"Joy Within His House: A Cloistered Nun's Reflections on Following Christ"
Sister Mary Magdalene of the Immaculate Conception Prewitt, Our Sunday Visitor (2025)
264 pages, $27.95
The life of nuns can easily captivate the imagination of Catholics and non-Catholics alike from the stories St. Thérèse of Lisieux shares in "Story of a Soul" to the fascinating dynamics of the monastery in "The Sound of Music."
The idea of women, especially in the prime of their lives, walking away from family, independence and even the possibility of material success to devote themselves entirely to God seems confounding.
In "Joy Within His House: A Cloistered Nun's Reflections on Following Christ," Sister Mary Magdalene of the Immaculate Conception Prewitt, a Dominican nun of the Monastery of Our Lady of the Rosary in Summit, New Jersey, provides an inside look at life in the cloister, sharing lessons learned from personal experience and the centuries of wisdom that inform the structure of daily life behind the grille.
Dominican nuns follow the Rule of St. Augustine from around the year 400, shaped by the life of St. Dominic and applied to their specific community through their constitutions. The author outlines many practicalities that may plague readers' curiosities, such as the physical layout of the convent, the daily schedule (called an "horarium") and the types of foods eaten at each meal. In a life centered on simplicity and the singular pursuit of holiness, everything is intentional.
The nuns at the Monastery of Our Lady of the Rosary are known for the soaps they produce and sell in their gift shop and online. But unlike most businesses, they are not attempting to please investors or capture an untapped market. Even their work, while it does financially support the community, is an act of prayer and participation in the very work of God with the sole intention of sanctification.
Interspersed with honest descriptions of community life, explorations of the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, obedience and more, Sister Mary Magdalene shares some of her own spiritual breakthroughs and how the rationale behind many of the specifics of cloistered life may hold lessons for those of us "on the outside." Her gentle encouragement to practice self-control, remain faithful to obligations and not compromise on time set apart for prayer are the loving offerings of a spiritual mother and bride of Christ.
The chapter on prayer in the monastery is particularly profound as Sister Mary Magdalene shares the missionary aspect of contemplative prayer where the nuns hold the needs of the world in their hearts as they live in a silence that might frighten most people.
She shares story after story of remembering intentions mailed to the monastery in the middle of the night, praying while working for individuals who have stopped by the chapel and even bringing before the Lord the names of people she knew in elementary school. Her sincerity of heart is a blessed assurance that the world is being held in prayer constantly before God.
The printed book includes dozens of photographs by Jeffrey Bruno, capturing the beauty described in its pages. Along with appendices describing the process of becoming a nun and common vocabulary from cloistered life, readers will walk away with a better understanding of the contemplative religious vocation, inspired to adapt some of its wisdom for their own vocation and state in life.
The Second Vatican Council identified religious profession as a sign to all the faithful of the promise of heaven, a reminder that the culmination of the Christian life is complete dependence upon and union with God. "Joy Within His House" is a gift to the church, breaking open that sign and inviting readers to pursue holiness with intentionality.
