That takes us to the big ticket items that most people know, which are universal for all nuns: the vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience.
Nuns' vow of chastity gets a lot of attention, as it's understandably difficult for most folks to accept and imagine. As Sister Julie says on A Nun's Life blog, sexual relationships are prohibited, no matter how much desired. Even though, she admits, sex is "a powerful experience of union and love," nuns elect to express their love in non-sexual ways like community service, prayer and devotional activities, and communing with the divine in a more universal way. The phrases "married to Jesus" or "Brides of Christ" are often invoked in this case.
A vow of poverty may be equally difficult to imagine, but Sister Monica Clare Powell (born Claudette Monica Powell) does a good job of explaining it on a YouTube video. If you've ever felt swallowed by the emptiness of a consumerist life and the hollow, unending appropriation of meaningless goods, then the idea of living simply might sound appealing. And that's what it really is, as A Nun's Life blog again explains: a "vow of poverty, not destitution." Pare down, dial it back. Own your own soap, of course, but detach yourself from material things in lieu of spiritual things (a sentiment shared by numerous other faiths).
And finally: obedience. Obedience to what? Well, as Ask a Catholic explains, to a life lived in imitation of Jesus.
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