Few things are quite so mysterious as the life of a Catholic nun. We know that nuns wear special clothes and that they live in a monastery, but what exactly do they do every day? In Joy Within His House, Sister Mary Magdalene of the Immaculate Conception, O.P., answers just that question as she shares some of the joys, routines, and oddities of living as a cloistered Dominican nun.
What I appreciated most about the book was the charming and yet grounded way in which Sr. Mary Magdalene explains important aspects of Dominican life, such as prayer, study, penitential practices, government, recreation, and more. Each chapter briefly covers one of these themes, making for a delightfully readable book. As a vowed religious myself, I appreciated her comments and insights about religious life. Most of all, I enjoyed relating to her stories. For example, in describing her first reaction to God’s call to religious life she writes, “What? Me? What a crazy idea! Utterly nuts!” Then she continues, “Initially, I was terrified. But I began to pray about it and realized that if this was indeed what God wanted for me, then I wanted it too” (11–12).
But this book is not just for religious brothers and sisters. Sister Mary Magdalene is keen to show how monastic wisdom is relevant for all Catholics. Throughout the Church’s history, monasteries have always been centers of Catholic learning and spirituality. As monks and nuns drink from the streams of divine grace and wisdom, they bear spiritual fruit, which they hand on to the world. Sister Mary Magdalene demonstrates this tradition perfectly in her book. 
Take her description of monastic enclosure, an aspect of monastic life seemingly irrelevant for lay people.Yet she writes, “but lay people can and should also carve out a ‘sacred space’ for prayer, a place where you can be alone to encounter the Word, free from worldly distractions. For example, if you can’t find a church or adoration chapel, then make a designated spot in your home, or a quiet bench outside your work that you can visit during breaks, etc.” (172). The whole book is full of similar insights drawing from the deep wisdom of the Dominican monastic tradition.
One of the more surprising and special features of the book is the photography. The nuns allowed a professional photographer to enter their cloister and photograph the nuns in their daily routine. Through these rare, high quality photos, we not only read about the life of a cloistered nun, but we get to see it too. The images reveal the beautiful simplicity and deep joy of religious life. They remind us that nuns are human beings too, just ones that have embraced a supernatural calling and way of life.
Joy Within His House is a delightful book. I recommend it to any hoping to deepen their spiritual life with practical tips and time-tested wisdom. This book is also a helpful resource for anyone looking to understand religious life better, whether for someone actively considering a vocation or perhaps for friends and family trying to make sense of a religious vocation in their midst. Religious life, especially that of cloistered nuns, is a deep mystery of God’s grace and love, but as Sr. Mary Magdalene of the Immaculate Conception shows us, religious life also embraces the ordinary to transfigure it in joy.
You can purchase a copy of Joy Within His House here. Please also consider supporting the nuns here.
