Very confused about life

[SacredHeartFan]

I am a good catholic that likes to read. I have three Teen Bibles (given as gifts over christmas, easter, brithday, etc.) that tell me that I should go out into the world live happily while serving God and making friends. Then I read the saints who say that it should be only about God in this life. Only about prayer and keeping the commandments, attending mass, recieveing the scaraments. We should be people of only prayer becuase nothing else will help us on Judgement. These seem to conflict with each other. Anyone have an answer to which I should follow??
i know, that was alot!

 

[Zahmir]

When you have friends, when you do things in the world, make sure it gives glory to God. Make every action an act of prayer and thanksgiving to God. Scripture says that we must “pray always,” and that we must be “in the world, but not of the world.” But friendship, marriage, etc., these are all wonderful goods.

Some are called to different vocations and ways of life. Pray that God might grant you conviction for the path that is yours.

It’s a tall order and only a few, and only then by the grace of God, have fulfilled these obligations.

 

[AveSantaMaria]

A beautiful song that comes to mind, is “*Go Out to All the World and Tell the Good News of Our God.” *The most important thing is sanctity because the world will see our imperfections better than we do ourselves and God gifts us more when we have more faith and are like Christ. “For to everyone who has, more will be given. But to him who has not, even what little he has will be taken away.” (Matthew 25:14-30) That’s why the Secret of the Rosary (St. Louis de Montfort), True Devotion to Mary (St. Louis de Montfort), The Way of Perfection (St. Theresa of Avila) are such important books. They help us to grow more Christ-like and stay more Christ-like so that we can be a wonderful example to others.

So I say, when you are strong enough to preach Jesus, Mary, and the Cross - the most important thing in this life, not saying I am always capable of doing it, is to free souls from Purgatory and save them from Hell. So if you want to Go Out to All the World - like St. Maximilian Maria and St. Francis of Assisi and St. Dominic and St. Louis de Montfort and pray, evangelize, and serve others or if you want to stay in a monastery or convent like St. Theresa of Liseux (The Story of a Soul), St. Theresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, or St. Padre Pio - and pray for those souls, hear confessions, and be a spiritual director - you do the same. In fact, monasteries were used to hide the Jews during the Holocaust - and people travel from all over the world to see St. Padre Pio - and St. Maximilian Maria is both a saint in a monastery and a martyr - the lines are blurry. For difficult questions, the Carmelite priest at my church has always advised going to Mary, say a Hail Mary before asking her and deciding.

Hail Mary full of grace the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen

 

[Highwayhound]

Saint Maximilian Kolbe at one point in his life, before priesthood, want to be a soldier. He wished to see his beloved homeland free from the oppressive powers which occupied it.

I think, when he was 16, he and his brother Alfonso (?) both snuck across the border together to get out of Poland and then on to Rome.

Are there any discernment retreats in your area. I know the local abbey has retreats for young men considering the priesthood. Something like that might help you.

I wish you well in your discernment. I pray for priests every time I pray the rosary. Who knows? Maybe you are one of them. Let us know what becomes of you.

God bless

 

[LilyM]

For every St Simeon the Stylite who lived in a remote place secluded from the world is a St Thomas More, who had many friends, a large and happy family, a highy respected and influential position in society and was a very sociable and joyous man. And YET - St Thomas along with this ALSO made time to pray much, attend Mass and receive the sacraments.

It’s not about neglecting your worldly obligations and pleasures in favour of God (unless you’re a religious or priest, I suppose, who do to some extent), it’s about finding a balance and finding a way to bring God into your daily work and interactions and pastimes as well as having some ‘alone time’ with Him.

 

[SacredHeartFan]

For every St Simeon the Stylite who lived in a remote place secluded from the world is a St Thomas More, who had many friends, a large and happy family, a highy respected and influential position in society and was a very sociable and joyous man. And YET - St Thomas along with this ALSO made time to pray much, attend Mass and receive the sacraments.

It’s not about neglecting your worldly obligations and pleasures in favour of God (unless you’re a religious or priest, I suppose, who do to some extent), it’s about finding a balance and finding a way to bring God into your daily work and interactions and pastimes as well as having some ‘alone time’ with Him.

thanks alot!!
everyone thanks!!!
this has helped so much!

 

[bpbasilphx]

I’m sure you have run across the term “communicatio idiorum”–that is, what Our Lord Jesus Christ did in His human nature, He experienced in His divine nature as well.

Remember the wedding at Cana? Don’t you think it brought Him great joy in His human nature? And at the same time–and because of this human joy–His Divine heart was dancing to see His creation so happy?

The Sabbath was principally observed in the home. Is this still not a joyous day to observant Jews?

Do you think He worried about enjoying a cup of wine with customers at the carpentry?

Think about it.

 

[FickleFreckled]

Jesus didn’t just pray; he went out into the world and into unexpected places he was even criticized for. Some people are called to live a life of ‘just prayer’ - in contemplative monasteries and convents, or some as hermits. When they do that, they’re still reaching out to and for the world with their intercessory prayer. They also pray the daily prayer of the Church on behalf of others who cannot or don’t. The rest of us live our Christian commitment in the world - ‘in the marketplace’ - to hopefully, bring Christ to the world by our example, our love and our prayer.

 

[Dorothy]

And, remember that our Lord Jesus Christ wants us to live in the world, but not to be of the world.

It is in the world that we can witness, by our behaviour, that Jesus is first in our lives.

 

[AveSantaMaria]

** For discernment about the choices we must make on a day to day basis **

“I think that I did not miss a single day in reciting it [the rosary[, including the most terrible times of battle when I had no rest night or day. How often did I see her manifest intercession in the decisions, which I made in choosing a precise tactic. Take, then, the advice of an old soldier seasoned by experience: Do not neglect the recitation of the Rosary for any reason.”-- Marshal Foch, great military leader of WWI.

• Hail Mary full of grace the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary mother of God pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

 

[kimaz]

Another great example is Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, he was a young man who was very pious went to Mass almost daily, spent hours in adoration and helping the poor. But he also liked to play sports, hang out with friends and play practical jokes. Here is a link with some more info about him:saints.sqpn.com/saintp3x.htm

I just helped run a retreat for our parish teens this weekend and he was the subject of one of the talks…I think he is definately a good example, especially for young people.