Get thee to a nunnery

Ann entered the contemplative Dominican monastery of Our Lady of Grace in Connecticut Friday. It�s scary. She was an English major and a poet, and she gave away all but 15 of her books, and gave her car to her stepsister. It�s a big step, and she�s had a lot of people tell her she�s being stupid, but I think people just can�t understand permanent commitments these days, and I hope all goes well with her exploration. It�s not like she�s already a nun, she still has a few years to find out if this is the right path for her. In honor of her and of Jason down in Bolivia, my entry today will be from last semester.

February 7, 2002

Later at dinner, Jason told Ann he had some realizations he wanted to tell her about. Russell said he wanted to hear too, but Jason said that they weren�t very interesting. Russell left while I was still eating, but Jason and Ann stayed.

�I realized today when reading the Psalms that they were quite beautiful,� Jason said. �And I thought that it would be a good life to just read them over and over.�

I wanted to tell him that in the Middle Ages a man wasn�t thought properly educated unless he had memorized the Psalms, but I kept quiet.

�And I realized something about myself,� Jason said. �I was reading a sermon and it had a quote from St. Francis De Sales about the monastic life. I�ve felt guilty for wanting that life, when it seems like we should apostolic, but really, you are doing something for the world by being a monk, and the highest thing in life is to love and glorify God.�

Ann agreed exactly, and they talked about it some more. �I wonder if everyone feels this way, or if we�re weird,� Ann said. �This longing for God.�

�I�ve had people tell me I need to get over it,� Jason said.

�People get distracted,� I said.

Jason and Ann agreed. I love them both, pilgrim souls.