TO EXPLORE THE ROLE OF THE RELIGIOUS WOMAN IN THE CHURCH IN OUR TIME - Volume 37 - Issue 6

Sep 28, 2026

February 1966 issue of “Sisters Today” focusing on the role of the religious woman within the Church in contemporary life. It frames the religious life as facing a challenging appraisal that can either preserve the status quo or be welcomed as renewal by God’s Spirit. The core argument examines the meaning of time in the religious vocation, emphasizing time as responsibility, redemption of time, communal and personal obligations, and the formative purpose of daily horarium through prayer, work, leisure, and attentive choice.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryReligion & Spirituality

FormatPDF

Pages48

Reading Time2 h 1 min

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TO EXPLORE THE ROLE OF THE RELIGIOUS WOMAN IN THE CHURCH IN OUR TIME

Time: Gift and Responsibility

A Renewal Program in Practice

Poem

Bulletin Board

Book Reviews

SISTERS TODAY IT IS ONLY WHEN ONE LOVES LIFE AND THEEARTH,THAT ONE CAN BELIEVE IN THERESURRECTION AND A NEW WORLD SISTERS TODAY # TO EXPLORE THE ROLE OF THE RELIGIOUS WOMANIN THE CHURCH IN OUR TIME FEBRUARY 1966 VOLUME 37 NUMBER 6 Time:Gift and Responsibility 183Sister M.Gerard,S.C.M.M. Poverty,Dependence and Destitution 193Sister Teresa Margaret,O.C.D. # A Renewal Program in Practice 201Sister Victrice,O.S.F. Poem 207William Stafford Bulletin Board 208 Book Reviews 212 NIHIL OBSTAT:Reinold Theisen,O.S.B.,Censor Deputatus IMPRIMATUR: Peter W.Bartholome,D.D.,Episcopus Sancti Clodoaldi Published monthly by monks of Saint John's Abbey,Collegeville,Minnesota.Editor:Rev.Ronald Roloff,O.S.B.Book Review Editor:Rev.Myron Kasprick,O.S.B.Poetry Editor:Rev.Raymond Roseliep.Cover Design:Fr.CajetanPalluck,O.S.B.Indexed in the Catholic Periodical Index. Address all correspondence except poetry to Sisters Today,Saint John's Abbey,Collegeville,Minnesota,56321.(Checks payable to Sisters Today.)Poetryshould be sent to Rev.Raymond Roseliep,Loras College,Dubuque,Iowa,52003.All manuscripts should be accompanied by self-addressed envelope and postage. 1 year $2.50;2 years $4.00;single copy 25 cents.Sterling area(exceptAustralia):1 year 18s;2 years 29s;single copy 1s 11d.Australia:1 year23s;2 years 37s;single copy 2s3d.Agent for India:Asian Trading Cor-poration,Post Box No.1505,Bombay-1.Printed by Sentinel Publishing Com-pany,413 East St.Germain Street,Saint Cloud,Minnesota.(Do not sendmail to this address.)Second Class postage paid at Saint Cloud,Minnesota. Time:Gift and Responsibility SISTER M.GERARD,S.C.M.M. Today we are witnessing one of the most challenging and far-reaching appraisals of the religious life yet to be made in the historyof the Church.Religious can accept this challenge defensively,expending all their energies on maintaining the“status quo”;orthey can welcome it as yet another instance of God's Spirit coming"to renew the face of the earth."The real tragedy would be toignore the challenge,to refuse to enter into a dialogue with thequestioning world.This would be to by-pass a "moment"in historywhich may not come again.It would certainly be to miss a God-given opportunity for a deeper understanding and a more sincereliving of the religious life in the world as it exists and needs tobe saved today. There are many and varied aspects of the appraisal.This paperwill concern itself with only one of them,but a very basic andimportant one:the meaning of time in the religious life.We aresuggesting here that among the many aspects of the religious lifewhich need re-thinking and re-orientating the question of the dailyhorarium is a most urgent and a most practical one.What we doevery day is what we do with our life.So it is important how wedistribute our time,and even more important how we understandits meaning.For time does have a meaning,and the hours we giveto prayer,to work,to leisure,may or may not add up to the fullestexpression of their meaning,may or may not achieve the richestdevelopment of their purpose.So much will depend on under-standing the principles. The first principle we must be convinced about is that timeis responsibility.When Saint Paul tells us that“we must redeemthe time”he means precisely that.We are responsible for thetime God gives us.He expects us to make good use of it,religiousas well as lay Christians.Indeed,since religious life is meant tobe the best example of the Christian life,this sense of responsibilityin the use of time ought to be especially keen in religious,withoutanxiety of course,but with a deep personal conviction and com- mitment.Christ's redemption of time must be continued in hismembers,in us.We are responsible for carrying on in the worldtoday the sacred history begun in Christ,of making our momentsfit the pattern he left us. The religious horarium does not put an end to this Christianresponsibility.The"bell for exercises"does not mean that I nolonger hav

FAQs

What does the article say about the challenge facing the religious life in the Church?

It presents a far-reaching appraisal of the religious life, urging religious women to either defend the status quo or welcome renewal as God’s Spirit coming “to renew the face of the earth.” The tragedy would be ignoring the challenge and refusing dialogue with the questioning world.

How is time described in the religious life?

Time is defined as responsibility. The article links this to Saint Paul’s idea to “redeem the time,” explaining that religious and lay Christians are responsible for the time God gives and must make good use of it.

Why does the article address the daily horarium?

It argues that understanding the meaning of time is urgent and practical, since prayer, work, and leisure may or may not express their full meaning. The horarium must not replace personal thinking and commitment, because religious still carry communal and personal responsibility.

Sep 28, 2026

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