The day after my clothing ceremony, all the choir garments (the cloaks of the novices and simple professed sisters as well as the cowls of the sisters with solemn profession) were sent to the laundry. So, for all the prayer times, we only wore the habit. Little by little, the choir garments returned, and today, on the church dedication day, "choir garment" was posted on the bulletin board for the first time again. This meant I had the privilege of wearing my cloak once more.
I love the cloak. It's made of wonderfully smooth fabric, and you can really sweep through with flying banners. Even after I had taken it off, I still felt as though it was enveloping me for quite some time. And that is the key word: enveloping. The wide cloak is a symbol of God's wide and encompassing love, surrounding us from all sides. He wraps us in His grace and blessing.
With our clothing, we aim to make visible what sustains us day by day. At the same time, it constantly reminds us of this mystery and, through the external, leads us inwardly to God. To an encounter with the living God.
This is one of the things I find so wonderful about monastic life. Nothing is "just because." Everything has its meaning, its deeper significance. And everything is directed toward helping us grow in our relationship with God. To mature and become the people God sees in us. To reach our ultimate goal: holiness.
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