Monastic and active

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Paris_Blues

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Let’s say I was called to the religious life…

How would I know for sure which order or “lifestyle” would work best for me? Would I take it on which feels comfortable or which would give me “more life” so to speak or what? Or more, which one would bring me CLOSER to the Lord?

Any ideas or help?
 
Paris Blues:
Let’s say I was called to the religious life…

How would I know for sure which order or “lifestyle” would work best for me? Would I take it on which feels comfortable or which would give me “more life” so to speak or what? Or more, which one would bring me CLOSER to the Lord?

Any ideas or help?
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The best thing to do is to try them out, so to speak. All of the monasteries I’ve visited let you make vocational retreats (mulitple ones at that). You can spend a weekend, a week, a month, or sometimes longer, living the life, to discern whether or not it’s right for you.
 
I’m in the process of discernment also. My advise would be start going to confession regurarly (every two weeks or so), start attending daily mass if possible, go to Eucharistic adoration when possible and pray to Mary daily.

Go on retreats if possible. My guess would be go with what you feel most “comfortable” with so that you’re in a place which gives you the best opportunity to grow closer to God. For example, if you’re feel more comfortable in a monastery that is more orthodox and austere, don’t go to the liberal monastery hoping the change them into a more orthodox and austere monastery. Go with whatever place you feel will enable you to best do God’s will.
 
Paris, if you do discern a call to the religious life, within that discernment is the further discernment of whether you are being called to an active life within the context of religious community, or a contemplative one within a monastic Order. In which will you most perfectly fulfill the Lord’s command of charity? Is He calling you to express His Divine Charity through service to your neighbor (the active life)? Or is He calling you to the direct search for the love of God which constitutes the contemplative (monastic) life?

Your fidelity to prayer and the sacramental life will aid you in your discernment; also seek a wise director who can help you discover the Lord’s vocation for you. Since you are so new to the life of the Church, remember that your first flush of enthusiasm will need tempering and testing before your vocation (whatever it may be) will become more clear. Have a patient heart and the Lord will show you the way.
 
Paris,
These days you also want to know, how faithfully Catholic a certain monastery is. A rule of thumb is: What is their relation to the Holy Father? to the Real Presence in the Eucharist? Mary, the Mother of God? the Saints? common Divine Office? Do they have a common garb (habit)? Respect for the male priesthood, as given to us by the Church?
I pray for you, that you find what you seek!
Winthir
 
Winthir said:
Paris,
These days you also want to know, how faithfully Catholic a certain monastery is. A rule of thumb is: What is their relation to the Holy Father? to the Real Presence in the Eucharist? Mary, the Mother of God? the Saints? common Divine Office? Do they have a common garb (habit)? Respect for the male priesthood, as given to us by the Church?
I pray for you, that you find what you seek!
Winthir
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Welcome to CAF, Winthir. 🙂

You may not have noticed that this discussion thread has been inactive since 2005 and that the original poster has been banned.
 
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