Does a call come and go?

[strugglingalong]

Question. Some days I think I may be called to the priesthood or religious life, and am excited about the idea of it, and then other days I think I am not called and wouldn’t want it. Has anyone else experienced that?

Also, yesterday I started to think that God could never want or call me to priesthood or religious life because of my sinful past and because of my imperfections and weaknesses. Is that common?

How do you know, then, that the call is real when everything is in flux? This happened to me years ago and I think it kept me from taking the step to enter.

Pax Christi tecum.

 

[jimmy2010]

Strugglingalong,

Yes, calls do come and go. I was called 4 years ago. Since I didn’t go, it waned. I felt called again so I will go this time.

For many who are called, we often asked if we are worthy of the call. Those feelings will be much stronger once you answer the call. When I first felt called, I was full of doubt. Believe it or not, I have a terrible fear of public speaking and being in the spot light. I asked God, “Why me? I can’t even talk in public!”

Since then, I’ve joined a speaking club to help me with my fears. I’ve won many speech contests. Do I still have the fear of public speaking? You bet! But it won’t be stopping me from answering. It is up to you to answer your call. Remember that Satan would be the one who will put doubts into your mind. He doesn’t like priests or anyone who works for God!

I suggest you answer your call. Feelings can wane, but if you have faith, the call will eventually be fruitful. Pray a lot and spend some time before the Blessed Sacrament. Remember Mother Theresa went on to serve God because of her faith, not her feeling. If it was her feeling, she would quit decades ago.

God bless!
JL

 

[BarbaraTherese]

Good thread and good question to pose:thumbsup:

Matters connected to vocation can come and go and leave indecision…and based on all sorts of matters and nothing should be excluded from “all sorts of matters”. I think one can one day be convinced of one’s vocation and the next enveloped in doubt, even repulsion. One could blow hot and then completely cold.
…since vocation is a question of ‘the rest of one’s life’ and God’s Will in that regard, it is a major decision to make and not to be made lightly…and once made and put into effect, it is then full commitment that is asked and despite difficulties. And this latter further tells me too that one should not make the decision lightly at all, and that those connected to vocations in positions of authority should insight and appreciate all this on the part of enquirerers. Not all do, unprepared to tolerate any sort of perhaps prolonged indecision. A vocation is not confirmed as actually present and affirmed until one makes final vows or is ordained to the priesthood.
Hence certainly the enquirer stage is very early indeed. And the stage prior to actually getting to enquirer is an earlier stage still.
Even postulancy, noviciate and simple vows are still times of discernment and decision making.

 

[Trishie]

I don’t know whether you have a vocation to priesthood or not. But I have answer to your concern
“God could never want or call me to priesthood or religious life because of my sinful past and because of my imperfections and weaknesses.”

You know that Jesus said, “if you deny Me before men I will deny you before My Father in heaven”…

He had called Peter as on of His apostles, destined to be one of His first priests of the Church He was to institute. He had changed Peter’s name from Simon to Peter because it means 'rock" and he promised Peter that he was the Rock on which He would build His Church, and to him He would give the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and the laws he would make would be laws in heaven. etc.

So what did Peter do in the worst moments of Jesus life when He desperately needed friends, he pretended he didn’t know Jesus, he denied Him before men and women because he didn’t want to be arrested and to suffer like Jesus.

So what did Jesus do after the resurrection,? Did He tell Peter he’d failed, and forget the ministry he was called to because he’d forfeited the right by sinning so cruelly against this man he had traveled in company with over the past three years, this beautiful kind man, whose miracles he’d been eye-witness to.

No, Jesus didn’t dump him as unworthy. Peter had claimed three time that he didn’t know Jesus. He’d rejected Him three times. So Jesus only asked Peter three times if he loved Him; and Peter replied thee times that he did love Him. Then Jesus told him, ''feed my lambs" “feed my sheep”, that is, take care of my people as a good shepherd. Jesus had called Himself the good shepherd who looks after his sheep.

I can give you all the references if you want, but not tonight as it’s almost a half-hour after midnight here in Australia.

If you are called to be a priest…your human weakness…well, looking at Peter, you answer the question, dear friend!
And do you imagine that our precious priests never battle temptations and never have to come humbly before God with their faults and sins, dear souls!

I don’t know what God is calling you to. But your human weakness, which like every priest, every married or single person, you need to battle against, will not keep you from the vocation God calls you to, whatever it is.

God bless you, Trishie

 

[Anlar]

For me, it does come and then go and then come again… eventually it doesn’t really go, it’s just fading but always there… I think before doing anything, go on and try the call… It’s not like you’ll be ordained the next day, you’ll have years for discernment in seminary.
**
“Also, yesterday I started to think that God could never want or call me to priesthood or religious life because of my sinful past and because of my imperfections and weaknesses. Is that common?”**

I have here from St. Faustina… thought it could help

"It’s no longer in my power,
To change, correct or add to the past;
For neither sages nor prophets could do that.
And so, what the past has embraced I must entrust to God

O present moment, you belong to me, whole and entire.
I desire to use you as best I can.
And although I am weak and small,
You grant me the grace of Your omnipotence."

 

[strugglingalong]

I have here from St. Faustina… thought it could help

"It’s no longer in my power,
To change, correct or add to the past;
For neither sages nor prophets could do that.
And so, what the past has embraced I must entrust to God

O present moment, you belong to me, whole and entire.
I desire to use you as best I can.
And although I am weak and small,
You grant me the grace of Your omnipotence."

Thank you for your wise advice and comments. Most of all thank you for the beautiful prayer of St. Faustina! I love her! God be praised in His Saints! Can you give me the page or paragraph number for that?

Pax Christi tecum.

 

[Pious]

Question. Some days I think I may be called to the priesthood or religious life, and am excited about the idea of it, and then other days I think I am not called and wouldn’t want it. Has anyone else experienced that?

Oh yes indeed.

I had a very strong vocation as a child and lost it in my mid teenagers years and then it fully emerged in my late 20’s yearly 30’s.

In one incedent I had arranged to spend a day with a Religious community and I was so exited in the months and weeks leading up to the visit. But on the train going up, for some reason I did not feel called, and I even pondered about getting off at the next stop and returning home.

But then I thought that I could at least meet with the community as they were expecting me and it would be rude not to show up.

When talking with the Vocations Director for the order I explained how I was feeling and he said that it was perfectly normal when discerning a call to the religious life or the Priesthood.

I am now 33 and I will soon begin my formation at the seminary.

Keep praying and listening, because whilst a true call can fade away it never really dissappears.

 

[BarbaraTherese]

I have here from St. Faustina… thought it could help

"It’s no longer in my power,
To change, correct or add to the past;
For neither sages nor prophets could do that.
And so, what the past has embraced I must entrust to God

O present moment, you belong to me, whole and entire.
I desire to use you as best I can.
And although I am weak and small,
You grant me the grace of Your omnipotence."

Great quote, Trishie…thanks for sharing it - and one to take very close to heart…Barb

 

[Anlar]

Hi stugglingalong, you can find it in her Diary # 2… There’s an **O My God **title

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

I would say technically a call does not come and go. God calls. It is our part that comes and goes. That is are we open to hearing the call that is always there.

 

[CarmeliteGirl25]

Question. Some days I think I may be called to the priesthood or religious life, and am excited about the idea of it, and then other days I think I am not called and wouldn’t want it. Has anyone else experienced that?

Also, yesterday I started to think that God could never want or call me to priesthood or religious life because of my sinful past and because of my imperfections and weaknesses. Is that common?

How do you know, then, that the call is real when everything is in flux? This happened to me years ago and I think it kept me from taking the step to enter.

Pax Christi tecum.

God NEVER revokes a call to the religious life. Even if that person has done horrible things and is not worthy, He is still being called to holiness. Remember what Jesus said, “I came to call not the righteous, but sinners.” Whenever you think that you are not called to the religious life, it is your human nature kicking in and causing you to doubt. This has happened to me and I asked a priest about it. He told me what I am telling you. If you are doubting, perhaps you need to go to Confession for some reason. The devil often tries to trick us when we have strayed from the Lord’s will and he makes us think that we are very unworthy. Just keep going back to Jesus’ words! You are never alone in this trial. Prayers are especially important when you are feeling alone. Blessings upon you my friend! God be with you!

 

[BarbaraTherese]

I would say technically a call does not come and go. God calls. It is our part that comes and goes. That is are we open to hearing the call that is always there.

Thanks Brother David. I tend to agree with what you say. Sometimes though (and my comments are purely personal experience open to correction) we can ‘mishear’ the call. This is where spiritual direction is truly spiritual gold - wise, holy, educated and experienced spiritual direction (these are the qualities St. Teresa of Avila outlines re spiritual director). Certainly from childhood I felt God was calling me to religious life and I have never ever lost this awareness; however, I always thought it was to traditional religious life. Rather I think God does indeed call me to religious life but not in the customary well established form in religious orders, and in an age I have discovered, when The Church specifically identifies and embraces new forms of religious life, including of a religious life lived alone, solitary. After over 25 years of living this lifestyle it has now been affirmed by three priests and two nuns as my vocation and call. Although to my mind I have simply made a virtue of necessity (as advised by St. T. of Avila). I have impediments to traditional religious life and so live solitary through force of circumstances, while never having had a call or vocation to the solitary life. To my lifestyle yes, but not to solitary life. It is more of a burden really than anything. Like all states, it does have great blessings and consolations…also at times (LOL) great suffering. Ideally this lifestyle is lived in community…or as a solitary for those who have that call. I dont

Blessings and all comments most welcome…Barb

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

Thanks Brother David. I tend to agree with what you say. Sometimes though (and my comments are purely personal experience open to correction) we can ‘mishear’ the call. This is where spiritual direction is truly spiritual gold - wise, holy, educated and experienced spiritual direction (these are the qualities St. Teresa of Avila outlines re spiritual director). Certainly from childhood I felt God was calling me to religious life and I have never ever lost this awareness; however, I always thought it was to traditional religious life. Rather I think God does indeed call me to religious life but not in the customary well established form in religious orders, and in an age I have discovered, when The Church specifically identifies and embraces new forms of religious life, including of a religious life lived alone, solitary. After over 25 years of living this lifestyle it has now been affirmed by three priests and two nuns as my vocation and call. Although to my mind I have simply made a virtue of necessity (as advised by St. T. of Avila). I have impediments to traditional religious life and so live solitary through force of circumstances, while never having had a call or vocation to the solitary life. To my lifestyle yes, but not to solitary life. It is more of a burden really than anything. Like all states, it does have great blessings and consolations…also at times (LOL) great suffering. Ideally this lifestyle is lived in community…or as a solitary for those who have that call. I dont

Blessings and all comments most welcome…Barb

Barb,
I agree with you on this. I would put that into the category of being open to hearing our calling. Sometimes we are not fully open to it and we hear what we want to hear or we just hear enough of it to get confused (or mishear as you said).

 

[Salonika]

ByzCath:

I would say technically a call does not come and go. God calls. It is our part that comes and goes. That is are we open to hearing the call that is always there.

Agree ByzCath that God’s call is always there and it is our part that comes and goes. Sometimes it seems to go becasue we allow ourselves to get too busy with other things, sometimes so we can consider and make some necessary changes to ourselves and our way of life.

I wonder whether what we are called to changes or whether when this seems to happen it is because we misinterpreted its form. Maybe we start thinking “I couldn’t do that” or "I must be getting it wrong, only people like … get called to do this.

 

[BarbaraTherese]

Barb,
I agree with you on this. I would put that into the category of being open to hearing our calling. Sometimes we are not fully open to it and we hear what we want to hear or we just hear enough of it to get confused (or mishear as you said).

Thank you very much, Brother David, and most reassuring for me personally coming from a professed Carmelite. I have very close ties to Carmel…unoficially however. Since I am really living a totally unusual in some ways lifestyle that is also one of prayer, now and then I am inclined to doubt myself having no canonical vows (thus approved official by The Church), no approved rule of life (though I have one, just not in writing and my own rule) and no community around me in habit to assure me that I am what I am, who I think I am I live alone but I think I have alread said all that.

In short…all affirmation most gratefully received indeed!..even though it is not exactly lacking though if I rang them every time I felt insecure, I am absolutely positive I would very quickly loose friendships and valuable spiritual ones.

I no longer look upon my limitations including mental illness and now mature indeed age, rather I have looked on them for some time as boundaries The Lord has set on me to accomplish His Will…if He did not impose these boundaries, I would be off so quickly to the strictest most enclosed monastery I could find, no one would see me for dust…Hence I dont have limitations or impediments, rather boundaries within which The Lord is calling me to respond to Him in a total way.

Thank you again…Barb