Beginning discernment

[mouse_has_faith]

Hi everyone,

A few months ago I became interested in the religious life. I thought about it, but decided it’s not what God wanted for me. Anyway, anout 2 weeks ago, I was in church on Sunday and all of a sudden I remembered religious life again. It didn’t go away so I decided to start the discernment process. Now I’m really excited (and scared) and seriously am considering this… it’s starting to look very possible. However I have only just started, and I don’t want to rush into things. Though I feel really excited (and almost sure), I still think I will take my time.
Since I’ve started the discernment (only a few days ago… it is really early days), within that short time I am feeling/ encountering Jesus so much more than I EVER have before. It’s so profound, so much more real. And it’s all happened in ~5 days!!

A bit of background info on me… female, 22, no debts, good health (very very fit, due to daily exercise), currently studying (doing an Bachelor of Ancient History with Honours, not due to graduate for another 2-3 years). Was born/ raised Catholic, went to Protestant church for a few years, but came back.

I looked at a few places, the Discalced Carmelites and Poor Clares are two which stuck out to me. However now I really like the Poor Clares, they seem just ‘right’ for me.
(Funnily enough, yesterday I was on campus and a talk was being given in the atrium for a “Christweek” that’s been held, and two Fransiscan Friars were in the crowd!!)

I don’t have a spiritual director but I am going up to the church today to see if I can talk to this priest there I like. Hopefully that goes well!!

Anyway, just wanted to share my excitement as things have changed so quickly!! Oh and any advice would also be appreciated.

Thanks so much,

Amanda.

 

[CarmeliteGirl25]

LOL, you sound very much like me! I just started discerning about a year ago, and my first discernment ended after I couldn’t really imagine myself as a sister. But before my discernment ended, Jesus gave me a wonderful friend who is a candidate for the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus in St. Louis. It was through her about 2 months later, that Jesus said, “Try a little harder.” Well, needless to say, that left me very confused. I thought I had it all figured out. I was going to be a veterinarian! I was debating about whether to get married, or stay single. Jesus then told me there was another vocation to consider.

I went to Adoration and pleaded with Him to give me a sign that this was truly what He wanted from me. Religious life, to me, at that time, was a nightmare. I couldn’t imagine myself as a nun/sister, and I was convinced that I was wrong for even thinking I had a vocation. About 2 weeks later, I went back to Adoration, and asked again for His help. I prayed fervently to the Holy Spirit. A little while later, I felt completely calmed of all my fears. I remembered the passage in the Bible that said, “Come to me and find rest. Take my yoke upon you for my yoke is easy and my burden light.” I just almost burst into tears at that moment, but I restrained myself for fear of what the other people in the chapel would think. I decided, within the course of a month, to end my regular studies, and enter a short vocational program so I could work for a while and pay off my debts. I was blessed to get everything in order before I left to go visit the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus with my friend.

I went to a vocation retreat there and found myself confused and almost convinced that I didn’t have a vocation at all. But I was wrong! I didn’t have a vocation with those particular sisters! Christ is calling me to the cloister! My friend will tell you that both she and I were adamant that we were not called to the cloister. I greatly desired it, but didn’t feel I could do it for fear I would miss my family too much. It was a huge shock to both of us when I found out the place I was called was the place that I feared the most, in the beginning.

I believe I am called to the Discalced Carmelites, most of all. I just recently started looking at the Carmelites of the Ancient Observance, but after reading some information that one of the monasteries sent me (the Carmel of Mary in Wahpeton, ND), I did not feel called to the O.Carm. order. I feel I am destined to be an O.C.D. I also looked at the Poor Clares and Poor Clare-Collettines for a while. I was really interested in the PCPA’s (Mother Angelica’s nuns), the Poor Clares of Roswell, NM, and the Poor Clares of Belleville, IL. I recommend that you check those communities out if you haven’t already. Roswell’s order is my most favorite and I would probably end up there if I was called to the Poor Clares.

God bless you! I will be praying for you! If you need any help, let me know. I have Facebook and AIM, so we can chat if you would like!

 

[Poor_Clare_tobe]

Hi everyone,

A few months ago I became interested in the religious life. I thought about it, but decided it’s not what God wanted for me. Anyway, anout 2 weeks ago, I was in church on Sunday and all of a sudden I remembered religious life again. It didn’t go away so I decided to start the discernment process. Now I’m really excited (and scared) and seriously am considering this… it’s starting to look very possible. However I have only just started, and I don’t want to rush into things. Though I feel really excited (and almost sure), I still think I will take my time.
Since I’ve started the discernment (only a few days ago… it is really early days), within that short time I am feeling/ encountering Jesus so much more than I EVER have before. It’s so profound, so much more real. And it’s all happened in ~5 days!!
[Isn’t that just awesome:thumbsup: ]
A bit of background info on me… female, 22, no debts, good health (very very fit, due to daily exercise), currently studying (doing an Bachelor of Ancient History with Honours, not due to graduate for another 2-3 years). Was born/ raised Catholic, went to Protestant church for a few years, but came back.
[Welcome Back!]
I looked at a few places, the Discalced Carmelites and Poor Clares are two which stuck out to me. However now I really like the Poor Clares, they seem just ‘right’ for me.
[What is so nice about the Poor Clares…(As well as many other orders of course)… is that with so many different communities that you can visit many different communities to see where you might fit in. Each Monastery is autonomus and has its own way of supporting itself and own community. What an adventure awaits as you investigate the many different communities]
some websites you might visit are:

" poorclare.org/ "

as well as :
" Poor Clares Federation
wtu.edu/franciscan/pages/…es/federations "
(Funnily enough, yesterday I was on campus and a talk was being given in the atrium for a “Christweek” that’s been held, and two Fransiscan Friars were in the crowd!!)

I don’t have a spiritual director but I am going up to the church today to see if I can talk to this priest there I like. Hopefully that goes well!!
… if it doesn’t feel free to contact your diocesan vocations director… they will be able to suggest some priests to you who are well trained in spiritual direction…
Anyway, just wanted to share my excitement as things have changed so quickly!! Oh and any advice would also be appreciated.
*
Some additional things you might do are:

1. contact this group:
   Vocationsplacement.org
2. Read the stickies on this board they have many sites listed
3. Contact your vocations office… they will have lots of brochures and catalogs which will be of interest.
4. Enjoy this time… there are so many different communities out there… and you will be fitting your likes and dislikes, your gifts and your personality to your vocation. Remember that not only do communities follow a general rule [such as benedictines or franciscans or carmelites]… but there are active apostolates and contemplative orders etc… vocations placement has a nice survey which helps to get some ideas down on paper and your vocations office as I have said will be of great help!
5. You mention being in college. Is there a Catholic group or Newman center on campus?? They also have information which might be of help.
6. If you truely feel the call to be a Poor Clare you might also enjoy the book entitled
   “Wrapped in Joy”
   by Sister Katherine O.S.C.

You don’t leave your being at the convent door so much as you allow the Lord to add and improve on the many gifts and experinces of your life.
If you havent yet found the magazine entitled “visions” it is a good gateway to your exploration.

[You mention being drawn to two different and holy traditions… the Carmelites[ who if you read the many posts in this forum ] whose information you will find… and my own ramblings about the Poor Clares…
Blessings of Peace and All Good!..

*Thanks so much,

Amanda.

 

[mouse_has_faith]

Hi CarmeliteGirl25 & Poor Clare tobe,

Thanks so much for your wonderful replies. Your messages really helped me.
I have made an appointment to speak to the priest tomorrow afternoon (as he had to do another mass at at nearby high school in 1 minute, I didn’t want to detain him!). He’s a different priest from the one I was originally planning to speak with, but I think I like him even more, so all is good on that front.

I’m actually in Australia and at the moment think I’ll probably remain here, though who knows, I might be called overseas to another country.

I’ll try and follow your advice about taking it slowly, enjoying this time, and letting God lead. Thanks for the links as well, I’ve just opened them now and am having a poke around. I’ll also keep looking up all the different orders, as it is definently early days yet, so I don’t think there’s a rush right now (though yesterday I was imagining myself in the religious life and was getting really excited and impatient).

Thanks again & God bless,

Amanda.

 

[Poor_Clare_tobe]

Hi CarmeliteGirl25 & Poor Clare tobe,

Thanks so much for your wonderful replies. Your messages really helped me.
I have made an appointment to speak to the priest tomorrow afternoon (as he had to do another mass at at nearby high school in 1 minute, I didn’t want to detain him!). He’s a different priest from the one I was originally planning to speak with, but I think I like him even more, so all is good on that front.

I’m actually in Australia and at the moment think I’ll probably remain here, though who knows, I might be called overseas to another country.

I’ll try and follow your advice about taking it slowly, enjoying this time, and letting God lead. Thanks for the links as well, I’ve just opened them now and am having a poke around. I’ll also keep looking up all the different orders, as it is definently early days yet, so I don’t think there’s a rush right now (though yesterday I was imagining myself in the religious life and was getting really excited and impatient).

Thanks again & God bless,

Amanda.

Blessings… and I do hope you can connect with others in your area who are discerning… please keep us all posted. There are so many here who are just starting or almost finished. Will be praying for you.…