Resisting Vocation

[mbc22488]

I am a convert and have felt a call to monastic life for longer than I have been Catholic. I have many struggles with this vocational calling, and I have many things that I have to address before I make any serious changes. But here is one question.

I am a VERY passionate musicologist. I feel that God wants me to serve him through my music performance, writing, and studying. I love to do what I do. It makes me happy and brings God’s joy into my life. I am concerned that by entering a monastic community I will not be able to do my work with the same vigor I do it now. I want to be a college professor who teaches, writes books about music, and travels to conferences to explore new research that the Lord has allowed me to uncover. Anyone have any suggestions for me? What do you think? Should I explore a vocation even if it means giving up the life of musicological research that God has given me such a strong passion for? Am I more fit for a third order?

 

[Old_Convert]

Have you looked at an order that has monks/priests who are teachers? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could be a monk/priest/professor of music in a Catholic college? I’m think particularly of the Christian Brothers. Google them and see. Does anybody else out there know of an order of monks/priests who teach? Wait a minute, I think the Servites do as well. Any other ideas, fellow posters?

mbc22488, yours could be a wonderful calling to love and serve the Lord and His people through religious life and music. Think about it!

 

[Thepeug]

Check out the Monastery of the Holy Cross in Chicago, IL. The prior there, Fr. Peter Funk, earned his master’s in music at the University of Chicago before entering monastic life. Each of the monks there is urged to cultivate musical talent, and Fr. Peter writes many of the Gregorian chants for the community. The monastery, though cloistered, also regularly hosts visiting choirs and musicians: www.chicagomonk.org

I understand your struggles with the monastic calling; I am experiencing the same difficulties.

Asking for your prayers, I assure you of mine,

Chris

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

There are a few abbeys that include colleges and/or seminaries. Perhaps they would be places you’d want to look at. Off the top of my head there’s St. Vincent in Pennsylvania, St. Meinrad in Indiana, St. John’s in Minnesota, Mount Angel in Oregon, Belmont in North Carolina, and whichever abbey runs Benedictine University in Illinois.

 

[m134e5]

Sometimes God gives us gifts and passions because he wants us to ultimately use them for His glory. Sometimes, those gifts and passions are only to help us *along the way *to coming to experience Him in a deeper way. Sometimes God asks us to deny ourselves, and leave everything behind to follow Him. If He asks this of you, rest assured it is because He has plans for you that will ultimately make you happier. Whatever the purpose of the gifts He has given you, remember that He didn’t give them to you for nothing- even if their purpose is not permanent, they still have purpose.

 

[Sister_Rose]

Most order would be more than happy to have a competent musician join them.

Don’t worry though. If God is calling you to religious life, He’ll made good use of you and you’ll be happiest following Him His way. You may find He has ways of using the talents He gave you that you’ve never thought of.

It is St. Procopius Abbey that runs Benedictine University. There is also the Benedictines that run Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas. There are a lot of orders tha run colleges and universities and also many religious who work it them but don’t own them. If you are not necessarily looking for a monastic community there are the TORs that run Franciscan University in Steubenville and there are probably very many others.

But let the Lord guide you in this. Don’t be worried about giving up your talents.