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[Hoosier1991]

Hi

I’m a 21 year old university student and catholic convert (converted ate age 18, made the decision to do so at 13!). For the past couple of years I have been considering a vocation.
I haven’t talked to a priest about it or anything but I plan to do so.

A few very basic questions I have at the beginning of this journey…

1. For most people called to a religious vocation, is there an “aha!” moment or is it a more gradual process? How do you KNOW?
2. To be blunt, I like boys. A lot I’m not trying to come off as promiscuous, but I enjoy the whole dating scene and male companionship. I’m the typical girl who grew up dreaming of prince charming and my wedding day. How do I know if thats not what God has in mind for me?
3. What can I do now to help me decide what God is calling me to do?

Thanks

 

[Lisa1967]

Welcome. Are you from Indiana by any chance? I ask because I lived there for a few years. I converted to Catholic at age 19 while at university.

There are many vocations. Marriage is a vocation as well.

A book I have found helpful is Lifework: Finding Your Purpose in Life by Rick Sarkisian. He discusses the vocations in the Catholic church. It is a workbook. I found it at a Catholic bookstore but it might be on Amazon too.

At various times I felt called to marriage, or to be a nun, but now at age 45 I think God may be calling me to the single life. I have never married and feel happy alone most of the time.

I’d say, give it time. Pray. Talk to a priest, but also to people in all walks of the Catholic life. Go on retreats and read books. God will make your path clear.

 

[Hoosier1991]

Yep, I’m from Indiana and I go to IU - hence the username
I was born and raised here but left for 2 yrs traveling around the coutnry/world! Now I’m back.

What uni did you go to?

Thanks for the advice! I just don’t know if I could be content being single my whole life - but thats soemthing that might change when I’m older. We’ll see

 

[DexUK]

As a man who was accepted for Seminary training (and postponed for various non-religious reasons) all I can say is that it simply felt like the right thing to be doing. There wasn’t a Damascene moment, it was more a case of a growing realisation over the years, starting with tentative steps, diversions, distractions, barren periods followed by renewed enthusiasm. Even during my more rebelling periods of life, there was still that small voice in the back of my head saying, “you know what? This is what you really want to do”.

Everyone’s different. Go at your own pace, but make sure that when you have a question you seek out an answer. Don’t let the grass grow under your feet but don’t run before you can walk either…

What can you do now? Explore the concept. See if it fits your needs and desires now. Imagine yourself in 20 years time in a convent and ask yourself would you be happy? Don’t qualify it with questions about ‘being happy devoting yourself to God’ because you can devote your life to God in many different ways: what matters is where you’ll be most at peace with yourself and God.

You might not get an answer to those questions straight away, so don’t rush it or be impatient. If you’re not getting anywhere with it, just be. Live your life as it is now and take a ‘come what may’ approach.

Whatever you do, do it for God. That way you can’t fail to be happy.

 

[thunderboom]

Hi

I’m a 21 year old university student and catholic convert (converted ate age 18, made the decision to do so at 13!). For the past couple of years I have been considering a vocation.
I haven’t talked to a priest about it or anything but I plan to do so.

A few very basic questions I have at the beginning of this journey…

1. For most people called to a religious vocation, is there an “aha!” moment or is it a more gradual process? How do you KNOW?
2. To be blunt, I like boys. A lot I’m not trying to come off as promiscuous, but I enjoy the whole dating scene and male companionship. I’m the typical girl who grew up dreaming of prince charming and my wedding day. How do I know if thats not what God has in mind for me?
3. What can I do now to help me decide what God is calling me to do?

Thanks

Hey! Congrats on your discernment! I thought maybe I could shed some light for you, at least from a guy’s perspective.

I’m entering the diocesan college seminary this fall to begin pre-theology studies; I’m finishing my B.A. at a university right now. Let me tell you, a couple of years ago I had all the same questions you have. It was all solved when I started talking to priests about a possible vocation. I visited my local seminary and the Dominican House of Studies in D.C., and through prayer it slowly came to me what I had to do. That’s how you decide what He’s calling you to. Pray, pray, pray! Oh, and you should start researching communities you might be interested in joining. Talk to the sisters you know, and the priests; they’ll all have good advice for you. Research the “charisms,” and visit the ones that interest you.

Mine was a combination of long development and sudden realization. My vocation developed slowly, over a long period of time, until one day I was sitting before the tabernacle and I finally knew for certain that God wanted me to be a priest, to be His own, to be set apart for Him. It sounds a little nutty, but I just knew.

And to give you some perspective on your other “issue”: I really like girls. A lot. Like, seriously, a lot. And it really hit home after I was accepted to the seminary. But through loads of prayer and some spiritual direction, I’ve come to know that God wants me in the seminary anyway. It’s not easy, and everyone you know is going to try to change your mind and tell you that you can’t possibly give up sex and dating. But the fact is that God does call some of us to vocations even though we have a rather healthy and strong attraction to the opposite sex. Like St. Augustine or Thomas Merton: both at some point had a mistress and a child. God still called them to vocations. And it’s the people who would make the best lovers and spouses that make the very best vocations, because they are stable and good persons.

I’m praying for you!

 

[Lisa1967]

My sister graduated from Indiana. I got my Masters from Purdue.

I never thought I’d be single this long. My first day of college I met a very attractive senior and we dated for several years. We even talked of marriage. But I broke up with him when he tried to control my life. I had another relationship but that was unhappy and didn’t last long. It’s been a long time since I had a date and I’m not really that interested. I have some health problems and I like being on my own with my cat. I have some good friends and am involved in a women’s ministry. I also spend a lot of time with my parents and my sister and her kids.

 

[Gyrfalcon1993]

1. For most people called to a religious vocation, is there an “aha!” moment or is it a more gradual process? How do you KNOW?

I’ve always believed marriage is in my future as sort of a default vocation. Then I had one of those “aha!” moments, which confirmed marriage as my vocation. Based on what you’ve said in your post, your vocation is probably marriage as I’ve heard that the calling is usually very strong for a vocation other than that.

BTW, based on your username I’m guessing you go to Indiana? Must be great having a #1 ranked basketball team. Wish my school was even half as decent…