Gday,

I'm joining the a religious congregation at the start of next year, so all these thoughts are present in my mind. Does anyone else have these desires in common?

JMJ

I chose all of the above. It is not just one thing. To give myself to Him completely as His bride...there aren't many words to explain it.

DOOOHH!!! I didn't see the "All the above" option.

I picked "The presentative life - Representing the Church to battle the devil".

All are so wonderful, but I selected "The Meditative Life." Having a deep inner spiritual contemplative very much attracts me. I feel drawn towards a life built on silent contemplation and inner conversation with my Love and Bridegroom. Finding Him within yourself...

~Kathleen

It's NOT ABOUT MORAL PERFECTION!

I am not seeking as a Christian to be morally perfect.

How about we learn to love first!!!!!!!!!!

Second, it would be unhealthy to say that ONE thing attracts you more than all the others in my opinion.

it's about striving towards moral perfection!

and how does that conflict with love?

and what's wrong with a person being attracted to one thing most?

isn't that seeking moral perfection line from like.. the rule of St. Benedict? it's in some great saint's writing if i remember correctly...

oh, and yeah, there's that ALL OF THE ABOVE option

All of the above. But the Apostolic Life is pretty high up there for me.

All of those are attractive, but I think the Apostolic Life is at the top. I always feel a need to help others, especially emotionally.

All of the above

Hi All,

I was wondering where you got those descriptors from? My vote would be for the meditative life, but I wish i could edit afterwards the idea of retreating from the world. As a Francsican that makes my skin crawl, I entered religious life not to run away from the world, but because the world is good, and i found someone better, Christ. And also about the prayer, I hope there was supposed to be a comma between penitential and rosary. I do not find the rosary to be penitentional at all.

in Christ and Mary,
fr. Matt

All of the above!

I think Christ does the calling, if He is calling someone to enter a more heterodox community that doesn't wear a habit etc. You should go! Maybe the Lord is calling that person to a heroic level of sanctity and maybe even to call the community to reform, renewal and greater holiness.

too bad we couldnt choose 2 of the choices!!!! i didnt know which one to pick but when i first began my discernment it is the apostolic part of the religious life but then when i began visting communities and staying over night....it also became the prayer!!!!! oh i miss the chanting!!!!!!!!

Apostolic Life, bringing Christ forth to others......evangelizing.... I JUST LOVE IT!

(Eucharist and Prayer is also very central for me).

I love apostalic, medititave, prayer, sacrificial, and presentative. All my goals But I just chose "All of the above"

I did not see the all of the above option at first - I was quite torn between a few of them. Hooray for the all of the above option.

And what is wrong with retreating from the world? I'm thinking some great saints (i.e. hermits, anchoresses) would probably have something to say about that...

As an Augustinian that makes my skin crawl to.

Although we know the world is a fallen one, it is being renewed, or rather Created Anew in the Easter Resurrection. The whole point of our vocation is to sanctify humanity and the world.

I would doubt that many saints have such a pessimistic view of creation.

But anyways, yeah i am so drawn to the contemplative life, but know that i have gifts that are suited to the apostolic life. But somehow the sacrificial life gives me the most vitality and inspiration more than the others seemingly. But heck, uniting to the priesthood of Christ requires uniting to the sacrifice of Christ.

But i like the way you categorized these things. Gives me a firmer grasp on my own vocation.

SHALOM

I chose "All of the Above". and just wanted to comment on the "Medatation-retreating from the world to achieve perfection" for me it's not retreating from the world but it's giving up the world, to daily die to myself to grow closer to our lord and giving up Loves as in family etc for an even greater love, my lord and holy mother church!

Oooooh! I missed all of the above too! But I chose sacrificial life to Christ's love, because I feel in a way that it embraces all...Peace, Brandelyn

I picked apostolic life....One of the ministries I want to do if i become a priest or w/e i do is help the poor as much as possible.

I chose all of the above...

Yet, I agree with the others that said they couldn't just separate themselves with the world.

I love the Franciscan ministry towards the poor, I just loving doing some kind of service...

I guess the bulk of what I would want to do is direct service to the poor, with some work in preaching the word of God. Intellectual development also appeals to me and I don't know how that works in.

In reality, I have no clue what I want to do, because I also want to work with film...somehow. I am all over the place really.