Am I being called?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kima
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
K

Kima

Guest
Hi.

I’m a young girl, and I have been Catholic for one and a half year. During the former weeks I have begun to think about becoming a part of the secular fransicans. I feel like I should help the poor in some sort of way, and to become a part of a group like that would probably help me to become more active with helping them.

What I’m unsure of is whether I should commit to it. Sometimes the thought of it being too much reaches me, but the thought of pursuing a life like they do, tend to give me a feeling of joy once every while. At the same time I have my doubts.

I seek to do something meaningful with my life, which I consider this to be. At the same time I want to have a secular job, be married and have kids someday. I wonder on whether I’m too young to consider making such a disicion, but I sometimes feel joy when thinking of it.

Only my godfather knows about this, and how I’m considering it in a serious way, since I prefer not to tell most people I know when I haven’t really made up my mind yet.

Do any of you have something to say or any thoughts that could help me figure out whether I should choose this path or not? I don’t know exactly how it’s to be called to do choose something for your life, but I know for sure the feeling of wanting to do such things. Do you think I’m called to do this? Or at least, how can I understand what God wants for me?

Anyway, thank you so much for hearing me out. On beforehand, thanks for all comments 🙂 God bless you all!
 
Continue to pray about what vocation you are called to. I played Priest growing up and said mass in my living room almost daily. I wanted to be a priest for years. But once I got to around 18YO or so I started to think about being called to marriage more and more. Now a few years later at 20YO I am very sure I am called to marriage.

Pray about your discernment, you are too young to make any decisions on it so just keep praying on it. If you want to be married you are probably called to it. You can be married AND be a lay secular member in different orders. I have multiple family members who are lay secular carmelites and Dominicans
 
Okay, that’s fine. I converted to Catholicism at the year I turned fiftheen, which is a little more than one and a half year ago. I have almost always been serious about faith, which is probably why I start considering these things at such an early age.
 
Kima said:
I’m a young girl, and I have been Catholic for one and a half year.
Click to expand...
spend some “time in the pew” as a daily Catholic, and ponder in your heart what you are feeling…I am a Franciscan at heart, but have made a conscious, prayerful decision not become a Secular Franciscan…when I read the rule of the 3rd Order, I realized I can still live as a Franciscan without formation into the order.
Kima said:
I seek to do something meaningful with my life
Click to expand...
You can do much meaningful things with your life, whether you join an order or not.

Please don’t take my comments as criticism of the Secular Order, I only mean it to present the truth that we can live the Gospel, and the rule of the order, without formal acceptance into the order.

You vocation may very well be just to live the Gospel…and who could do anything more meaningful with their life?

Rejoice always, and Peace and all good!
 
At this point, I am sure the secular Franciscans would enjoy having you work with them, but they will not allow you to commit to anything until at least 18 and maybe even older.
 
If you’re thinking about it it may actually be something God wants you to try. Would it be so awful if you tried it to see how it works out for you?

Mostly we don’t seem to hear a great booming voice calling us to do this or that, not like St Francis who heard God say “repair my church.” Now Francis rebuilt the ruins church he was in and only later realised that God may have meant repair my Church! The Catholic Church! I believe God calls us, gently, subtley, quietly like a soft breeze blowing through the reeds. Maybe you do hear Him.
God bless and help you on your great adventures.
 
Frequent daily mass if you can and pray the Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet every few days at least if you can, and try to read through the Bible, perhaps start with the entire Gospel of Mark if you haven’t yet.

That’s what I would suggest, and also keep St. Ann, St. Raphael, and St. Valentine in your prayers. They are great Saints to ask for advice on helping to find your future spouse if God is calling you to marriage.
 
I have 3 suggestions for you:
  1. Pray, pray, pray! Discern about your vocation.
  2. Speak to your priest and vocations director about this.
  3. Watch Fr. Mike Schmitz’s videos on vocations and discernment.
    God bless you so that He may reveal your vocation to you!
 
One advantage to having an interest in a group like the Secular Franciscans is that they have a long period of formation before you make a permanent commitment. If you are attracted to them, get in touch with your closest group and ask if you can start attending their meetings. It will give you a chance to learn something about them and start to discern if this is the direction you are called.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top