N is for... Nuns!

Ah, Nuns. Brides of Christ. The image of Heaven on Earth, since that is what we will all be in Heaven. What is it about these consecrated women, with only their faces showing, that makes them so beautiful?

My take on it, is that they most perfectly embody femininity at its core (closest to Mary). God designed women, to be receptive. Our bodies are designed this way, and this is a representation of our soul, and therefore, the role we are meant to play in this world. They keep themselves veiled, as perpetual brides of our Lord. They give their lives entirely to be the Lord's handmaids. They lay themselves prostrate and consecrate themselves 100% to Him. They then live, whether they are cloistered or not, detached from the world, and always with their eyes on the infinite.

Nuns exude joy. When one walks into a room, it tends to bring an air of peace, yet also, suddenly everyone stands a little straighter, speaks a little kinder, smiles more. It's not just the stigma of the threat of rulers. They inspire goodness simply because their very appearance lets you know that they are different. It is evident that they are not of this world, and there is s reverence due for that. Even Oprah re-aired her episode with the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist yesterday.

Nuns are a gift to us, as lay women, because we can look to them as models of how to live out our femininity more perfectly. Maybe we don't wear a habit, but do people know what we stand for by the way we carry ourselves? Do we radiate the love and joy of Christ? Are we making enough time for prayer so that we act and react in a peaceful manner?

Thank you Brides of Christ for your sacrifice, for your beautiful example of feminine holiness.