Have you ever considered becoming a priest, brother, or a nun?

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CrispSnowflake

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Sometimes I feel I should become a nun. Other times, I see myself wanting to get married.
What is your experience? :angel1:
 
I’ve always felt called to marriage, but as I got stronger in my faith, I’ve contemplated the priesthood. As I am already married, if God so saw to take my wife early, I would highly consider entering the priesthood. As it stands, I am in a marriage that I believe is pleasing to God, and love my wife dearly, and I hope to have a long life with her.
 
Here goes my story…😛

Since I was about 7 years old, I wanted to be a mom. I loved playing with my dolls and cuddling them to “sleep” every night. I was sure that I wanted to do that when I grew up. I also loved music, and I thought that I might want to be a piano teacher. :harp:

A couple of years ago (2010, I think), I devoted myself to God out of love for Him. I figured I would join the Carmelites if I couldn’t find any decent guys in the world. 😉

In summer 2011, I went to a Catholic camp and met a couple of really amazing Catholic guys who loved God in the same way that I did. I started questioning my vocation (and I still am).

So that is my story. 😃
 
I have always, regardless of the religious beliefs or lack of belief I held at the time, had the utmost respect for holy people who dedicate their lives to their religion and the service of others.

Frankly, I never believed that I could go a lifetime without marriage and/or sex, so I never seriously considered being a nun.

I am married now and very much love my husband. If he should die before me, I know I would fall apart. I’d need a purpose and a reason to go on. I have thought of being a nun if I were widowed. I can’t think of a better reason and purpose than to serve God and do what I can to help my fellow humans here on Earth.
 
I am considering becoming a priest if there isn’t someone out there for me. It can go either way at this point as I’m not out of highschool yet. But I’ll go wherever God wants me to go.
 
It’s about prayer and discernment. Everyone has an exact place where they need to be, so if you don’t find it out by prayer, then you’re likely already on the right track, I’d say.

I have a vocation to the priesthood, but I don’t know if that is within a traditional priestly order like fssp, within a religious community, or as a diocesan priest. I feel like God has given me the option to pick between these three based on what I would like.
 
Back in college I felt challenged to be willing to be called to the priesthood. I was attending a Protestant college and learned of an intercampus retreat at a Franciscan retreat center associated with a Franciscan school. Ended up going there for Mass sometimes after the retreat. Learned quite a bit.

Now I’m civilly married, one child, lapsed and contemplating observing the Covenant of Noach, so I don’t know if this isn’t something any help.
 
Please do not look at your vocation as “I’ll become a priest/brother/sister if I don’t meet the right future spouse.” Examine both vocations prayerfully, and remember that in seminary or religious life, you have several years to prepare to make the commitment, or leave if it isn’t your calling. With marriage, most people don’t take that much time to prepare. I’ve known several people who failed to consider consecrated life before marriage, and spent their married years wondering if they were in the wrong vocation. Spend time before the Blessed Sacrament as often as you can. Whatever God calls you to be, He will give you what you need to fulfill your vocation.
 
Hi Crisp!

Here are my experiences.

In some ways I feel the same as you. For a bit over a year now (more than, in fact, the time that I have been a Christian!) I’ve considered a monastic life as perhaps the right course for me. As time goes on and I strengthen in the faith and my ideas become more concrete, the more I believe this is the right path for me.

But I do not know. I have another year before I can do this (payment of debts), and I do have doubts whether or not I’m meant to be celibate.

I have never felt that I would want a family, with the exception of a few brief, passing phases years before. I consider that helpful because I have not really been “on the fence” with the issue.

What I am “on the fence” about is marriage. But what is marriage without children? I can only judge that this fancy, like my previous sexual relationships (before I became Christian) is lustful in nature and not in the proper way (a priest once explained to me as I railed against “lust” and marriage that, when tempered with proper love and respect, it produced good fruits, like how anger tempered produces righteousness, or pride can produce skills useful to society)

I tend to consider this as my own cross to bear, because I do not feel capable of having a proper and loving relationship.

This isn’t my justification to join a monastery-- make no mistake, there are ample reasons for that, as well. But it is my reason to be celibate, which seems to be the issue you are struggling with. I think the other option will lead me into sin, as it has so many times before.
 
bzkoss236 said:
I’ve always felt called to marriage, but as I got stronger in my faith, I’ve contemplated the priesthood. As I am already married, if God so saw to take my wife early, I would highly consider entering the priesthood. As it stands, I am in a marriage that I believe is pleasing to God, and love my wife dearly, and I hope to have a long life with her.
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You could always be a permanent deacon.

And as for the OP, never really considered it. Maybe after undergraduate studies, I don’t know.
 
CrispSnowflake said:
Sometimes I feel I should become a nun. Other times, I see myself wanting to get married.
What is your experience? :angel1:
Click to expand...
I discerned being a priest and actually really wanted to be one for quite a while. I went to visit the seminary in our diocese and the Priest there said “You will feel in your heart if you are meant to be here.” No sooner were those words out of his mouth than I felt immense sorrow. I decided to check again just to see if it was a fluke a couple of years later, and went to stay a week at a religious order to discern. The people there were wonderful and kind and friendly and I felt absolutely miserable the whole time.

Now I’m married extremely happily and very happy with God’s decision.

So my advice is do not just guess about it…actively discern.
 
I think about being a priest now and then, but it’s mostly just thinking about how I would do things like how my homilies would be, would I shake people’s hands during the sign of peace, or how I would engage parishioners outside of Mass. But all that is in my head. When I think about marriage and more specifically parenthood my heart rejoices. I can tell you one thing, I have a huge pet peeve when a non-religious laity or deacon talk to me about the priesthood, especially after I tell them I’m called to the married life they then question my calling. Drives me crazy.
 
I’ve always had the vaguely persistent desire to be a priest ever since I was about 16 or 17, and it waxed and waned on and off for the next couple of years. After I graduated, I started to seriously contemplate joining the Jesuit order and I found my desire to become a priest increasing. Of course, it’s important to realize that a mere DESIRE on my part to join the priesthood doesn’t necessarily mean that God is calling you to the priesthood. Which was why I began to undergo spiritual direction, to discern whether God is calling me or not.

Oddly enough, what I am experiencing right now is that as my desire to join the priesthood wanes in favor of being a member of the laity, the more convinced I am that God is calling me.

It is a wretchedly confusing process.
 
bzkoss236 said:
I’ve always felt called to marriage, but as I got stronger in my faith, I’ve contemplated the priesthood. As I am already married, if God so saw to take my wife early, I would highly consider entering the priesthood. As it stands, I am in a marriage that I believe is pleasing to God, and love my wife dearly, and I hope to have a long life with her.
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why couldn’t you be a deacon or rather have you ever considered being a deacon ?
 
I have thought about becoming a brother. Particularly, I’ve been interested in teaching for some time. I attended a Catholic high school and would like a vocation that placed me in such a setting.

However, I also would love to be married and have kids, and one of course does not have to be a brother to teach.

Right now I am a recent revert to Catholicism, so it is quite early to be making a decision. I am probably not confident enough in my faith yet, but we will see where things go down the line.
 
Oh yes, when I was a kid, and also recently, when I began my discernment. I watched the Story of the Soul, and I really became enamored with St. Therese and Carmelite spirituality. I began researching more into it and it did sound very attractive to me. However, of late, I’ve been very drawn to the Secular Carmelites (O.C.D.S), which is the Third Order of Carmelites.
 
Consider these Proverbs below. If you think you are lost in direction of yoru life, don’t.

The Lord is with you. He is very much involved in your life…whether you are aware of it or not.

*Put the Lord in charge of your work, and then your plans will succeed. Proverbs 16:3

A man makes his plans; but the Lord directs his steps. Proverbs 16:9

Man can make many plans; but the Lord’s purpose will prove superior. Proverbs 19:21

A man’s steps are directed by the Lord; otherwise, how would we understand the road we’re traveling? Proverbs 20:24*
 
Though I’m still young I’m keeping my mind open about priesthood. I’m not really afraid of celibacy or poverty vows. However if I follow with priesthood I don’t know if I want to be religious or diocesan, I like the Jesuit order a lot.
 
I’ve discerned a vocation to religious life for over 5 years. I applied to 2 orders – I withdrew my application from the first after spending time in their apostolate and I was not admitted to the second for health reasons. Because of this, I believe that I am called to at least put my discernment on the back burner for now while I study for my Bachelor’s. I am not really sure that I am called to discern any longer. I am, however, considering membership in a secular order or institute if the religious life absolutely doesn’t work out. We have both Carmelites and Franciscans in my diocese. I don’t see myself getting married. I was told to consider Consecrated Virginity by the 2 Sisters in my parish but I’m not sure I’m called to it. I’m only 30 (at the end of this month), so I still have time to figure things out. 🙂
 
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