Written by a young person in the process of discernment.
I've noticed that when I talk about my vocational
discernment, I use terms that aren't part of most people's day-to-day
vocabulary.
Often, when I'm talking to friends and family about
religious life, I'll say something, and they'll be like, "What language
are you speaking?!"
I've learned to clarify certain terms before launching into
a discussion about consecrated life.
I'll say, "_____, which is monk-speak for _____."
Feeling lost among all the long and Latin-rooted words
associated with the ancient and beautiful institution of religious life in our
Catholic faith? Be not afraid! Allow me to translate. Then you can clear things
up for your friends. (Or not. It's kind of fun to throw around words like
hebdomadarian and sound like you have a PhD.)
Here is a brief glossary of some terms you may encounter in
the process of exploring the rich heritage of religious life in the Church.
Apostolate: the specific type of work done by a community
for the overall purpose of spreading the Gospel (preaching, education,
healthcare, prayer, etc.)
Apostolic: in the context of religious life, used to
designate communities with active apostolates (nursing, social work, etc.)
Abbot/Abbess: the leader or superior of a community.
Depending on the community, the leader may be called Abbot/Abbess,
Prior/Prioress, Reverend Mother/Father, Sister/Brother, or another title
specific to the community.
Charism: the particular grace or gift given to the founder
of an Order or congregation and passed on to his or her spiritual descendants
for the benefit of the entire Church. For example, the charism of the
Franciscan Order is poverty; the charism of the Dominican Order is truth, etc.
Cloister: in
cloistered communities, refers to the area of the monastery reserved for
community members, which is not usually open to the public and which community
members do not usually leave. A cloistered community refers to communities in
which members stay in one place and do not usually leave it. Also called an
enclosure/enclosed community. The land surrounding the monastery building
(gardens, walking paths, etc.) is included in the cloistered area.
Contemplative: communities whose way of life is devoted
primarily to prayer and union with God.
Convent: some religious communities live in convents. Can be
used for both male and female communities; in common parlance, typically refers
to the home of a female apostolic community. Depending on the community and
their way of life, the home of the community may also be called a monastery,
priory, abbey, or another name specific to the community. Monastery typically
refers to the home of a contemplative community. Abbey is typically used in
communities of Benedictine extraction. Priory is typically used in mendicant
communities.
Diocesan: a diocesan priest (sometimes called a secular
priest) is ordained to serve in a specific geographical area. A religious
priest is a priest and a member of a religious community. For more on the
distinction, click here.
Divine Office (aka the Liturgy of the Hours): the Liturgy of
the Hours, also known as the Divine Office or the Work of God (Opus Dei), is
the daily prayer of the Church, marking the hours of each day and sanctifying
the day with prayer. Includes Morning Prayer (Lauds in Latin), Midmorning
Prayer (Terce), Midday Prayer (Sext), Mid-afternoon
Prayer (None), Evening Prayer (Vespers), Night Prayer
(Compline), and the Office of Readings (Matins or Vigils). Note: though called "Hours," each Hour does not
take an hour to pray! Typically the individual Hours take between 10 and 30
minutes to pray.
Almost all religious pray either some or all of the Hours
each day. Contemplative communities typically pray all or most of the Hours,
and apostolic communities and priests typically pray at least Lauds and
Vespers.
The Hours are often prayed together in community, but may be
prayed individually as well. The Divine Office may be spoken or sung/chanted.
Evangelical Counsels: poverty, chastity, and obedience.
Habit: the distinctive clothing worn by some religious.
Some, though not all, religious communities wear a habit. Often includes a
tunic-type garment, and, for women, a veil/head-covering. Other religious
communities wear a symbol of their community (e.g. a cross necklace or a pin).
Horarium: old-school monk-speak term, meaning the daily
schedule of a monastic community, which typically stays the same or very
similar every day.
Monastic: having to
do with a monastery or the way of life of monks or nuns. Tends to refer to
contemplative, rather than apostolic, religious life.
Novice: a novice is a person in training to become a
fully-fledged member of a religious community. The novitiate period typically
lasts one - two years. In some communities, a novice has already completed a
time of postulancy (the first stage of formation when one has just entered a
community). After the novitiate period, the person will profess their first
vows.
Before a person enters a community officially as a
postulant, they may complete a time of aspirancy as an aspirant, living with
the community to discern if they feel called to the community's way of life.
Novice Master/Mistress: the community member in charge of
training novices.
Novitiate: refers to the time period of being a novice, to
the novices themselves, and to the building or section of the community home
reserved for members in training.
Refectory: a monastic dining room.
Spiritual director: a person, often a priest or religious,
who helps people discern where God is leading them. As an experienced guide in
the spiritual life, he or she can help bring objectivity to a situation.
Third Order: Laity who affiliate themselves with a religious
Order to share in the spirituality and charism of that Order; also called
tertiaries. Active religious sisters may be called third order regular or third
order conventual.
Typically first order refers to priests/friars, and second
order to nuns.
Vocation: the way in which a person is called to live out
the universal call to holiness.
Vocation Director/Directress: the member of a religious
community who is the contact person for young people interested in becoming
members of their community. They help the young person discern what God is
calling them to.
Vows: religious profess vows of poverty, chastity, and
obedience. Particular communities may have other vows that they require members
to profess (for example, the vow of stability, which is the promise to remain
in one community for the rest of one's life).
....and yes, hebdomadarian is a real word, and it has
nothing to do with camels. It means "The nun or monk whose duty it is to
begin and end the Hours of the Divine Office, and to lead the prayers at the
graces before and after meals."