AM I WAY ahead of myself or what?

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rturner76

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I felt this calling to the Catholic cloth a few months ago that was so strong I know for a fact all or part of it has come directly from God. When God spoke to me He said “I want you to get to know me, get to know my people.” I have had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge of the Catholic Church since that moment. It is an absolut obsession. When I had this very clear thought which truly felt like God speaking to me directly, I was looking at a vocation website. It was something I heard and I felt in my bones and deep in my soul. The thing is, I’ve never been Catholic my whole life. My mom was as a child but she never taught any of it to me. She said “why don’t you go to mass and see how you like it.” I LOVE it, it’s like I feel as if I have finally found out why I was put on Earth and I’m not an impulsive person like that. I just feel a calling that’s more like a pulling to dicernment. I got a mentor and I’m studying to take Catholic vows NEXT YEAR. As I missed RCIA for this year.

To make a long story longer. I am taking things one step at a time. Getting aquainted with the Church, learning what I can, meeting other Catholics, volunteering as I can at the Parish. My long winded question is: am I way ahead of myself to even be thinking about a vocation in the Catholic Church? I don’t have anything in mind but whatever I’m called to do. Even if that’s marriage and a Catholic family. The whole process it in place for us to find our place in the church. But I’m not even full IN the Church yet! Maybe I should just calm down and enjoy where I am and I do. I just can’t wait to do a retreat even just for contemplation, prayer, and study. We have an awsome monastary (St John’s Abbey) 1 hour from me and I’m in an amazing Parish (The Basilica of St Mary). So I feel like I have so many resources to make my experience as a Catholic AMAZING.

Can someone give me a little advice based on what I’ve said without totally bursting my bubble? I know I’m just getting started but every day I just see more and more wonderful amazing things unfolding in front of me and I just have goosebumps right now.

God bless whoever read all that. What has been some of your journeys been like? I would really like to hear about how people came to faith? how they got where they are? what they love about the Church? Favorite Saint? Favorite place to worship? Pilgrimanges? Anything you can tell me I will love to hear, Thank you and God Bless you all

Robert
 
I love converts. They always shake me out of my complacency and lead me to more appreciation of the beauty of our Catholic faith. That is one reason I continue to volunteer for RCIA. Their enthusiasm is catching, and they make me want to learn more.

I think you are doing fine. Just take one thing at a time–God will lead you. Pray for His will to be done and seek out what His will for you is. If you feel called to a religious vocation, I think it usually is required that you be a Catholic for a certain no. of years, not sure how many, maybe like 3. That gives you time to learn and practice your faith and also time to discern if you truly have a vocation.

And…Welcome Home!
 
You did not state your age, but many of the Saints who have given their lives to the Lord have known since very young - even 7 years of age, that they were being called. I suggest that you contact the office of vocations in the Diocese where you live, and discuss with them what you have told us here. You are blessed to have a wonderful, holy and faithful shepherd in Minneapolis-Saint Paul Archdiocese by the name of Archbishop John Nienstedt. Your story may be similar to that of Fr. Todd Strange in the Seattle Archdiocese. He was raised Lutheran, but was not particularly observant of his faith. One day, while walking past the Cathedral in Seattle, he basically received an instant calling to be a Priest. He walked inside and began the process of entering the Church. He is now the Pastor of a parish in western Washington.

May the Lord bless you. I will be praying for you.
 
Welcome home! I don’t think it’s too early to begin discernment of a call to the priesthood, as long as you keep an open mind and you know that it’s going to be a long road. The best advice I’ve ever heard for those discerning God’s Will is this: remember that He may only show you the next step. If you take that step, He will show you the next. At some point, He may have you turn around and go a different path. That doesn’t mean the first path was wrong, it just means there was a purpose for that path, and now there is a purpose to this path.
 
Every day I am learning more wonderful things. All the research I have done in the past brings me back to the Mother Church. So many books, scholars, schools, Saints, and so on in the Church that I feel I can study all day every day and not even scratch the surface of all the teachings there are to unfold. I love it. I just want to be a part of showing people the beauty I have found in less than a year.

In the meantime no matter what happens, I will pray and study, I will give thanks and praise for what I have been given. A desire to seek him and share his love and mercy with others. You don’t need to be an ordained Priest to live your life by the Gospel and do your best to live in God’s love and grace.

Isn’t it just amazing? Huh…Amazing Grace, I get it now! AMAZING

Just 10 minutes with my lord in prayer can break the back of my severe depression and anxiety. I really know what David felt when he said: For you are with me your rod and staff, they comfort me.
 
A book you might find helpful as you discern your calling is, “To Save a Thousand Souls.” The author is Father Brett A. Brannen. 2010 copyright so its very current. Wished I’d had it many years ago. It’s an easy and understandable read. You don’t have to read it front to back. Pick the chapters that have most meaning to you at first.

Welcome Home.
 
CATHOLICbrl said:
A book you might find helpful as you discern your calling is, “To Save a Thousand Souls.” The author is Father Brett A. Brannen. 2010 copyright so its very current. Wished I’d had it many years ago. It’s an easy and understandable read. You don’t have to read it front to back. Pick the chapters that have most meaning to you at first.

Welcome Home.
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He was on EWTN’s “Bookmark” discussing his book this AM (I think it was a rerun). You might be able to catch it on another rerun this week.
 
Thanks, I’ll make a note of that book. My mentor at the Parish told me to be careful about EWTN. I was told it’s okay but just to be careful because some of the things are “pre-Vatican II” I was told that some Parishe’s were like that also and it has something to do with politics but I think that’s probably risking going off topic.

I tell you what, there’s so many books I need to read, I’m thinkin about investing in one of those e-readers

God Bless
 
rturner76 said:
Thanks, I’ll make a note of that book. My mentor at the Parish told me to be careful about EWTN. I was told it’s okay but just to be careful because some of the things are “pre-Vatican II” I was told that some Parishe’s were like that also and it has something to do with politics but I think that’s probably risking going off topic.

I tell you what, there’s so many books I need to read, I’m thinkin about investing in one of those e-readers

God Bless
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Rubbish! From the good and holy priests there, as well as the Bishops and above who have endorsed it, I have no doubts about their orthodoxy. They celebrate the Vatican II mass, for good grief!
 
rturner76, you’re searching and discerning I respect you for being cautious. I recommended the book because I gave up on a call many years ago. I now feel “To Save a Thousand Souls” would have given me insight I needed back then. You have my prayers as you discern. Do a search on line and look at reviews for the book.
 
rTurner; you’ve had an amazing and (for me it would be) frightening thing happen, and by all means, for many reasons, you need to go forward and pursue your inquiry. I would have been totally thrilled, humbled, excited (adrenaline rush), motivated, if such a thing had happened to me. Wow.
 
po18guy said:
Rubbish! From the good and holy priests there, as well as the Bishops and above who have endorsed it, I have no doubts about their orthodoxy. They celebrate the Vatican II mass, for good grief!
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Yeah, I don’t know exactly what I was being warned about but I think what they were pointing to was being so new, I should be getting most of my information from my Parish mentors and Priest etc. Nobody told me EWTN itself was bad, just to be careful. I hope I didn’t offend anyone. In fact, EWTN was instrumental in showing me many beautiful things about the Church I had never been exposed to before. Things that you could never witness unless you attended The Mass or the Eucharist. I would have been terrified going to church without having a sort af pre-view.

I will be going up to St John’s Abbey for a weekend of guided prayer, meditation and reflection probably in April or May depending on how things work out. I will be discussing discernment up there also. They do alot of work with discernment at the Abbey. Not just vocational but dicerning my call as a volunteer at the Parish or just as my role as a good man of God in the community. It’s so beautiful there even non-Catholics go there just to enjoy the grounds. Anyway, I jabbered enough,

I really appreciate all the encouragement I’ve gotten in this thread. If anyone else has any reading suggestions or Bible Chapters that they find helpfel for a new Catholic please, let me know

Yours in Christ,
Robert
 
I would highly recommend EWTN for someone who is discovering the faith, it has been instrumental on my journey twoards the Church. Their programs are solidly orthodox. Also keep in mind when someone says a certain practice, teaching is “Pre-Vatican II” I tend to respond with…“Great! so is Holy Scripture!” 👍 😃

If it were true then, then it is true today. If was holy and pius then, then it is holy and pius now.

I would encourage you to check out a Diocesan TLM, the reverence and beauty there has been truly inspiring to me on my journey. I plan to attend Mass at a TLM regularly once I am recieved into the Church. You are in my prayers on your journey. May God bless you.
 
Seminaries and convents generally want people to wait 3-6 years after converting. Oftentimes there is immature zeal in converts, and that takes time to grow out of. I’d say to keep discerning it, but give it lots of time, too. Be open to whatever God may have planned for you. 🙂
 
No, you are not WAY ahead of yourself. When I found God I knew somehow that the Catholic Church was where I belonged. It was amazing the things that happened! RCIA was amazing. Many times at Mass, I was so enthralled I floated out the door afterwards. EWTN was another amazing resource. I love Fr. Corapi’s teachings about the Catechism and Mother Angelica. The person who responded to you and said EWTN was perfectly orthodox is right. They will not steer you wrong. There are many progressive Catholics pushing the envelope who don’t like anything Traditional or Pre-Vatican II, but like the person said, the Bible came before Vatican II! You keep on researching and experiencing whatever the Holy Spirit leads you to in the Catholic Tradition. Welcome Home!!!👍
 
rturner76 said:
I felt this calling to the Catholic cloth a few months ago that was so strong I know for a fact all or part of it has come directly from God. When God spoke to me He said “I want you to get to know me, get to know my people.” I have had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge of the Catholic Church since that moment. It is an absolut obsession. When I had this very clear thought which truly felt like God speaking to me directly, I was looking at a vocation website. It was something I heard and I felt in my bones and deep in my soul. The thing is, I’ve never been Catholic my whole life. My mom was as a child but she never taught any of it to me. She said “why don’t you go to mass and see how you like it.” I LOVE it, it’s like I feel as if I have finally found out why I was put on Earth and I’m not an impulsive person like that. I just feel a calling that’s more like a pulling to dicernment. I got a mentor and I’m studying to take Catholic vows NEXT YEAR. As I missed RCIA for this year.

To make a long story longer. I am taking things one step at a time. Getting aquainted with the Church, learning what I can, meeting other Catholics, volunteering as I can at the Parish. My long winded question is: am I way ahead of myself to even be thinking about a vocation in the Catholic Church? I don’t have anything in mind but whatever I’m called to do. Even if that’s marriage and a Catholic family. The whole process it in place for us to find our place in the church. But I’m not even full IN the Church yet! Maybe I should just calm down and enjoy where I am and I do. I just can’t wait to do a retreat even just for contemplation, prayer, and study. We have an awsome monastary (St John’s Abbey) 1 hour from me and I’m in an amazing Parish (The Basilica of St Mary). So I feel like I have so many resources to make my experience as a Catholic AMAZING.

Can someone give me a little advice based on what I’ve said without totally bursting my bubble? I know I’m just getting started but every day I just see more and more wonderful amazing things unfolding in front of me and I just have goosebumps right now.

God bless whoever read all that. What has been some of your journeys been like? I would really like to hear about how people came to faith? how they got where they are? what they love about the Church? Favorite Saint? Favorite place to worship? Pilgrimanges? Anything you can tell me I will love to hear, Thank you and God Bless you all

Robert
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Hi Robert 🙂

I don’t think you’re getting ahead of yourself, it could be that you have a vocation, it could also be that you do not, but in any case it really sounds like God is calling you strongly to the Catholic Church 🙂 what I would do, is I would become Catholic first, and then with the Sacraments and hopefully a good spiritual director, discern religious life 🙂

I became Catholic too, in 2009… if you are interested, here is my story 🙂 totus-tuus2009.blogspot.com/

God bless! 🙂
 
I don’t think the question is “Am I ahead of myself”, but rather, “Am I ahead of where God needs me to be?”. Vocations are naturally a calling from God, so they can take many forms, the final destination of which God only knows for sure. The reason I say this is because after going through a few months of discernment I thought my vocation was the priesthood, only to have it further revealed as being married life. The kicker being that instead of pursuing my plan of going into the business field, I am instead pursuing His plan of going to get more schooling and teach theology and the like. That being said, assuming you stay in a state of Grace, I thoroughly believe that the Holy Spirit will make sure that you stay on the proper path and keep you from making a big mistake. The biggest help to me was praying in the theme of: “Let your will be done” and “Let me not concern myself about tomorrow”. Oh and the Rosary…definitely the Rosary 🙂
 
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