Good Afternoon, All!
My name is Teresa. I am a 28 year old woman who has heard and accepted a call to a religious life. I was raised Catholic, but have been lax in practicing in my adult life. I have, however, always felt an inexplicably strong connection to God. I have never doubted that he heard my prayers. Fortunately, I finally started have started listening to Him. More recently, I have felt compelled to attend daily mass and weekly adoration. I attended adoration for the first time in my life a little while ago at the Sacred Heart here in Mobile. I was overwhelmed with the love and peace I felt in His presence. My prayers were more sincere than I have ever known them to be and my heart was so full I felt moved to tears. When we left, I carried pieces of that love with me, but I didn’t want to leave.
For most of my life I have been drifting - just going with the flow and seeing where it took me. In doing so, I have put my put myself in situations that were displeasing to my heavenly father. I would go to confession and it would be a sincere confession, but I would always fall back into bad habits and practices after a few weeks. I have never intentionally hurt another person, but I have harmed myself morally. At one point, I didn’t even recognize who I was. I never owned my future or invested myself in any one direction. I’ve always felt that there was something I was supposed to be doing; I just never could see it.
After a great deal of meditation and prayer - I found my answer in joining community of sisters devoted to serving God and helping others. After I made this decision to move forward, I felt a calm that I have never experienced before. My mind was clear and my heart was steady. I am usually so confused and turned around I can’t remember my own name. I am not excited or anxious, I am just at peace.
I have an appoint to meet with the Mother Superior at The Visitation Monastery in Mobile to discuss the discernment process and what it means to lead a religious life. This will also be a retreat for me during the week. It’s will be after Easter, so I have some time to prepare. I am not considering joining The Visitation nuns because they are a cloister and I want to be in a community that works in society helping others. In addition, The Visitation is mostly a cloister for widows. I will let God guide me in the direction he thinks I should take, but I have my choices, too.
I have never been married, I have no children. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, with a focus on Journalism. I told my mother about my decision and she told me that she always felt she would have a child who followed Christ into a vocation. She is completely supportive. I am keeping it to myself otherwise until I begin the discernment process, so this board is the only other place for interaction. I would love to hear from those in all steps of the process of joining an order.
What are some things I could do to prepare for my retreat and meeting with Mother? Does anyone have any comments on my story? I know forgiveness is a cornerstone to our religion, but is it allowed to join an order after leading a poor-in-spirit life for so long?
May God Bless You,
Teresa Michelle
That means so much to me! I can’t wait to live with my Sisters in 2 months and work with them. I hope it will help with the longing to live with them and start religious life. Though I won’t be a postulant until I am accepted and I enter, I think this will really help. I don’t deserve this blessing at all, but I can’t turn it down either! I am really excited and in love. 
And when you’re in love with Jesus, you want to do everything you can to bring people to Him. 
Bless you, Kathgirl!
(I refuse to believe that I’m already there.) You will get there yet.