Vocations suggestion

[tenfootpole]

I was thinking it’d be a really good idea to have a forum for young people with the theme being vocational discernment to priesthood, religious, or married life. It is difficult to understand things from the perspective of diocesan vocation directors who grew up in a much different world and giving young people a chance to connect on this matter would be really great. I know there are other websites for this but Catholic Answers being as big as it is, ya know. Peace.

 

[joeysmom]

That would be a good idea. I would like my son to join a forum like that.

 

[briami]

I also think that would be a great idea. Some of the other websites I have seen are always trying to get me to join their religious order, etc. I just wanted some other people to bounce my questions, comments, and concerns on. I am now a seminarian but would still be interested in participating in these types of forums.

 

[Epsilon_Omega]

youth-discernment.com helped me a bunch, but because it is summer, everyone is busy and it is going sloow… and I hardly post there, but forums like that help alot.

It would be cool for one to be on here, because there are so many teens on here and CAF is the most steady forum I have ever been on.

 

[chicago]

I also think that would be a great idea. Some of the other websites I have seen are always trying to get me to join their religious order, etc. I just wanted some other people to bounce my questions, comments, and concerns on. I am now a seminarian but would still be interested in participating in these types of forums.

This is one of my big themes, actually. The orders and dioceses, understandably, try to immediately draw you into exploring their own way of life. There’s a legitimacy to this, as discerning a vocation is like dating. You have to try it out, come close, and see if it is working and right for you or not.

But, in most cases, people don’t just jump right to that level. Rather, they need something more generalized initially. They want information about what such a vocation is about. They want to just test the waters and see if it is something that they want to take any further or not.

If one tries to get them to jump in waist deep right off the bat, it may just scare them away entirely. And it can be even worse it they try something, get burned, and don’t have a clue as to where to go next. Discernment takes time and needs to be nurtured carefully. Not everyone is ready for steak. Let them have milk at first if that is what will help bring them along.

More must be done in this regard to better nurture vocations, I am convinced.