Vocation Suggestions

[Epistemes]

I’m fairly certain that God is calling me a religious life. But what should someone like myself do who is just now completing RCIA? The most obvious answer is to pray and wait, but should I begin talking to priests about my desire, or should I wait a couple of years? I’m also thinking about getting involved with the Knights of Columbus or the Legion of Mary just so I can devote myself to something in between time.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

I’m fairly certain that God is calling me a religious life. But what should someone like myself do who is just now completing RCIA? The most obvious answer is to pray and wait, but should I begin talking to priests about my desire, or should I wait a couple of years? I’m also thinking about getting involved with the Knights of Columbus or the Legion of Mary just so I can devote myself to something in between time.

Talk to your priest, try to get a spiritual director.

You can try to talk to vocation directors but most likely they will tell you to wait as you must wait 5 years before you can enter into religious life.

 

[awalt]

Pray - ask God to let you discern His will, and give you the strenth to walk that path

Take the sacraments regularly - try to go to Daily Mass

Conduct spiritual exercises - prayerfully read the Bible, The Imitation of Christ, etc.

Let the grace of God work in you, guide you to help others who are less fortunate and are the image of God.

These are some ideas I work on regularly…

 

[vince2paul]

This is what I got from a vocation director:

"The issue of vocation is a complicated one. It takes time, prayer, and lots of efforts in discernment. Some clues are important. Like God calls you to serve his kingdom, and he has given you the charisms for that. So, there is the question, what do you do well for the kingdom? or what do you** enjoy **doing for the Kingdom? Then God does not call to impossible things. So if you dont know how to sing, God is not calling you to be a Benedictine. Aside from that you can already start discarding some options.

You can start working on those questions already. There are many religious congregations so discerning their different charisms is also a time-consuming task. I hope this helps as a head start."

Btw, I’ve been in the Legion of Mary for about 3 years now, and I’m very glad that I joined LM.

 

[Ave_Maria_1]

Live an intense sacramental and prayer life. Can you go to daily Mass? Can you spend time in adoration? A daily rosary is highly to be recommended.

I do not know about any wait time. I think there are many who enter the church and do not have to wait; it may depend on the diocese or the Order you are interested in.

Seek holiness and union with God and this is done through the sacramental life. And put out feelers. Trust in God; He will lead you.

God bless you!
Ave Maria!

 

[Gertabelle]

I was a postulant and novice in a contemplative monastery for two years. The director of postulants was a convert. From what I knew of her vocation, she entered the monastery fairly soon after her conversion.

I don’t know about official waiting periods, but I do know there are things you can do now as a part of your vocation. You can join the third order of your particular order if there is one. You can spend your days in service to Christ by serving the poor. You can attend daily mass, pray the divine office, and see where else God leads you.

A vocation does not begin only when you enter the physical house of your order – though there is NOTHING like that moment!. Although you cannot live out the fullness of your vocation now (any more than I can fully live out the married life without a husband!), you are already exactly where God wants you.

And everything the other posters here have said is right on the money. Talk to your pastor, get direction, take that direction, and pray, pray, pray.

Blessings.
Gert

 

[ChristIsTheWay]

You’ve received some very good advice on here. As a convert myself, I’d like to point out that the waiting period after baptism varies from diocese to diocese and order to order. My diocese requires five years but the bishop will waive that if your pastor writes a letter recommending it. The Paulist Fathers, an order I am discerning with, requires you to wait for two years. I think the FSSP requires three, and so on. Good luck.