Are There Any Religious "Callings" Here?

[jeffreedy789]

i’m currently applying to the jesuits. i will know this month if i’m accepted to the novitiate. if so, i’ll spend two years living with jesuits, doing jesuity things, and praying daily to see if this is the life for me.

i would appreciate your prayers.

 

[Augustine]

ToriP:

I do think that I may be called but I need to find a spiritual director. Where could I start to look?

Typically, your diocesan office should be able to put you in touch with a spiritual director. Ask you pastor about it, in some cases they are qualified to be your director too.

HTH

 

[Augustine]

robertaf:

I recently read there has been a slight increase in people answering the call to the Priesthood and Religious life. I am wondering how many there might be within this Catholic Answers group.

If joining a secular order counts, then I think so.

 

[AsStAnselmPrays]

I’m pretty sure about a religious calling in my life. I may only be 16, but God works in mysterious ways. I’m 99.99999% sure that God’s Will for me is to be a priest.

God has given me the ability to evangelize, from random people who ask all the way to my best friend. God has also blessed me with the ability to make conversations simple, so that I can explain them to people. He’s also given me the ability to memorize theology quickly. I read it, hear it, or study it, and it’s forever stored in my memory.

Those, plus other things (prayer, etc) all seem to make it clear that I am supposed to be a priest.

 

[serendipity]

AsStAnselmPrays:

I’m pretty sure about a religious calling in my life. I may only be 16, but God works in mysterious ways. I’m 99.99999% sure that God’s Will for me is to be a priest.

This is a wonderful gift, to be so sure of a calling at an early age. Have you spoken to people about it yet, to discuss your education options.

I feel like I recieved poor guidance when I was thinking about joining a religious community before I entered colelge. Everyone told me get a degree then come back and talk. They forgot to mention that taking out student loans means that you need them all paid off before you can join most orders. As I went to graduate school, loan debt is quite an obstacle now. Just something to consider when thinking about college and something to bring up in vocational discussions with spiritual advisors. I think things will be esier for you, as the Church cares far more about her religious men than her religious women, since you can become a priest.

 

[ThornGenX]

AsStAnselmPrays:

I’m pretty sure about a religious calling in my life. I may only be 16, but God works in mysterious ways. I’m 99.99999% sure that God’s Will for me is to be a priest.

God has given me the ability to evangelize, from random people who ask all the way to my best friend. God has also blessed me with the ability to make conversations simple, so that I can explain them to people. He’s also given me the ability to memorize theology quickly. I read it, hear it, or study it, and it’s forever stored in my memory.

Those, plus other things (prayer, etc) all seem to make it clear that I am supposed to be a priest.

I pray that your vocation goes well. I am discerning a calling to the religious life as a nun, but think time is running out for me since I am 36 and some orders have maximum age limits of 35 or less. Others have age limitsof 40 or 45 and one I saw has an age limit of 50, but they do not wear habits and seem quite liberal overall (not trying to bash or put the order down, but I am looking for a more traditional order).

 

[serendipity]

Hello Thorn, I am in the same boat as you are. About 30, have the job and work experience now, but the work experience was with nonprofits and always with jobs that did not pay much (you, know trying to see how much os a vocation I could fulfill ouside an order), so it has not been possible to get rid of the student loans. I’m not even sure this was such wise advice at all, as there are people iwho entered orders with little formal education, and then the orders helped them obtain a remarkable education.

I don’t have any other debts, but still, as you said, it seems there is such a small window of opporunity to join a community; you follow the advice and do the education and job thing and pursue: life experience," and then you are left in a rush with life to get rid of the loans before you hit maximum age to enter. The impressions seems to be that if mommy and daddy pay for your education then you have potential to be a member of a religious community, but if you wee poor and had to poor moeny for part of your eduction, then not even God wants you. Very discouraging.

 

[Augustine]

serendipity:

you follow the advice and do the education and job thing and pursue: life experience

Quite so, as if there were any life experience as a single in a cube…

As a matter of fact, once one gets in the treadmill of life, it’s pretty hard to leave it. It’d be better if those wiht a vocation would jump head first in it. Go to a community college while reflecting on it, if necessary. But it’s not reasonable to make financial commitments and then expect to “leave” this world.

We’ve perhaps been erring in this aspect motivating vocations…

 

[CARose]

Serendipity,

It sounds like you’re getting discouraged, please have hope that God’s plan for you will be revealed in His time. Take each day one at a time and pray that you use it for His greater glory, rather than your own.

It sounds to me like this is exactly what you have done. Have you found the community which feels like home to you, the place to which you specifically feel called to join? If so, talk with their person responsible for incoming vocations, share with her the specifics of your situation, most importantly including whatever discernment you’ve done to determine that this is the community to which you are drawn. Are you reasons from God or are you following your human plans and designs?

Than place it in God’s hands. Be prepared for a job to enter your life that will provide the income necessary for you to enter, or for these opportunities to not arise because He has a better plan for you, perhaps one which you don’t even know exists. It’s possible that there is a benefactor looking for someone with a vocation who needs the financial assistance to clear up their school loans. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if I were to learn that such situations are common. But before it’s going to be offered, you need to be absolutely certain that you have found the right community.

Please know that just because your life isn’t going according to your plan doesn’t mean it isn’t going according to God’s plan. Do not equate God’s love to whether or not one is accepted into a way of life. God’s love is for all, regardless of who we are and what we do. It’s up to us to turn to him, face on and bask in it’s glow. God is truly great and it’s our responsibility to accept the Love He showers on us.

May you always know God’s love, with all your heart, mind and soul.

God Bless,

CARose

 

[Tiffse]

loyola rambler:

There’s no doubt that those orders with a formal habit and good sense of tradition are doing much better than those who have politicized themselves. Having worked with Franciscans, Dominicans, Resurrectionists and Daughters of Charity for many years, it is a very strong statement when a nun walks in dressed nicely and with a head covering of any sort. The more professional the nun appears, the more respect she receives. .

I thought we were supposed to be humble and ‘quiet’ and unassuming in our works and not single ourselves out for attention for our works? Isn’t wearing habits like standing on the street corner going “look at me”?

 

[Tiffse]

ICXCNIKA:

I’m called to the priesthood but I’m married.

IC: Take it from a person who knows, it would be extremely painful for your wife. Are there children involved?

Last year my husband of 11 years told me he was considering the priesthood. “They” told him he had to be out of our relationship for 2 years before they would consider him. Even though our son is in college, I was concerned about my husband being a grandpa. If he became a priest, would he still be able to go to our son’s golf tournaments? Would he still be able to help him work on his car? Would he be able to go to the grandkid’s school plays and soccer games? Would they be able to call him grandpa?

I still can’t talk about it without crying. My husband has since decided against the priesthood, but I have enormous amount of guilt because when I see material calling for religious vocations, I throw it out.

I really think my husband wanted to remove himself from society and become a priest because he was having a difficult time dealing with real life - work and co-workers, kids, finances, etc.

Are you having personal difficulties or difficulties in your marriage?

 

[ThornGenX]

CARose:

Serendipity,

It sounds like you’re getting discouraged, please have hope that God’s plan for you will be revealed in His time. Take each day one at a time and pray that you use it for His greater glory, rather than your own.

It sounds to me like this is exactly what you have done. Have you found the community which feels like home to you, the place to which you specifically feel called to join? If so, talk with their person responsible for incoming vocations, share with her the specifics of your situation, most importantly including whatever discernment you’ve done to determine that this is the community to which you are drawn. Are you reasons from God or are you following your human plans and designs?

Than place it in God’s hands. Be prepared for a job to enter your life that will provide the income necessary for you to enter, or for these opportunities to not arise because He has a better plan for you, perhaps one which you don’t even know exists. It’s possible that there is a benefactor looking for someone with a vocation who needs the financial assistance to clear up their school loans. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if I were to learn that such situations are common. But before it’s going to be offered, you need to be absolutely certain that you have found the right community.

Please know that just because your life isn’t going according to your plan doesn’t mean it isn’t going according to God’s plan. Do not equate God’s love to whether or not one is accepted into a way of life. God’s love is for all, regardless of who we are and what we do. It’s up to us to turn to him, face on and bask in it’s glow. God is truly great and it’s our responsibility to accept the Love He showers on us.

May you always know God’s love, with all your heart, mind and soul.

God Bless,

CARose

Though this was not addressed to me specifically, and pardon me for jumping in :bounce: Thanks for the encouraging words. I do need to be patient and trust that God will lead me to the right path for me. Sometimes I get so focused on potential blocades, I may be missing an unlocked (or even open) door right in front of me.

 

[lily628]

ThornGenX:

I am discerning a calling to the religious life as a nun, but think time is running out for me since I am 36 and some orders have maximum age limits of 35 or less. Others have age limitsof 40 or 45 and one I saw has an age limit of 50, but they do not wear habits and seem quite liberal overall (not trying to bash or put the order down, but I am looking for a more traditional order).

The Sisters of Life accept women of any age, as long as they have no living children. They are very orthodox Catholic and wear the habit. cmswr.org/member_communities/sl.htm

Here is a site for those seeking older female religious vocations: geocities.com/nuntobe/over_45.htm

To find out easily whether they are traditional, compare whether they appear on these two sites (all who wear the habit), which also may be helpful:
cmswr.org/
religiouslife.com/

God bless!
Lily628

 

[lily628]

ThornGenX,

I saved you some time by looking at all the listings on the older vocations site. Below are all the ones I found that appear in habit, and seem to have the entire community in habit. They are listed here in the order that they appear on the older vocations site (geocities.com/nuntobe/over_45.htm). Here are the ones that might be good for what you want, but look into it more:

Sisters of Christian Charity
home.mindspring.com/~mjg2/sisters.html

Poor Clares of Rockville, IL
poorclare.org/rockford/index.html

Oblate Sisters of Providence
members.aol.com/aliceosp/index.html

Visitation Monastery
frederickvisitation.com/monastery/

Poor Clares, Monastery of St. Clare
stanthonyshrine.org/PoorClares/index.html

Daughters of Divine Charity
briarbank.com/divine_charity.htm

Sisters of Christian Charity
scceast.org/

Sisters of Life
sistersoflife.org/

Little Sisters of the Poor
littlesistersofthepoor.org/index.cfm

Contemplative Sisters Adorers of the Precious Blood
sisterspreciousblood.org/index.htm

Visitation Monastery, Brooklyn, NY
catholic.org/macc/visitation/visitation.html

Oblate Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
oblatesistersofshj.com/

Benedictine Nuns, St. Emma Monastery
stemma.org/

Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth
phila-csfn.org/

Benedictines - St. Benedict’s Monastery
osbcanyontx.org/

Carmel of the Sacred Heart
pressenter.com/~carmelit/

Sadly, many of the other links (not listed here) were broken. You might want to check further into the orders with broken links also. In addition, I happen to know that many of the links from the site catholic-forum.com have not been working lately. They host a number of the pages for sisters, so perhaps check those also when they come back into commission.

God bless & I hope this was helpful!
Lily628

 

[Sanctus]

The only thing I can say about my vocation at this time is

I know absolutly, positivley, undoubtly that I am a “maybe.”

I am praying that God’s Will will be done.

 

[ThornGenX]

Thanks lily628, I really appreciate that.

 

[serendipity]

Thanks for the encouragement CARose.

 

[Br.Dan_OCD]

Tiffse:

I thought we were supposed to be humble and ‘quiet’ and unassuming in our works and not single ourselves out for attention for our works? Isn’t wearing habits like standing on the street corner going “look at me”?

Well, I look at is as saying “Look at the clothes I’m wearing and what they represent.” And, what they represent is not me.

 

[lily628]

Tiffse:

I thought we were supposed to be humble and ‘quiet’ and unassuming in our works and not single ourselves out for attention for our works? Isn’t wearing habits like standing on the street corner going “look at me”?

Not really. It’s quite the opposite, actually. Clothes are a means of self-expression, as they always have been. When a woman joins a religious order, she is humbly giving up that right and taking on the identity of her community. She gives up her self and becomes united with Christ, taking on garments of humility. Wearing their uniform habits allows nuns to better live out their vows of poverty, since they don’t need closets full of clothes.

Wearing a religious habit is a symbol of taking on humility, because she will be expected to set a higher standard of behavior for those around her. Furthermore, it is a type of uniform, a sign of her consecration to God. Military, FedEx drivers, UPS drivers, and many others wear uniforms. Are you saying that the role of a member of a religious order is less important than these jobs?

The point of the uniform habit is that glory is given to God rather than self, since she gives up her identity to take on that of the religious community, and that of the Bride of Christ. A woman in religious habit no more “singles herself out” than one who wears a cross necklace, a WWJD bracelet, Christian t-shirts, a head covering, a Jewish man who wears the yamaka, those who bear ashes on their forehead on Ash Wednesday, etc. These are all outward signs of an inward commitment to God. Wearing these things takes a humble courage, especially when society around us considers it strange. It opens one up to persecution and provides opportunities to stand up for one’s faith. It also brings people approaching religious sisters with prayer requests.

God bless,
Lily628

 

[MaryMagdalenaL]

there!
Yes, I do believe I have a calling. All though it is not to wear the robes, metaphorically speaking.
Never in my life had I ever had an interest in nursing. However, after my children were born, I was pulled to th field. Further, I was pulled and prodded all over the contrry. I ended up a Master’s in Nursing - Family Practice Nurse Practitioner. From there, I specialist, after externships in dermatlology, internal medicine, gerontology and psychiatry to name a few. For a short while, I had my own psychiatric practice. Yes, I did all that a physician did. And yes, I had a back up doc as I didn’t want to be out on that limb, without someone below me with a net for my patients’ sake.
My health graudally began to decline. I had always been in physical pain with several other symptoms of a condition that was not named until recently. Needless to say, by the time I was diagnosed and received treatment, my condition was severe and continuing to progress. I was classified as 100% disabled, but needed to work to survive. I have to children in college.
I closde my private practice at the end of the summer 2004 and went back to working 12 hours a night, 2 nocs a week in hospital.
About a month ago, I was sitting in my room and thinking, that I would never get to work in Hospice. I was working in Rehab at the time. I was also at home having been put off work by the employee medical doctor as I was flaring badly and had the worst panic attack, to the point of paralysis, of my life time. The employee doc put me off work.
So, here I was sitting and thinking, I’d not be able to keep my promise to God to work in Hospice. I could not remember the reason why I had made that promise. I think it has something to do with my Dad dying in excruciating pain in a hospice and I prayed that no one would be allowed to have that happen to them.
Here is where the calling comes in (if it hasn’t already been evident.) The Director of the Rehab place calls me up while I am off sick by their doc and tells me not to come back. I was flabbagasted. I had trouble early on adjusting back into the role of an RN in the beginning after being an independent medical provider. But, we worked through the plan outlined for me in 2 wks and I was receiving written kudos from staff and patients alike. You can see why the DON’s calling me out of the blue like that shocked me. I cried for about 20" and feel asleep. I had dreams about God and my role in life. A well dressed man in a tux at a ticket gate was present. I asked him what he was doing. And he told me it was my ticket for the train (some of this is coming to me as I am recalling. Little by little that dream comes back. If I don’t write it down when spoken/written/thought of, I lose that little piece again.
The next morning, I was resigned to get a job and felt like a load hav been listend from me. Opening my computer, there was this hospice job on the first email. I faxed them my CV and made an appointment for the next day and was hired that next day.
It was like “coming home, only to a place that I had never been before.” The people wer wonderful, more than just polite to the new kid. The management wanted me to upgrade to the Regional Manager. One problem, you have to be in the position as an RN case Manager for 2 months prior to being apponted to the Patient Care Manager. It was wonderul. I applied for the job. I interview this week coming up (my 4th week with the company. I will be in th field for only a month before I will be able to assume the Rgional Director’s job in HOSPICE. If helping people over to our existence with God in all his glory with the Angels and Saints in heaven.
I do believe that I have been called to sevice for the Lord. I am not going to safe any one’s material earthly life, but I may just provider them with enough comfort to make it over to the heavens and the personal prescienc of the Lord.
Sorry about my long windedness. I had to finally tell this story to someone. Thank you for listening. An Praise God for giving my call to his service.
Love and God Bless You,
Your sister in Christ,
Mary MagdalenaL