather with the other women in initial formation for some social time. 

Time permitting, there’s a bit more spiritual reading before falling into bed, grateful for another day in God’s presence.

All in all, very fulfilling!  In future blogs, I will write about lectio divina and the other beautiful components of our cycle of prayer.

So, what’s your day like?

 

Postulant Kathleen Del Monte

Kathleen Del Monte is a postulant at St. Scholastica Monastery in Duluth, Minnesota. Originally from New York, she worked as a policy analyst for a state legislature before getting that all important ‘call’ from God (God can, indeed, be persistent!). So in August, 2011, she knocked and the Sisters opened the door to her becoming an affiliate. And on July 15, 2012, she became a postulant.

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“Our greatest fulfillment lies in giving ourselves to others.”
–Henri Nouwen