Apostolic life? I do NOT want to be a brother of the Perpetual Discerners! lol

[Tonaw]

haha. Of course life is a journey and a continous discernment of God’s will but I have been discerning for the priesthood for far too long. I did do work with the diocese but I went in with a desire really to be in an order. Many orders have attracted me, Franciscans, Carmelites, Dominicans (although that’s kind of cancelled because you need an associates to get it) and many others. Recently I heard from an FSSP about societies of the Apostolic Life. I want vows but my e-book reader and technology is great for research, and my books I wear contacts and glasses are just annoying to me (can religious wear contacts or is it like the army?) And I fear only that they would put me in obedience to stop private devotions, like to St. Hannibal Di Francia and his Luisian method of prayer in the Divine will. This more or less is what I mention when people are convicted of my vocation to the priesthood. Where can I go and fully fullfil his Divine will? And don’t get me wrong, if I had a crazy strange obedience I would do it as long as it is morally good or neutral.

So my main question is this. What would be a good society of apostolic life? Or perhaps Religious order? Ask me as many questions as you want! Lol

And sorry about any organization or spelling errors, I’m typing this on a phone lol

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

Do you have a spiritual director? Talking with him or her seems like the way to go. That way you can figure out which things are the most important to you and where God is leading you.

You’ll need to work with your director to clarify other things as well. For example, you say you want to be a priest but the Dominicans are “kind of cancelled because you need an associates to get it.” If you want to be a priest you’ll need far more education than that, so if school is not something you want that’s going to be an issue to resolve.

Have you visited communities of Franciscans, Dominicans, Carmelites, or other groups interest you? Does the spirituality and lifestyle of one or the other particularly attract you?

All things to discuss with your spiritual director.

 

[Tonaw]

Do you have a spiritual director? Talking with him or her seems like the way to go. That way you can figure out which things are the most important to you and where God is leading you.

You’ll need to work with your director to clarify other things as well. For example, you say you want to be a priest but the Dominicans are “kind of cancelled because you need an associates to get it.” If you want to be a priest you’ll need far more education than that, so if school is not something you want that’s going to be an issue to resolve.

Have you visited communities of Franciscans, Dominicans, Carmelites, or other groups interest you? Does the spirituality and lifestyle of one or the other particularly attract you?

All things to discuss with your spiritual director.

Yeah people ask me that but I don’t know where to start. And if a spiritual director was of a certain charism it seems they wouldn’t know as much about the others.

Well I do want to further educate myself but funds and time are hard to come by when you have to work.

I’ve talked with diocesan priests and visited some franciscans years ago. I liked the franciscan way of life much more but I still have the aforementioned scruples I guess you could say.

So how should I go about finding an appropriate spiritual director?

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

So how should I go about finding an appropriate spiritual director?

First of all, pray and ask the Holy Spirit to help you. The Holy Spirit is the ultimate spiritual director anyway.

Beyond that I would start with the pastor of the parish. Usually he is not the one to actually become your director – a combination of being busy, whether or not they have an interest in doing direction, and whether or not they have the background and talents to be directors. But even if he doesn’t do it himself, he usually knows who is available nearby.

You could also check with your diocesan vocations office. While their primary focus is on diocesan priests, a director they recommend should be able to help you discern other directions as well.

If you have a monastery or retreat house nearby, you might also check with them. Often they have someone available. Again, I wouldn’t worry too much that they’re from one order and that’s not where you think you want to end up. They don’t want to push you to join them if it’s not a good fit.

I’d probably also spend some time browsing the web and checking out different communities. You’ll start to get a sense of what they do and how they live. Some will probably seem more attractive while others leave you feeling like “why would anyone want to be one of them?” At this point it’s kind of superficial, but it’s like browsing web sites for colleges – you can get at least a minimal feel for the campus and the students, what majors they offer, and if maybe one place seems more interesting than another.

 

[1newcatholic]

Yesterday I attended an evening Mass at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology, and prior to the service two Dominican brothers read the Vespers prayer off of their electronic tablets. Pretty nifty trick for guys who took vows of poverty, and eschew personal possessions, right? The Orders will provide you with all the fancy gadgets you need to do your research.

Go to a community college. Get an Associate’s degree. It’s not (that) hard, and it’s not (that) expensive. If your spiritual director agrees that a life of research is for you, there are sometimes scholarships available to fund your higher Catholic education. I would recommend talking to a spiritual director face to face.

Have patience and the doors to the right place will open at the right time.