Calling:Consecrated Virgin?

[duchess453]

I am a 23 year old female still discerning what is right for me to do. My parents do not approve of the Catholic faith, and I have prayed over becoming a consecrated virgin or a mother for some time. It is recently that it does appear this year I will be able to afford my own place. I suspect this has something to do with the choice needed to be made. I do intend to go through RCIA once I get squared away in the new place. I also find it ironic that I asked God to help me get squared into my new place, and today, we got a free tv from a neighbor that may work with a blu ray player, helping me feel more like its home to be. I somehow got the distinct impression it was his version of a house warming gift.

Prior to that when I was watching mass online catholictv, the bishop mentioned St. Therese of Lisieux, a saint I admire a lot. It was almost randomly thrown in. I have watched her film on youtube tons of times now, and it always inspires me. Then when traveling to a thrift store, the song Beyonce’s "Halo."came on. This was the same song someone had used video clips mostly of St. Therese on youtube to make a video of. The image that came to mind was that of her kissing her father good-bye and walking with the sisters into her new life.

I had a conversation with God today at work, I kept quiet and listened. It was an odd back and forth. It was explained that I can do all things with his help. I explained that I was too selfish, had been deemed so, had done things not so great sometimes. Yet, he brought up how I had been chosen from birth to fulfill this role. Despite my desire of becoming a mother, I had to look beyond that and do what was needed. It would be hard yes…but, I was still maturing, still had time to learn if I was accepting of him.

If this is to be trusted…then I do have some worries. What of my family, who doesn’t support it? How can I go through my own wedding to Christ without them their? And how do I relinquish this selfishness in my heart to still pursue being a mother?How can I begin this calling, alone before I move into my first place, and in the time leading up to full acceptance into the Church?

 

[bardegaulois]

Obviously, the first thing to do would be to pursue RCIA and enter the Church. But even now, you could benefit greatly from regular spiritual direction. Understand that you won’t be able to “change states,” so to speak, until after several years as a practicing Catholic, so you have plenty of time to explore and discern.

Of course, reading this, I’m reminded of Our Lord’s words from the 19th chapter of St. Matthew: “Amen, I say to you, that you, who have followed me, in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit on the seat of his majesty, you also shall sit on twelve seats judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my name’ s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall possess life everlasting. And many that are first, shall be last: and the last shall be first.”

The entire chapter is often referred to as “the chapter of the evangelical counsels,” and might make some good lectio divina for you. One thing, however, interests me here: for all your talk about your family and about potential motherhood, why is the most broadly familial of all states, the religious state, in which you can be both virgin and mother, conspicuously absent from your discourse here? From your tone and from what you seem to desire, I’d recommend looking into that a little more closely.

 

[duchess453]

That’s true. It’s something I have desired but, did not think of it so clearly in those terms that the two are linked quite so clearly.

 

[Blue_Rose]

Like the other poster said, you would have to have been a Catholic for quite a few years before being allowed to become a CV.
I have heard that there is only 3000 Consecrated Virgins worldwide and a lot of Priests/Religious don’t even know what it is.

But anyway, one step at a time. Go through RCIA first. I did - it was great I’m now in my second year of being a Catholic. I thought I was called to be a nun at first but realised I was not called. It’s all about discernment and giving it time.

You need time to discern to find God’s will after RCIA too.

I wish you the best with your vocation!

• Rose