Raymond I guess I kind of understand because my husband often has a hard time empathizing.
However he is amazing when anything practical needs to be done to help others. He’s organized and focused.
I guess you need to assess your skills, and what kind of training you have had, and see how you can use those to give practical help to others.
Living in a religious community could pose problems if you have difficulty empathizing with others, though not impossible.
One possibility could be joining a Lay Order, which are true Orders of the Church. They may be referred to as Secular or Tertiary or Third or Lay. These Orders require study, discernment, a temporary profession, and finally, full profession. There are a range of these Orders, Franciscan, Carmelite, Dominican, and several other, attached to Religious Orders.
In this way you can belong to a Religious Order while also living a practical work life, available freely to help others with real and practical needs in the society around you.
Lord please guide Raymond, who is so willing to live a holy Catholic life, and to serve those in need.
