Volume 3, Issue 3

March

2010

Special points of interest:

Cover Story: My Son or

Daughter has a Vocation!

Now what?

Series 3 of 3

Listen with the Ear of Your

Heart

Social Networking...What’s

one to do? Facebook, Twitter,

Myspace, Blogs and now

Farmville plus others galore!

Here’s a thought on one

more…

Vocation Visit Opportunities

The Gatekeeper

S t. S cholastica Monaster y For t S mith, Ar ka nsas

My Daughter or Son has a Vocation! ‘Now What’?

Inside this issue:

To Grow:

Sister Madeline Clifton, OSB

Vocation Visit Opportunities

Vocation Happenings

Benedictine Bookends:

What a monastic Reads

Social Networking; Here is

thought for one more!

2

2

3

3

Vocation Ministry Retreats &

4

Monastic Word of the Month

lost. And just what special, and ask God for it when

are some of these the Blessed Sacrament is exposed,

duties?

it is nearly always granted. If you

Someone

once vocations to your family? Strive to

said, you have to

use the right kind

of BAIT. That is

true.

By BAIT what is

m e a n t

i s

P R A Y E R ,

TRAINING

and

This

article

was

presented by Mr. Ben

Schroeder, father of

Sisters

Barbara,

Stephanie and Regina

Schroder of our com-

munity. Mr. Schroe-

der, a native of Wind-

thorst, Texas, was the

father

of

eleven.

Among these children

he was blessed to

have 4 daughters and

one son join religious life. Mr.

Schroeder gave this presentation

to the Knights of Columbus prior

to his death in 1984.

―Andy called by telephone the

other night and said that he was

in trouble and needed help.

I

then asked if I could be of any

help to him, He said, ‗You sure

can.‘ He asked if I would say a

few words on vocations, so here

we are.

What I am going to say does

not pertain to any particular per-

son or family, it concerns every-

one. We all know that there is a

great need for vocations to the

religious life, for priests, sisters

and brothers.

These vocations

must come from the family.

Every parent must be willing to

make this sacrifice, should God

call one or more of their children.

We all know that a vocation is a

gift from God. It is the duty of

parents to see that this gift is not

are present why not ask God for

teach your children to do without

some of the worldly things before

they leave for college, seminary or

convent. It is hard enough for a

child to be away from home with-

out having to learn to deny them-

selves of so many worldly pleas-

ures.

How many parents have taken

their children to a day that a com-

munity is celebrating profession?

If not, it would be wonderful if you

would let the children see what it

really means to offer yourself to

Almighty God. If our young girls

only knew what happiness is wait-

ing for them when they become

brides of Christ. And also our

young men to be another Christ.

God gives special graces to those

who answer His call—COME

FOLLOW ME.

It is up to parents to make big

sacrifices and God will bless those

who do. These are just some of the

duties parents should do. Uncles,

Aunts and Classmates (and other

mentors) all should help to encour-

age the one who tries to answer the

calling. And when profession day

comes try to be present and cele-

brate. You will be glad you did.‖

EXAMPLE in the home. Prayer is

the request or plea. Training is the

instruction, and Example is the

pattern or model. How often do

we hear unpleasant remarks made

of the pastor

or sisters right in

your own home? Even with the

children present? When this hap-

pens we are destroying a vocation,

and the possible calling of your

own child.

We must ask God‘s help to see

that we can fulfill our duties to-

ward vocation. We cannot expect

to get everything the easy way.

We must do things according to

the teachings of religious duties.

These duties come first.

How often does it happen on

Sunday evening when there is

Benediction there are few people

in church and even fewer chil-

dren? How can we expect God‘s

blessing if we don‘t encourage —Ben Schroeder, Parent of Sisters

being at Church? Did you know Barbara, Stephanie & Regina.

that if you want something really

A new creation.

This newness is bought at a great price…

The price of

tears...separation...confrontation...decisions.

It is like the precious pearl, the healing oint-

ment, the cedar of Lebanon. It is a rebirth, a

plunging into the depths of suffering, a rising

to the heights of ecstasy.

It is to be a pilgrim on the way

To be centered in faith and hope

To be anchored in love. To grow is to become.

—Sr. Madeline Clifton, OSB

To grow is to experience

New feelings

New awakenings

New Life.

It is to stand before the Lord of Creation with

an enriched sense of wonder and awe with a

renewed spirit of justice and love with a

deeper knowledge of the mysteries of life. To

grow is to change—it is a becoming.

A new being

A new creature

Sister Madeline Clifton, OSB

~Vocation Opportunities~

We invite you to Come & See Weekends

and other opportunities to get to know us

here at St. Scholastica!

Monastic Volunteer Opportunities

(Anytime)

Shadow A Sister Day (Anytime)

Alternative Spring Break (Colleges Only)

Benedictine Bowling & Balance (Teens)

School and Parish Visits (When requested)

Are you thinking about a vocation?

Here are some terrific opportunities to come

and get to know the Sisters of St. Scholas-

tica Monastery.

All it takes is some time, a suitcase and your-

self!

Come and See Weekends are scheduled to

meet the inquirer‘s needs. Have a particular

time that you want to come and visit? Let us

know!

Not sure of the Step to take? Try on the

Sister’s Shoes. March 26-28, 2010

Lectio Divina Day Retreat: For Discern-

ers March 20, 2010

Movies, Monastic Life and Me Weekend

April 23-25, 2010

How God Calls: Sacred Listening to One’s

Own Vocation: May 14-16, 2019

Consider your Call Retreat July 8-13, 2010

Observership Program: (For serious discern-

ers only) Scheduled on individual basis.

Page 2

The Gatekeeper

TO GROW: A Reflection by Sister Madeline Clifton

Listen, with the Ear of your Heart...

The greatest service that any hu-

man being ever performs for an-

other.

—Douglas Steere

From Gleanings: A Random Harvest

To ‘Listen’

Another’s soul

Into a condi-

tion of

disclosure

and discovery

May be almost

intrigued me and piqued my

interest in such a way that I was

not at all let down by the words

and experiences as told by the

author. No matter the chapter,

whether messy, in meeting the

resister, or facing odd disciple-

ship or encountering God’s

annoying love— Jesus is there.

I honestly cannot say I favor

one chapter over another. But I

guess if I had to make a choice

I would say that chapter four on

―The Ugliness of Rejection‖ and

chapter five on ―Odd Disciple-

ship‖ touched the heart of my own messiness

in a way that I could get at and claim well. I

do know that each paragraph led me to see that

God is in it all and we do not have to be

squeaky clean to find Him.

The text as given by Michael Yaconelli and

the tribute as delivered by Karla, his wife, in

2007 are enough to grab a reader and keep

them in the book until, well—you see yourself

among the words composed there. If you find

the world a bit lopsided and see yourself be-

ing tilted along with it take some time to wan-

der into the state of Messy Spirituality, a place

of reassurance that life even when broken and

littered with uncertainty, obligations and dis-

tractions will still be wonderfully messy but

with God gratefully in the mix.

—Sr. Kimberly Rose Prohaska, OSB

Messy Spirituality. What a great

title for a book. Messy Spirituality

seemed to fit me like a glove. I often

thought that those who had it all

together in life must have a spiritual

life that was all nice and neat and

exceedingly organized and wonder-

fully extraordinary. I wanted to be

this but all too often I fall and come

up short.

The text by Michael Yaconelli is

pleasingly real and shows us that

God works with the messy as much as the

multi-tasker of neatness. When I was intro-

duced to this book I admit the title certainly

Social Networking: Let’s offer Vocationville!

want to know more about religious life had an

opportunity to virtually vocation themselves?

Can a Vocationville happen? I suppose in

some ways it already does. Those who are

thinking about religious life and the call are

looking for ways to connect with communities

that might offer a sense of prayer, belonging,

service, and peace.

There is a sense of anonymity that happens

with social networking that can allow some-

one to be just who they are as they are and yet

with some it is a way to be what they are not.

This can happen not just in social networking

but with potential discerners as well, as they

want to put their best foot forward when meet-

ing a community for the first time. It is hard to

allow the vulnerable be seen while striving for

acceptance and this is true both in the virtual

and actual worlds of trying to connect with

another.

Vocation seekers today have so much at their

disposal and with communities looking

for healthy and age appropriate candi-

dates to join them it‘s harder still. De-

mands are to be met and all too often

one must choose what is the better for

right now, and sometimes we sacrifice

what is better for what is accepted or

expected. The world says one thing, the heart

often another. Does God not say, my ways are

not your ways? So how can we make God‘s

way ours?

It may not be Vocationville. A virtual place

to discern to take time with God that doesn‘t

allow a certain sense of risk– to entertain the

sacred is not to encounter the sacred.

How might I find God in even the social

networking of my life? It depends on how real

or how virtual we want to go.

If there were a Vocationville, I would hope it

would contain more than meta based figures

and places that only seem genuine. I would

hope that a seeker of the heart of God would

play Vocationville the real version that never

has

to

be

rebooted,

later

upgraded,

downloaded or texted or messaged other than

in the actual network of life, the life in which

we are given to share with God and yes with

one another. What greater network is there?

So the question is:

How will you play Vocationville?

—Sr. Kimberly R Prohaska, OSB

Volume 3, Issue 3

Page 3

BENEDICTINE BOOKENDS: What a Monastic Reads

Messy Spirituality By Michael Yaconelli

Okay, there are few of us who have not en-

tered into the world of social networking. Its

as common now as microwaves are to popcorn

or DVD‘s to HD television. Technology is to

chat and to text and to IM and stay connected

in someway shape or form with others. It can

be overwhelming to the non-techno of the

twenty-first century.

In the arena of social networking there are all

forms of activity to be found. From the virtual

to the actual people are playing a part in net-

works all over the cyber globe. Ways to inter-

act with others on real time continuum or not

it‘s all there. One of the most popular ways of

networking is Farmville, Yoville, and even

Petville. Yep, handle your own farm, your

own place, your own pet. This networking

form has been interesting and fun and yet I

know somehow there has to be more to it all.

How can we network on a deeper level? Some

how there must be a way to take a break from

the hectic pace of life and somehow make a

difference. I have an idea and its just that—

an idea. In the area of social net working I

would like to offer an opportunity for those

who seek something more.

What about Vocationville? I think we may

be on to something here. What if those who

Come and See Monastic Experience

For Women and Men ages 18-45

July 8-13, 2010

St. Scholastica Monastery

1301 S. Albert Pike Ave.

Fort Smith, Arkansas 72903

To attend this annual summer retreat con-

tact:

Sr. Kimberly R. Prohaska at 479-783-4147

Monastic Word of the Month

Contemplation

‘The act of contemplating; thoughtful observation,

full or deep consideration, reflection, religious con-

templation, purpose or intention, prospect or inten-

tion.’

St. S cholastica M onaster y

For t Smith, Arkansas

1301 S. Albert Pike

Fort Smith, Arkansas 72903

Phone: 479-783-4147

Fax: 479-782-4352

Cell: 903-283-3132

E-mail: vocationdirector@stscho.org

Check out our website!

Http://www.stscho.org

The Gatekeeper

Vol. 3

No. 3

Gatekeeper is published quarterly by the vocation office of St. Scholas-

tica Monastery PO Box 3489 Fort Smith, Arkansas 72913. Vocation

Department Email: vocationdirector@stscho.org Telephone:

479.783.4147.

Anyone is welcome to be on our mailing list at no charge.

Sr. Kimberly Rose Prohaska…Editor, Design, Photos, Circulation

Sr. Elise Forst……………………….Advisor, Copy Editor

Sr. Madeline Clifton………..……….Contributor

Mr. Schroeder & Schroeder Sisters….Contributors

Do you know a woman we’d like to know?

Does she have listening heart-like ours?

A Heart filled with passion for being a God seeker?

We are Benedictine Sisters:

Committed to seeking God, rooted in a rich monastic tradition. Women who seek to be a voice for

the voiceless—by living a life balanced in hospitality, simplicity, and in the wisdom of the Gospel.

We join together in prayer, community life and service to help create a loving world! Come live out

our 20/20 vision by sharing in our dream of being a prophetic and contemplative community!

Please share with women

information about the sisters of

St. Scholastica!

Write, or Call today!

Do you know a woman who would like to know more about us?

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