Spiritual Director vs. Vocation Director

[William3112]

Hello,

I have a regular spiritual director who I’ve been meeting with now for about nine months. He’s young and him and I get along very well. Five months ago I brought it up to him that I believed I had a religious vocation, but wasn’t specific about what I felt called to. We began doing some spiritual exercises and worked on getting me more involved in my faith community. However, I have always felt l was more called to the monastic life.

On a whim I just took a weekend retreat up to a monastery and fell in love. I felt like I was at home for the first time. I emailed the vocations director later with some questions and he encouraged me to consider making a more long term retreat up there. When I told my spiritual director about this he immediately discouraged it and began trying to relate his order to what attracted me about monastic life. I respected his advice but deep down felt he was trying to get me to consider his order, which is an active mendicant order.

I am told you are supposed to trust your spiritual director with your vocation, but when should you take the advice of a specific vocations director and pursue what you feel truly called to?

 

[FrStevenJones]

Hello,

I have a regular spiritual director who I’ve been meeting with now for about nine months. He’s young and him and I get along very well. Five months ago I brought it up to him that I believed I had a religious vocation, but wasn’t specific about what I felt called to. We began doing some spiritual exercises and worked on getting me more involved in my faith community. However, I have always felt l was more called to the monastic life.

On a whim I just took a weekend retreat up to a monastery and fell in love. I felt like I was at home for the first time. I emailed the vocations director later with some questions and he encouraged me to consider making a more long term retreat up there. When I told my spiritual director about this he immediately discouraged it and began trying to relate his order to what attracted me about monastic life. I respected his advice but deep down felt he was trying to get me to consider his order, which is an active mendicant order.

I am told you are supposed to trust your spiritual director with your vocation, but when should you take the advice of a specific vocations director and pursue what you feel truly called to?

Follow your instinct and go again to the monastery, your spiritual director may be biased and not objective on this issue. He’s human. Follow your “gut”!!

 

[anonymous_in_fl]

My thoughts: Be polite and kind and “check into” his Order. It will either confirm your desire for a monastic vocation or not. This will also serve to demonstrate to him you are actively taking steps to discern where your vocation lies ---- contemplative monastic vs active apostolate.

 

[bcuster]

It never hurts to check into different orders. It will give you more (name removed by moderator)ut on the varieties of religious life. Also, take your time and do not rush things. God will give you plenty of time to discern. God will not pressure you into anything.