A view from the Poor Clare Monastery in Great Falls, Montana.

Here is a third post from Sister Lynn Mousel, CHM,  in our series "The Youngest Nun:"

If I’m going to share about my life as a Sister of Humility,some details of my daily routine would be a good place to start.There are three main aspects of religious life that I have in mind as I structure my time--prayer, ministry and community life.

In regard to prayer, I have found that I pray best first thing in the morning. On work days I get up at 5:30 am, make a cup of coffee and start with 30 minutes of private prayer. I love the stillness and quiet of the early morning. This prayer time never fails to give me strength and energy.

A five minute pause during the lunch break with my office door closed just to be quiet and centered for the rest of the work day is a valuable break. In the evening, my housemates and I use the People’s Companion to the Breviary compiled by the Indianapolis Carmelite sisters to pray the liturgy of the hours together.

I live with Sister Johnelle and Lissie and we belong to Saint Ann’s, the cathedral parish in Great Falls. I love the sense of community that comes from worshipping with the same group of people week after week. It would be wonderful to go to mass every day, but with my ministry schedule, it simply isn’t feasible, however, I am usually able to go to a daily mass once a week. 

An important part of my prayer life is longer periods of time set apart every so often for contemplation, reflection and nurturing my relationship with God. There is a Poor Clare Monastery  at the edge of Great Falls, which is a spiritually nourishing place for me. I love looking out the windows of my room at the mountains in the distance. I visit the monastery on a monthly basis for a day of quiet or even an overnight. Meeting with a spiritual director on a regular basis has also been helpful in my spiritual journey.

Watch for future posts regarding the two other main aspects of my religious life: ministry and community.