Two nuns have explained what it’s really like to be ‘brides of Jesus Christ’, talking about everything from what it’s like to leave their families behind and why they’re given new names to how they make ends meet despite not making any money .
Sister Mary Grace and Sister Marie Veritas, who are members of a Catholic religious community known as Sisters of Life in Denver, Colorado, recently sat down together to answer the Internet’s most burning questions about non-capitalism in a series of videos that were shared on YouTube.
They listed some of the ‘sacrifices’ they’ve had to make for their lifestyle – such as not seeing their loved ones as often as they’d like and having to live off people’s donations – but explained why it is still worth it to them, despite the things they have had to give up.
They also explained why they never get lonely despite not being allowed to have a partner – because they have a relationship with Jesus – and gave an insight into what an average day looks like for nuns.
Two nuns have revealed what it’s really like to be ‘brides of Jesus’, opening up about everything from what it’s like to leave their families to how they make ends meet despite not making any money
Sister Mary Grace and Sister Marie Veritas (seen), who are members of a Catholic religious community in Denver, recently took to YouTube to answer the Internet’s most burning questions
When someone asked them, “Do sisters really marry Jesus?” Marie explained, “Yes, we do. It’s true. It’s beautiful and wonderful.’
Mary added: ‘I remember being in an airport once and a lady said to me, ‘I feel so sorry for you, I wish you could get married.’
‘And I thought, “You know what? Actually, I’m (married).” We are here because we fell in love with Jesus.
“Jesus has called each of us in some way to fully belong to Him, and He satisfies every element of the feminine heart and soul.
‘It’s a promise he makes and we experience it. My desire for marriage is actually fulfilled by Jesus and He fulfills it more than I could ever imagine, so it’s legit.”
Mary explained that they adopt habits – the modest ensembles that nuns are famous for – to let the world know that they are married to Jesus. She also revealed that most nuns also wear wedding rings.
‘I am a bride of Christ. I married Jesus,” Marie said. ‘This is my wedding dress. I get to wear my wedding dress every day, it’s a privilege.’
Marie explained that the customs are also “a sign of poverty” because nuns do not have money to “go shopping” like others do.
They have broken down some of the “sacrifices” they have had to make for their lifestyle – such as not seeing their loved ones as often as they would like and having to live off people’s donations.
They also explained why they never get lonely despite not being allowed to have a partner – because they said they have a relationship with Jesus
“That’s where my clothes are – I don’t go shopping, I don’t go to 5th Avenue in New York City,” she continued.
“We actually make our customs in our community, so it’s a sign of true poverty and fully belonging to the Lord in every day.”
When asked how nuns make money, the women explained that they earn no income and rely on the goodness of God and people’s donations “for food and everything else they need.”
“That’s actually how we as Sisters of Life Live get our funding,” she said. ‘It’s really beautiful.’
Mary called it “surreal” to be “totally dependent” on others to make ends meet, adding: “It’s vulnerable and risky.
‘But you see God more clearly in people when you have space for people to provide and you actually need them. It’s really beautiful.’
When someone asked when sisters retire, she revealed that they never stop working because being a nun is not a “career” but “who they are.”
“When you enter religious life, you no longer make money, you don’t have to build a career other than your calling to love,” Mary added.
“You give your whole life to it, so in some ways we retire when we enter the monastery.
‘Being a sister is not about what we do, but about who we are. As individual sisters, we are called to belong fully to Jesus and begin to live the identity for which we were created. There is no expiration date on that.’
When it comes to the “sacrifices” they have had to make, Marie said it is difficult to see their families much “less” but emphasized that despite the “separation”, being nuns “has deepened their relationships with their loved ones ‘. .
“We see our families less, we don’t text or call them all the time, so there’s definitely a separation and that’s a sacrifice,” she said.
‘But the relationship is deepening. It’s like when a woman gets married and goes to live with her husband, she no longer lives with her family.
‘It’s similar to us. We are married to Jesus, so we live in his house, we live with him.”
Mary intervened: ‘We step away from our families to enter into a larger family, because with God there is always more, there is a greater good for which he does it – even in the mystery of the sacrifice he always invites us to do things to bless us.’
The sisters explained that they all live together in a community and that each house has its own ‘chapel’.
‘A lady once said to me: ‘I feel very sorry for you, I wish you could get married.’ And I thought, “Actually, I’m (married).” We are here because we fell in love with Jesus,” Mary said
Mary explained that they put on habits – the modest ensembles that nuns are famous for – to let the world know that they are married to Jesus
“It’s like Jesus living with us,” Marie said, with Mary adding, “It’s such an honor.”
‘The chapel is like the heartbeat of our house, everything flows from it. Our whole life has stabilized around the chapel – it is the first place we go in the morning and the last place we go at night.
“We usually go there in the middle of the day to pray, as if we were with Jesus all day long, because he really is the framework and stability of our lives.”
According to the nuns, every day is different because although they “have a schedule that they live by,” Jesus often “takes over” and changes their plans.
‘I don’t think I’ve ever had a boring day. It’s surprising how rich our lives are,” Mary revealed.
“Every day is so different, even though we have a schedule that we stick to. We get up at 5 am every day and go straight to the chapel to do morning prayers together.
“Then there is usually a mass in our chapel and we have a few hours to carry out the mission entrusted to us.”
Their missions include “evangelism” and “serving pregnant women in crisis pregnancies.”
They also “walk with women who have undergone the experience of abortion” in an effort to teach them “the true tender and infinite mercy of God.”
“That is such a privilege for us sisters, to not only live our lives with Jesus, but also to see Jesus bring life to the people we serve,” Mary added.
‘We spend our day with that, interrupted by moments of prayer. It’s rich.
‘Every evening we have a protected time for an hour after dinner to literally just be together – we can play card games, sometimes we just sit around and enjoy each other’s company, we share joys and sorrows, play music, go for walks.
‘Yesterday we hiked a mountain. The biggest surprises of religious life are how much fun it has been. Receiving the gift of friendship and community life are certainly unexpected gifts as well.”
Marie and Mary said they do not have “personal” cell phones, but are allowed to have landlines and use the “shared” cell phones if necessary.
They also revealed that they will get new names when they become nuns.
When a viewer asked how they were chosen, Mary explained, “God literally put a new name on my heart, very simply and clearly.
“It was that simple, he placed this name on my heart and I knew he was calling me to imitate the Blessed Mother in some way. It’s a mystery, but God gives it literally.’
‘It’s really special. It really comes through prayer. It’s pretty amazing,” Marie shared.