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A Right to Be Merry
Can the hidden, silent life of a cloistered nun be a fulfilling one—let alone, to use the whimsical word of Christ himself, a merry one? In the pithy and profound pages of A Right to Be Merry , Mother Mary Francis, P.C.C., reveals the the crosses and the joys of that cloistered life. Only those who have actually lived the cloistered life can fully appreciate how intertwined are the lives of contemplative nuns. Their hearts may be as “wide as the universe and bottomless as eternity,” yet in the practical details of daily life they must operate and cooperate, work and pray, suffer and celebrate, all within a strict enclosure and all for the sanctification of the world. Removed from this world, they still have “as great a right to be merry as any lady in the world.” “Hidden away from the glare and noise of worldly living,” Mother Mary Francis writes, “we are enclosed in the womb of Holy Church. I walk down the cloisters, and my heart moves to a single Lord, it is good, so good to be here!”
204 pages, Paperback
Published December 6, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 26, 2026
A delightful and captivating peek into the Poor Clare cloister. Their life is one of apparent sorrows, but also many hidden joys! As one who has been a lifelong devotee of the Carmelites, it was really nice to get to know Poor Clares in this book as well, and see that their lives of contemplative prayer and love of God are not so different. 🤎
March 6, 2026
A beautiful book I have read over and over and over. light enough in content but still has profound moments. M. Mary Francis is such a humorous author, I found myself giggling at many points while reading, even for the tenth time.
February 16, 2023
The title of A Right to Be Merry is a reference to the life of Margery Kempe: “Our Lord told Margery Kempe, the anchoress of Lynn, that her enclosed life of union with Him gave Him the greatest satisfaction, and it gave her ‘as great a right to be merry as any lady in the world.’ “
This is such a bright, sweet book! It was written before Vatican II and is an intimate and often humorous look at the life of cloistered Poor Clare nuns in Roswell, NM. I think that “merry” is the perfect adjective. Mother Mary Francis had such a warm way of writing that was both challenging and inspiring; her words are full of so much spiritual insight. Even though I am not called to religious life, I still find so much of what she says about life in the cloister applicable to my life as a wife and mother. I have never been very interested in St. Francis or St. Clare (I tend to gravitate towards the Carmelites), but Mother Mary Francis wrote so beautifully about both of them and their spirituality that I fell in love with them while reading this book. I loved it so much that I immediately bought a copy for a friend’s daughter that I sponsored for confirmation. I can’t wait to share it with my 12 yo daughter when she is a bit older.
This is such a bright, sweet book! It was written before Vatican II and is an intimate and often humorous look at the life of cloistered Poor Clare nuns in Roswell, NM. I think that “merry” is the perfect adjective. Mother Mary Francis had such a warm way of writing that was both challenging and inspiring; her words are full of so much spiritual insight. Even though I am not called to religious life, I still find so much of what she says about life in the cloister applicable to my life as a wife and mother. I have never been very interested in St. Francis or St. Clare (I tend to gravitate towards the Carmelites), but Mother Mary Francis wrote so beautifully about both of them and their spirituality that I fell in love with them while reading this book. I loved it so much that I immediately bought a copy for a friend’s daughter that I sponsored for confirmation. I can’t wait to share it with my 12 yo daughter when she is a bit older.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews