Vocation confusion... [surely I'm not the only one]

[sabriner]

For a couple of years now, I’ve felt a strong attraction to the religious life. I just don’t know how to go about entering.

I’m not attracted to the congregations in my area. It’s difficult to learn about other congregations, because I live on an island and it’s too expensive to visit houses off-island. I’m afraid that if I seek a spiritual director, they will lead me away from the religious life. AND it’s hard enough to find one at all. The church community where I live is, for the most part, “liberal”, I would say maybe 60% or 70% if you could put it in terms of how liberal in that way. I don’t want to be a know-it-all or a prideful person by looking for things that are only “my preference”, but I don’t want to be led the wrong path either.

Am I being overly cautious? What am I doing wrong?

 

[JeffersonD]

You can always look up congregations online and talk to them via email for a while to ask them questions. After a while you can always call them so you can hear them and really discern whether you can make a trip their. Who knows that trip may last a lifetime. God bless and I’ll be praying for you discernent.

Jeff

 

[sabriner]

You can always look up congregations online and talk to them via email for a while to ask them questions. After a while you can always call them so you can hear them and really discern whether you can make a trip their. Who knows that trip may last a lifetime. God bless and I’ll be praying for you discernent.

Jeff

Hmm. I’ve tried that, but without reply. Well, ok, i tried ONCE. hahahah. I will try it again.

Thank you for your prayers.

 

[freudmacher]

I feel for you about not being able to find a Priest to talk to about this. Over the years, I went to 4 different priests who all told me “oh, you don’t wanna be a priest”. None of these priests knew me, I would search out a priest and set up a meeting and they would say that to me. EVERY TIME. Finally, I met one priest that just came across my path, who would talk to me bout life things, then finally he asked me why I keep talking to him, then I told him and he was sooo excited. He has been so helpful with everything.

I guess I am telling you this so that you wont give up hope. When you need it, I believe, God will put it in front of you. Please just hang in there and keep up the prayers!

(side note: one of the priests that told me that was the same priest that told my current priest the same thing)

 

[sabriner]

I feel for you about not being able to find a Priest to talk to about this. Over the years, I went to 4 different priests who all told me “oh, you don’t wanna be a priest”. None of these priests knew me, I would search out a priest and set up a meeting and they would say that to me. EVERY TIME. Finally, I met one priest that just came across my path, who would talk to me bout life things, then finally he asked me why I keep talking to him, then I told him and he was sooo excited. He has been so helpful with everything.

I guess I am telling you this so that you wont give up hope. When you need it, I believe, God will put it in front of you. Please just hang in there and keep up the prayers!

(side note: one of the priests that told me that was the same priest that told my current priest the same thing)

Thanks for the encouraging anecdote. Though I continue praying about my vocation, I also need to remember to live according to the duty of the moment instead of living in thoughts about the future

I guess the hardest part is finding a priest who really “gets” you, especially for me. I’ve had this constant problem throughout my specific life: people nearly always misunderstand things I say. You could say I’m not really golden-tongued. But, in the end it won’t be about me finding a priest, but the priest finding me (and who knows… maybe it’s not a priest…?)