Vocation for a Woman with children and no husband

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Alive_in_Christ

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Hello Forum,
This is my first thread. I was wondering if anyone has heard of any Roman Catholic vocation for a woman who has children under 18 and who was divorced from her Catholic husband. He also got an annulment through the Church and I was against it. I am at a point in my life that I am not interested in anything more than following Christ and carrying my cross and of course raising my children, teaching them how to follow Christ as well. If there aren’t any vocations does anyone know of helpful ways to spend my time? The reason being that my children’s father and I share custody so they are not with me some days of the week. I pray on this at Church and Jesus asks me to study the bible and saints and to look to Mary as my role model. I don’t have many friends close to me who are Catholic either so it is hard for me to be so alone. Thank you for your time and God Bless You.
 
Alive_in_Christ said:
Hello Forum,
This is my first thread. I was wondering if anyone has heard of any Roman Catholic vocation for a woman who has children under 18 and who was divorced from her Catholic husband. He also got an annulment through the Church and I was against it. I am at a point in my life that I am not interested in anything more than following Christ and carrying my cross and of course raising my children, teaching them how to follow Christ as well. If there aren’t any vocations does anyone know of helpful ways to spend my time? The reason being that my children’s father and I share custody so they are not with me some days of the week. I pray on this at Church and Jesus asks me to study the bible and saints and to look to Mary as my role model. I don’t have many friends close to me who are Catholic either so it is hard for me to be so alone. Thank you for your time and God Bless You.
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Are there any groups at your local church that you could belong to? A lot of times, they have all kinds of ways to help…Extraordinary Eucharistic ministers, visiting or calling shut ins, help with the sacristan, prayer groups, etc., etc. One can always ask.

Are there any Bible studies and such to help you learn about your faith? What about teaching catechism?
 
There is adult catechism and one for children. There’s the St. Vincent de Paul, just numerous ministries…lector, cantor, music, a variety of ways to help.

One could do the corporal and spiritual works of mercy…feed the hungry, visit the infirm, teach the ignorant, etc.
 
Alive_in_Christ said:
Hello Forum,
This is my first thread. I was wondering if anyone has heard of any Roman Catholic vocation for a woman who has children under 18 and who was divorced from her Catholic husband. He also got an annulment through the Church and I was against it. I am at a point in my life that I am not interested in anything more than following Christ and carrying my cross and of course raising my children, teaching them how to follow Christ as well. If there aren’t any vocations does anyone know of helpful ways to spend my time? The reason being that my children’s father and I share custody so they are not with me some days of the week. I pray on this at Church and Jesus asks me to study the bible and saints and to look to Mary as my role model. I don’t have many friends close to me who are Catholic either so it is hard for me to be so alone. Thank you for your time and God Bless You.
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Your vocation at this time is being a mother. I think what you are looking for is an apostolate or ministry. What that might be depends on where your interests and gifts lie and how much time you will have to devote to it since you will be busy with your children. You may not be able to do exactly what you dream of so take a cue from St. Therese; she wanted to be a missionary but became a nun who interceded for missionaries.
 
Our Blessed Mother at Fatima asked for sacrifices and rosaries for the conversion of sinners and peace in this world. When you start the day, you can do a morning offering of your day for this intention, and remember it frequently through the day as you take care of your duties. You will gain much merit in heaven and change the world for the better.

You might enjoy this bible series, I did…ewtn.com/vondemand/audio/seriessearchprog.asp?seriesID=-306548622

May God bless and strengthen you.
 
‘jesus be the daddy of our home’ is a song which treats of situations such as your own.

do a sacred heart enthronement, and concentrate on him as daddy of the home. if he wants you to be more involved outside the home, he will lead the persons to you.

has your former spouse remarried? sounds as if you’re willing to permit him back into your life. as st paul of the cross says, ‘adore the will of god’ and ‘remain in god as a baby at the breast.’

sorry about the lower case. on the mobile.

blessings,
cloisters
 
You might try praying the Liturgy of the Hours if you feel you are called to pray in a monastic sense.
 
If you feel called to them, you may want to investigate the various Third or Secular Orders. Most allow parents. However you will have to go through formation. If you are unable to make time for formation you may have to wait until your kids are older.
 
It’s clear that your primary vocation now is and must be that of a mother to your children, and that shall remain your primary vocation until they are of age–and more likely, until sometime after that. Thus, anything you do over and above this must not contradict and should be conducive toward that means of sanctification.

Becoming somewhat rarer in the Catholic world nowadays are the benefits of confraternities. Membership in a confraternity is by no means a vocation or a state of life, but through the indulgences granted them by the Holy See (which have never been abrogated), they are excellent means of sanctification for persons in any state of life. Perhaps several are established in your parish or in nearby parishes. It might do you well to do some reading on the benefits to and obligations of the members in several of them.
 
Set up a shrine to the Blessed Virgin in a spare room. Begin a devotion to her through the Rosary. You can set aside a half hour for prayer every day. If it’s possible for you through the Church to patch your marriage, I would pursue it. Your children will also be affected positively by your devotion and experience. You’ll be awed by the changes that she will effect in your life.
 
I’ve been feeling the same way, trying to understand what to do with the rest of my life as a divorced mother. Would love to fit into some type of “slot” ha! I’ve decided to focus my prayer to become a spiritual mother praying for priests and seminarians. I’m also just taking one day at a time, doing what I’m supposed to be doing for that day. This means I continue in the unglamorous and lonely, joyful job as Mommy and continue to look at Christ on the cross with love… Longing to be with Him in heaven.
 
I too was a single parent to my daughter and I know exactly how you feel. I sent my dear daughter (now 29 and an attorney) to Catholic school through her undergrad degree at a Jesiut University. The family atmosphere was awesome. I developed a very strong devotion to our Holy Mother, even placing her picture on my desk where I taught public high school! Just having her presence was very comforting. I’m praying for you.
 
I think you would do yourself a favor by looking at Third/Secular orders. Something similar (though not yet as “official” as joining a Third Order) would be to become an oblate attached to a monastery. You don’t have to be in their part of the world to join. The Benedictine Monks of Perpetual Adoration of the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar have oblates attached to them - info here: cenacleosb.org/oblates/ They’re based in Ireland! Or you could look at a monastery close to your town and see if they have something similar.
 
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