"My Question Is..."

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GilChrist77 said:
Brother,
In the past year I’ve realized that I have a huge love of encouraging young people to discern the priesthood and religious life. I’ve been very inspired, and saddened, by reading your posts about the call to religious life for men and how often it is forgotten and I would love to be able to talk to the young men in my youth group about it but I actually don’t know very much about it. Any advice you could give me on how to talk about it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for all you do and God bless you!

JMJ+
~Betsy

Totus tuus Maria! Let’s see what the good God wills.
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I would say that you begin reading some of the sites by communities of brothers. This may help. Of course, I would be more than happy to answer as many questions as you throw at me. Also send us young men whom you meet that fit the mold of what you read.

Here are two sites that are informative. One is our community, of course. 😃 The other is our sister community.

www.franciscansoflife.org (my community)

brothersofpeace.org/our_history/index.html

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
 
JReducation said:
I would say that you begin reading some of the sites by communities of brothers. This may help. Of course, I would be more than happy to answer as many questions as you throw at me. Also send us young men whom you meet that fit the mold of what you read.

Here are two sites that are informative. One is our community, of course. 😃 The other is our sister community.

www.franciscansoflife.org
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(my community)

brothersofpeace.org/our_history/index.html

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂

Thanks, I’ll be giving some guys a little loving nudge in your direction.

JMJ+
~Betsy

Totus tuus Maria! Let’s see what the good God wills.
 
My question is: How do you tell your parents about a vocation? Or if you are a parent, how would you respond to a son /daughter with a religious vocation?
 
Sister_Helena said:
My question is: How do you tell your parents about a vocation? Or if you are a parent, how would you respond to a son /daughter with a religious vocation?
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Sister, let’s make this intreresting. 😃 How do you tell your children that you have a vocation? I had to do that one. :eek:

Fraternally

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
 
Hi,

I guess you just tell your parents, and nobody can go against the Divine Desire of God! If they take it wrong, I guess you can’t do anything only answer to God… That’s it!
 
I have a question, I want well wanted to be ordained a Catholic Priest for two reasons well three one there are not enough priests two I want to serve God by working in a parish three I want that mark on my soul. I don’t wnat to be in a religious order ( I’m way way to extroverted) and I don’t feel the call to anything else. I don’t feel called to the laity except for maybe being an organist. There are three areas where we need people in the church, Priests Nuns and organists. I feel guilty that I don’t want to take the vow of poverty, scale down my collections most certainly but absolute poverty no thanks. I have a question what advice can you give me? my discernment is really a laughing stock and I am at whit’s end, I am not married and don’t see any prospects in that direction anytime soon, My wanting to be a priest is not enough to become one and may be the wrong reason for going after being a priest and I don’t want to be a Brother nor a Deacon. I think I have the wrong attitude as all or nothing at all. If I became a Deacon I couldn’t get married so with that may as well go all the way and be a priest. I am sure that is wrong, and Deacons are wonderful and we have one that celebrates a Eucharistic service I thank God for him. I don’t want to be a Brother either. Could my attitude of what “I” want be holding my discernment back? I am so confused so out of sorts that I am scared as to what my future holds. I don’t know if you ever done this or seen it done, but take a laser pointer and have a cat chase it, it is the funniest thing you ever seen. The cat goes nuts over the red dot and chases it and can make him spin and chase it up the walls and everywhere, That is how I think God treats me sometimes, Just gets a blast at watching me chase my tail at that red dot. I am almost 40 single and worried I will be alone the rest of my life and not amount to anything but a bag of dreams never attained and sitting alone asking what if or if only. Need advice. God bless Scoob.
 
Also I forgot to ask. Are there any religious orders that live in community but don’t take the vow of poverty? but are orthodox? just wondering. Thanks Scoob.
 
scoobydoo6v92 said:
Also I forgot to ask. Are there any religious orders that live in community but don’t take the vow of poverty? but are orthodox? just wondering. Thanks Scoob.
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Why, yes! Officially Benedictines take vows of obedience, stability, and conversion of life. They do live in community (that’s sort of the point of a cenobitic monk). Those vows were established in their Rule, way before the 3 standard evangelical counsels were made (poverty, chastity, obedience). I think “poverty” is implied within “conversion to monastic life” though, because you generally don’t see too many monks driving pimped-out cars and wearing lots of bling.
 
scoobydoo6v92 said:
I have a question, I want well wanted to be ordained a Catholic Priest for two reasons well three one there are not enough priests two I want to serve God by working in a parish three I want that mark on my soul. I don’t wnat to be in a religious order ( I’m way way to extroverted) and I don’t feel the call to anything else. I don’t feel called to the laity except for maybe being an organist. There are three areas where we need people in the church, Priests Nuns and organists. I feel guilty that I don’t want to take the vow of poverty, scale down my collections most certainly but absolute poverty no thanks. I have a question what advice can you give me? my discernment is really a laughing stock and I am at whit’s end, I am not married and don’t see any prospects in that direction anytime soon, My wanting to be a priest is not enough to become one and may be the wrong reason for going after being a priest and I don’t want to be a Brother nor a Deacon. I think I have the wrong attitude as all or nothing at all. If I became a Deacon I couldn’t get married so with that may as well go all the way and be a priest. I am sure that is wrong, and Deacons are wonderful and we have one that celebrates a Eucharistic service I thank God for him. I don’t want to be a Brother either. Could my attitude of what “I” want be holding my discernment back? I am so confused so out of sorts that I am scared as to what my future holds. I don’t know if you ever done this or seen it done, but take a laser pointer and have a cat chase it, it is the funniest thing you ever seen. The cat goes nuts over the red dot and chases it and can make him spin and chase it up the walls and everywhere, That is how I think God treats me sometimes, Just gets a blast at watching me chase my tail at that red dot. I am almost 40 single and worried I will be alone the rest of my life and not amount to anything but a bag of dreams never attained and sitting alone asking what if or if only. Need advice. God bless Scoob.
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Hmm… It is a great dilemma. I’m sure those more qualified than I am will contribute later but just want to share my thoughts on this.
  1. ) A spiritual director can be a great help to help you put things in perspective. Discernment can be very confusing by oneself because we can get caught up in our own questions and answers. Start with your parish priest.
2.) I don’t think I agree with your reason for considering being a Priest. Priesthood, any religious vocation for that matter, is not just trying to fill a void in the Church. It is not a job or position to be filled in. It is not a career either. It is first of all a particular calling to serve in a particular way. There has to be a call from God first, then we respond. “You did not choose Me, I chose you” says Jesus. After considering if you have the vocation to Priesthood, you would then have to consider heavily if God is calling you to the diocesan priesthood or priesthood in a religious Order.

3.) When one embraces Religious life, one embraces the three evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience. Some Congregations have a fourth vow of hospitality or stability for examples. The practice of the vows differ among religious orders. For example, Carmelites’ poverty is different from a Franciscans practice of poverty, and so forth. These differences are spelled out in the Congregation’s Constitutions. If you don’t think you are willing to be under any one of these vows, maybe that is an indication that you are not called to the religious life.

4.) You are right in suggesting that one’s attitude plays a huge and important part in religious vocation. The first virtue necessary for a fruitful discernment is an attitude of openness and willingness to be led. This can be frightening because we are used to being in control of our lives. If you really want to know, open your mind and your heart to all possibilities. Setting limits and parameters will only make you more frustrated and confused.

I will keep you in prayers and hope you find the path God wants you to take. Try to be at peace with the certainty that you were created for a purpose and that you are here for a definite reason. Love God now in the state Providence has placed you, frequent the Sacraments as much as you can, and give yourself in service to others wherever you find yourself. We are all called to do these things.
 
Sister_Helena said:
My question is: How Catholic are you?
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Was this question directed at me? If so here is my answer.

How Catholic am I? I go to Mass every Sunday and holy days and when ever I can. I believe in ALL the teachings of the Catholic church and I beleive in the miracles like when Virgin Mother Mary appeared in Fatima and other apparitions the church approves. I beleive in angels I beleive in hell and satan and that if you die in the state of mortal sin you’re in trouble. I beleive in the teachings of Purgatiuon. I feel I should go to confession before receiving the Eucharist I know in my heart that Jesus is present in the host. I believe in the Papacy and that the Holy Spirit works through the Pope. If it wasn’t for the Catholic church there would not be Christianity. If it wasn’t for the church there would be no bible no hope no nothing but darkness. The churh is the light in this dark dismal world that we live in. I see hope love caring in the church. This world is not dark and dismal when we look to the church and live her teachings and repent and be truly sorry for our sins and I sin A LOT!! it is a work in progress. I can go on but I feel that I am not a good Catholic at all and you can see in some of my posts that I am not a great Catholic but I feel and know that I am a Catholic and that is a heritage I am proud of and can’t thank God enough for. God Bless Scoob.
 
“Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity,” except loving God and serving Him alone.
This is the highest wisdom: to despise the world and to aspire to the kingdom of Heaven.
  • Imitation of Christ
Here is my question sister: Do you think, if one thinks this way would you say he/she has a vocation to religious life without a doubt?
 
Voc said:
“Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity,” except loving God and serving Him alone.
This is the highest wisdom: to despise the world and to aspire to the kingdom of Heaven.
  • Imitation of Christ
Here is my question sister: Do you think, if one thinks this way would you say he/she has a vocation to religious life without a doubt?
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No I do not think so. The passage from the Book of Ecclesiastes is meant for any Christian who desires to live according to God’s ways. It is not meant specifically just for someone who is contemplating Religious life. It is not the sole litmus test for a religious calling.
 
Sister is correct. There are virtues and behaviors that are meant for all the people of God. Religious life has many criterias that have to be met. The determining factor as to whether or not a person has been called by Christ to a specific religious family is the voice of the major superior. Christ confirms vocations through his Church. The major superior speaks for his/her religious family and for the Church.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
 
Thank you sister Helena and bro JR, I have one more question… Most vocation director agree with the idea of stepping on the other side in order to confirm ones calling, they’ll never say YES and NO. It is a favorable risk though. But what can you say to those who never tried but have decided their vocation? Would you say it’s harmful? Is the sense of peace really true?
 
Voc said:
Most vocation director agree with the idea of stepping on the other side in order to confirm ones calling, they’ll never say YES and NO. It is a favorable risk though. But what can you say to those who never tried but have decided their vocation? Would you say it’s harmful? Is the sense of peace really true?
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In my opinion, Vocation Director is only a guide along the maze of discerning a religious calling. He/She is not or should not be there as a recruitment manager. It is a temptation to unconsciously “force” a person to think they have a vocation to religious life (and worse still a vocation to the director’s own congregation.) And so I agree that after discerning WITH the person the Will of God for that person, the director should step aside and allow the person to make her / his own decision. Hopefully, by the integrity and authenticity with which a vocation director lives his / her own religious life, one would be attracted to her witness and attract the person discerning to the director’s own congregation.

Is this a “favorable risk?” I would not call it entirely a risk. Religious life from the outset is a “leap of faith.” The will of God is shrouded in the unknown and the uncertain. it is a paradox because unless one enters into it, one never really finds its certainty. Hopefully when one decides to enter religious life, it is not just for a “try out.” It does happen that after the leap of faith, one finds out later that religious life is not the life intended by God for them. The experience is still part and parcel of the bigger picture of God’s will for that person. Wen one sincerely follows the Will of God, AS ONE UNDERSTANDS IT, God works everything for the good in the end. (Romans 8:28).
 
My question is: What have you done in this Year of Priests (it will be ending June 2010)? Is there any one priest who helped you along your life’s way?
 
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