These words from the sacrament of ordination for the Carthusian monks have some interesting insight into the vocation of marriage:
Question: "What do you ask for?"
Answer: "Grace"
Response:"As the most humble servant of God, are you ready to adopt the monastic way of life as the way in which God will lead your souls to the inner holiness?
Where he will reveal his inner holiness to you?
And let you commune with him?
You are now at God's disposal alone in everlasting prayer, solitude and joyful penance."
As a wife & mother, marriage is my path for inner holiness, revelation of God, and communion with the Holy Trinity. My chances for solitude are more limited than that of a monk. Yet I can still aim for more quietness in my small domestic church. I can also strive for a life with more prayer and joyful penance.
