Possible to be called to another vocation but without the desire?

[fin]

Is it possible for a person to be called by God to a vocation which one does not have a desire for? Let’s say the person feels called to marriage while there are currently no marriage prospects. Person thinks God is maybe calling him to priesthood or remain single. However person doesn’t have any desire desire for these, admirable as they may be. He prays that God take away his desire to be married if it’s not where he is called to, but the desire remains. Desire for the alternatives remain absent. Have read that there is no such thing of being 100% sure with one’s vocation.

 

[SpeakKindly]

Is it possible for a person to be called by God to a vocation which one does not have a desire for? Let’s say the person feels called to marriage while there are currently no marriage prospects. Person thinks God is maybe calling him to priesthood or remain single. However person doesn’t have any desire desire for these, admirable as they may be. He prays that God take away his desire to be married if it’s not where he is called to, but the desire remains. Desire for the alternatives remain absent. Have read that there is no such thing of being 100% sure with one’s vocation.

I’m fairly certain that I’ve heard of priests who were formerly engaged and wanting children, and others were told that they should be a priest by friends before they were open to the preisthood.

Based on this, I don’t think everyone will automatically be going into a vocation they want to do at first choice, I think God may need to mold and prepare their hearts for it because that’s what seems to make some go towards those vocations.

The deacon in my parish was trying to discern between the preisthood and being a deacon for a long while.

 

[TiggerS]

Very broadly speaking, there are three signs of vocation :

Attraction to the way of life
Ability and right motivation to live the life
Acceptance into the life

Of the first of these “attraction to the life”, this can have a very winding sort of road. It might start out with lack of attraction and progress more or less through different stages leading to a desire and attraction to the life. I agree with the previous poster, that God would not call one to a state in life towards which one has no attraction whatsoever, but that long winding road might start out as lack of attraction.

For many years my attraction was to religious life and the thought of a lifetime in the single lay celibate state repulsed me…no attraction whatsoever. I did travel a rather long and winding road (including a brief entrance into monastic life in my early forties) to the point where I am now very happily 30 years approximately quite fulfilled in the lay single celibate state under private vows with a priest religious spiritual director.

As the previous poster well stated - it took time for The Lord to mould and prepare my heart for my life’s vocation - to bend and mould me to His Will.

 

[smichhertz]

Hi fin,

I don’t think it works like that. You are happiest fulfilling your vocation. There may be momentary or more temporal desires for a person that contradict their vocation, but at their heart their desire is their vocation. So it’s one in the same.

I would advise such a person to pray for strength and to ask God to help him not harden their heart. I’d also recommend they speak with a priest about possibly being called.

Hope that helps!

 

[Cricket2]

Sometimes desire can be misleading. This is why it is a good idea to have a sound spiritual director. Many past Saints had different ideas for their lives, but God put them in situations that were very different from their desires.

I knew of a young man that thought he wanted to be a Priest. He went to the seminary and it was there that he discovered that was not his vocation. He landed up getting married and now has children. I have know of situations in which the person wanted to marry but landed up being a religious or priest. One woman I know was totally opposed to the idea of being a nun and swore she never would be one. Well, she is a nun.

Trust that God will prepare your heart for His will, and get a good spiritual director. While you are investigating your possible vocation take time to visit a seminary, talk to other priests and even go visit an Abbey. It can’t hurt and you might be surprised how things will turn out.

 

[Deltadeliquent]

Can a vocation be temporary?
I had children and felt that mothering was my vocation. Now that my children are out of the house and have little time for me… Well that vocation has evaporated.
Now what do I do now? How do I figure out my vocation for the next 30 years, is there one, or am I simply done?

 

[St_Francis]

Can a vocation be temporary?
I had children and felt that mothering was my vocation. Now that my children are out of the house and have little time for me… Well that vocation has evaporated.
Now what do I do now? How do I figure out my vocation for the next 30 years, is there one, or am I simply done?

We should have a separate thread on this! I think it used to be that the vocation of mothering would last a lot longer and involve being a grandmother as well. When I think of the exhaustion young mothers go through and their inability to do other things, and the fact that children used to settle down near their parents, it makes sense, doesn’t it? In those days, “motherhood” often involved more than it does now, because in addition to grinding the grain one was going to bake bread with as well as baking the bread (and keepng the fire going!) (well, that certainly took a lot more time than running to the store!), they also had to preserve food; they spun, wove, and sewed the clothes, so it makes sense that the families would stick together ans share their time resources.

Titus 2: 3, 4: 3 The aged women, in like manner, in holy attire, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teaching well:
4 That they may teach the young women to be wise, to love their husbands, to love their children,

Annie

 

[DoubtingPeter]

Can a vocation be temporary?
I had children and felt that mothering was my vocation. Now that my children are out of the house and have little time for me… Well that vocation has evaporated.
Now what do I do now? How do I figure out my vocation for the next 30 years, is there one, or am I simply done?

Even though many lives are busy, the fact remains that you are their mother and nothing will ever change that

Sometimes we are called to love like Jesus, praying for them and loving them even though we might not get anything back

Whatever happens God has a beautiful plan in store for you, like he did before when you became a mother

[BIBLEDRB]Isaiah 49:14-16[/BIBLEDRB]

 

[DoubtingPeter]

Is it possible for a person to be called by God to a vocation which one does not have a desire for? Let’s say the person feels called to marriage while there are currently no marriage prospects. Person thinks God is maybe calling him to priesthood or remain single. However person doesn’t have any desire desire for these, admirable as they may be. He prays that God take away his desire to be married if it’s not where he is called to, but the desire remains. Desire for the alternatives remain absent. Have read that there is no such thing of being 100% sure with one’s vocation.

As mentioned before, having a regular spiritual director to discuss these issues would be a great help

As for now, I think you should just be open to the will of God
until we are consecrated in which vocation we are in, we will truly never know

Discernment usually does not come as some sudden revelation:
Pray for your future spouse (which you are doing by your signature or your future vocation
keep the faith
and God will gradually lead us where he wants us to go

Also, it should be noted that priests don’t have their attraction or sexuality taken away
a good subject to look up if you want to know more…

[BIBLEDRB]Philippians 1:6[/BIBLEDRB]