E
Epistemes
Guest
Am I being called to the religious life? Is God calling me to embrace my vocation?..
I’m a fairly new member here, and haven’t offered much of an introduction to myself, but I’m a Catholic candidate who has a deep interest in theology (and the set of Summa Theologiae sitting on my desk might attest to that fact
). Even though I feel I could pass any written exam the Church might give me concerning “What is Catholicism?”, I nonetheless bow my head before the Magisterium and have decided that approaching my entry into the Church from a more humble perspective might be best for me, spiritually.
I’m 25, and I’ll admit that I lack patience. Of course, it’s hard to have any amount of patience when everyday life is go, go, go! Between sleep, work, eating, and my personal devotion time, there is hardly any time left! I also feel that I’m at a crossroad in my life when I must decide what I wish to do with my life. Do I intend to enter a specific profession or occupation and work the whole rat race for the next 25-30 years? or is there something else which I feel I’d rather be doing with my time?
In truth, I’ve felt increasing urges, since I was 18, to become a monk. At 18, however, I had so many other obligations that a life as a monk was ideal, at best, and ridiculous, at worst. I was also in a period of religious formation when God was leading me through a series of paths and deviations which, as it turns out, has ultimately led me to Catholicism. Since embracing Catholicism, I’ve made further inquiries into what I expect from my life…and what I intend to do with it…
I could go to school, receive my Master’s of Divinity, and become a theologian, work on a doctorate, and become a professor of theology. This is one option.
However, I also feel a slight tug on my sleeve in becoming a priest.
But I’ve also felt a serious tug in the direction, once again, of joining the monastic life.
Of course, some would say I’m speaking a little too soon, that I’m not even Catholic yet, much yet immersed into what it means to be Catholic, so I surely am out of my wits in considering becoming a monk this early on. I spoke to my priest briefly after Mass a couple weeks ago, told him I was interested in becoming a priest in my future perhaps, and he sort of reprimanded me and said, “You have to be a convert first!” I get the feeling that he nor many people don’t understand how developed I am in Catholicism…but I also wondSer if the priest wasn’t telling me something through the Holy Spirit?
Should I convert, wait two years, develop in my Catholicism, and then decide if a life as a priets or monastic is truly my cup of tea? But I must admit, once again, that two years seems like an awfully long time to wait…especially when my parents are wondering what occupation I’ll ultimately choose within the coming year…
And that’s the other thing. My parents. I’m an only child, and I wonder what obligations I have to them…and how my vocation, if that indeed is what it is, might interfere. It gives me enough reason to pause and ask, “Should I just stick to theology as a profession?” But, in earnest, I feel that I’d much rather devote myself to God…
These are hard decisions, as you might imagine…
I don’t know if anybody else has ever experienced them…
All I can do is trust myself to the Lord, dedicate myself to prayer, and see where this road leads me…
I’m wondering if I shouldn’t contact an abbey and talk to them about the thoughts I’ve listed above…at the very least they could only give some sort of direction as to what I need to consider, right?
I’m a fairly new member here, and haven’t offered much of an introduction to myself, but I’m a Catholic candidate who has a deep interest in theology (and the set of Summa Theologiae sitting on my desk might attest to that fact
). Even though I feel I could pass any written exam the Church might give me concerning “What is Catholicism?”, I nonetheless bow my head before the Magisterium and have decided that approaching my entry into the Church from a more humble perspective might be best for me, spiritually.I’m 25, and I’ll admit that I lack patience. Of course, it’s hard to have any amount of patience when everyday life is go, go, go! Between sleep, work, eating, and my personal devotion time, there is hardly any time left! I also feel that I’m at a crossroad in my life when I must decide what I wish to do with my life. Do I intend to enter a specific profession or occupation and work the whole rat race for the next 25-30 years? or is there something else which I feel I’d rather be doing with my time?
In truth, I’ve felt increasing urges, since I was 18, to become a monk. At 18, however, I had so many other obligations that a life as a monk was ideal, at best, and ridiculous, at worst. I was also in a period of religious formation when God was leading me through a series of paths and deviations which, as it turns out, has ultimately led me to Catholicism. Since embracing Catholicism, I’ve made further inquiries into what I expect from my life…and what I intend to do with it…
I could go to school, receive my Master’s of Divinity, and become a theologian, work on a doctorate, and become a professor of theology. This is one option.
However, I also feel a slight tug on my sleeve in becoming a priest.
But I’ve also felt a serious tug in the direction, once again, of joining the monastic life.
Of course, some would say I’m speaking a little too soon, that I’m not even Catholic yet, much yet immersed into what it means to be Catholic, so I surely am out of my wits in considering becoming a monk this early on. I spoke to my priest briefly after Mass a couple weeks ago, told him I was interested in becoming a priest in my future perhaps, and he sort of reprimanded me and said, “You have to be a convert first!” I get the feeling that he nor many people don’t understand how developed I am in Catholicism…but I also wondSer if the priest wasn’t telling me something through the Holy Spirit?
Should I convert, wait two years, develop in my Catholicism, and then decide if a life as a priets or monastic is truly my cup of tea? But I must admit, once again, that two years seems like an awfully long time to wait…especially when my parents are wondering what occupation I’ll ultimately choose within the coming year…
And that’s the other thing. My parents. I’m an only child, and I wonder what obligations I have to them…and how my vocation, if that indeed is what it is, might interfere. It gives me enough reason to pause and ask, “Should I just stick to theology as a profession?” But, in earnest, I feel that I’d much rather devote myself to God…
These are hard decisions, as you might imagine…
I don’t know if anybody else has ever experienced them…
All I can do is trust myself to the Lord, dedicate myself to prayer, and see where this road leads me…
I’m wondering if I shouldn’t contact an abbey and talk to them about the thoughts I’ve listed above…at the very least they could only give some sort of direction as to what I need to consider, right?