The young postulant who arrives at the Abbey doors seeking peace . . . well . . . that girl is seldom invited to the Abbey doors.

         After many consultations with the Mother Prioress, the Abbess, and members of the community, carried out in observance of strict enclosure with all communication through the grille, one of the chief determinations regards the nature of the quest. The applicant must have an understanding that the nuns are not assembled to pursue peace, although they do typically find it.

         A word of explanation. The Sisters are not enclosed in order to enjoy peace and quiet, away from the business of life. The quiet they may enjoy aids their search for the fullness of Jesus Christ, but if the monastery is in Manhattan, they seek Him there, horns honking, tires squealing. It has been reported that big-city monasteries do find “quiet,” wonderfully, and as the residents achieve it, peace prevails.

         Nuns are not enclosed in order to float blissfully through life on a cloud of silence; they maintain silence whatever their surroundings in order to direct their souls more deeply into the heart of God. We in Cor Unum may experiment with “peace” day by day, if we will. Tomorrow, we’ll discover one of the single best ways to go about it.

pollobarca2, Wikipedia