What are signs you have a vocation to the religious life?

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_Gemma

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How would you know? How does God let one know? And what if married life AND religious life both sound attractive to you?

I’m having trouble deciding… My mind changes often!
Thanks - Gemma
 
I don’t know how to get spiritual direction. It seems in Australia it’s only offered for men wanting to be priests.
 
_Gemma said:
I don’t know how to get spiritual direction. It seems in Australia it’s only offered for men wanting to be priests.
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Go to your local FSSP apostolate. The priests there would love to give you spiritual direction.

Here are their churches in Australia:

Sts. Peter and Paul Church (diocese: Canberra)
Boake Place
Garran
Masses: Sun. 11.30 a.m. / Mon., Tue., Wed., Thu. 7.00 a.m. / Fri. 6.00 p.m. / Sat. and Public Holidays 9.00 a.m. / Holy Days 7.00 p.m.
St. Thomas More Church (diocese: Canberra)
White Crescent
Campbell ACT 2612

Website: canberratlm.blogspot.com
Masses: Sun 8.30 a.m.
Our Lady of the Nativity Church (diocese: Parramatta)
254 Great Western Hwy.
Lawson NSW

Masses: Sun. 5.00 p.m.
Maternal Heart Church (diocese: Sydney)
Charles O’Neill Way (off Thomas St.)
Lewisham NSW

Website: www.maternalheart.org
Masses: Sun. 8.30 and 10.30 a.m. / Tue. 6.00 p.m. / Thu. 7.00 p.m. / Sat. 9.00 a.m. / First Fri. 7.00 p.m.
St. Mark’s Catholic Coptic Church (diocese: Parramatta)
at the intersection of Prospect Hwy. And Reservoir Rd.
Prospect NSW

Masses: Sun. 8.00 a.m. / Fri. 10.00 a.m.
Eucharistc Heart of Jesus Oratory, Southern Cross House Chapel (diocese: Parramatta)
159 Girraween Rd
Girraween NSW 2145

Masses: Sat. 8.00 a.m. / mon. - fri. 7.00 a.m.
Sacred Heart Church (diocese: Parramatta)
9 Ropes Creek Rd.
South Mount Druitt NSW 2770

Masses: First Sat. 6.00 a.m.
St. Finbar’s Catholic Church (diocese: Parramatta)
46 Levy Street
Glenbrook NSW 2773

Masses: Tue. 10.00 a.m.
Church of the Holy Name (diocese: Adelaide)
80 Payneham Rd
Stepney SA 5069
Masses: Sun. 9.15 (sung mass), 5.00 p.m. / Mon., Thur. 7.00 a.m./ Tue., Fri. 6.30 p.m. / Wed. 11.00 a.m. / Sat. 8.30 a.m. / Holy Days please call for schedule.

fssp.org/en/messes.htm

God Bless!
 
When God want you to do something for Him or join The Church with some vocation you will know, believe me, you will.
 
You could also ask spiritual direction from a nun, but a priest would be better. Go to visit a few Convents see how you feel and what you think after talking to them.

May the Lord make his Will known to you in a clearer way, but you will know that is for sure. Do an hour’s prayer in front of the Blessed Sacrament in the Church also.:juggle::gopray:
 
_Gemma said:
I don’t know how to get spiritual direction. It seems in Australia it’s only offered for men wanting to be priests.
Click to expand...
I’m in Australia too Gemma, South Australia. I am directed by a priest religious and superior in his religious order. Have you tried religious orders of priests - or even nuns and religious sisters. Sometimes they do train in spiritual direction. I know of one St Joseph Sister RSJ (Mary MacKillop) in Adelaide who undertakes spiritual direction.
Also, my diocese (Adelaide) does send out, (if you ring and) through their “Spirituality Office” a list of qualified spiritual directors in Adelaide.

Happy Feast of St Mary of The Cross MacKillop.

Basically, very generally speaking, there are three signs of a potential vocation:
  • Attraction to the life
  • Ability to lead the including right motivation
  • Acceptance into religious life
For example,
  • If attracted to religious life, what religious order am I attracted to?
  • Do I have the necessary abilities and qualities to lead this way of life?
  • Is my motivation in living the way of life sound to me
  • Apply to the religious order asking about admittance. This might go through stages:
Letters or visits
Live-in
Formal acceptance into postulancy
 
Thank you for the responses I will seek spiritual direction.
 
_Gemma said:
Thank you for the responses I will seek spiritual direction.
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And more than spiritual direction, do the most important thing. Pray, and ask for others to pray for you, wheter they are friends, family, saints, whatever. Don’t step too far too fast without proper spiritual direction and take discernment slowly. If you do it, you’ll realize it before you even notice 👍
 
ServantPD said:
And more than spiritual direction, do the most important thing. Pray, and ask for others to pray for you, wheter they are friends, family, saints, whatever. Don’t step too far too fast without proper spiritual direction and take discernment slowly. If you do it, you’ll realize it before you even notice 👍
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Yes, thank you for the advice 👍
 
_Gemma said:
I don’t know how to get spiritual direction. It seems in Australia it’s only offered for men wanting to be priests.
Click to expand...
If you are either in Brisbane or Sydney, I know of a order of nuns who may be able to help you on this matter
 
From what I’ve seen there is certainly an emphasis here in Australia on vocations to the priesthood. Perhaps this may be due to the severe shortage of priests. (Tasmania only had 1 Catholic priest in the whole state last I knew!)

The Discalced Carmelite friars in Sydney suggested to a group of us last month that the best way to find the religious order to which one is called is to visit many of them. If one senses that there is nothing calling one to a place after a couple of visits then that option is probably not where one is called. If one senses a calling to a community while one is there then that community should be considered. If one senses that one has found one’s home in a given community then it is more likely to be where one is called. Nonetheless, one should proceed slowly as a calling to a religious community will grow stronger over time if it is true or fade away if it is not from the Lord.

Another useful piece of advice they gave was to discuss these matters with one’s spiritual director and also with folk at any community where one may sense a calling.

They also emphasised balancing what one feels with what one thinks. Either extreme can lead one astray.

Hope this helps and would love to talk with you more if you would care to send a message 🙂

May the Lord guide us all.
 
I hope the Lord will lead me to a good Spiritual Director, I want to know if I am indeed being called to the religious life, only with the recommendation of a Spiritual Director may I be able to apply for readmission to the Capuchins in the Philippines and resume my short stay in the Postulancy.

May Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, of whom I share the same birthdate help and pray for me
 
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