I just love Him so much...

...

I just love Him so much...

...

I have looked into them. they recently sent me a poster.

What is it about fervent prayer that is so inspiring?

Sometimes I think prayer....a prayerful life... is very much the beginning of our life-to-be in Heaven..The more we pray & listen prayerfully, the closer we become united to God & His will...the more we become who we are meant to be...

I agree dear sister.

Our life in Heaven will be complete intimacy in God. Our intimate life begins here in this life and it is nutured in prayer. The more you spend time with your Beloved the more you become like your Beloved.

In my experience, it seems that the Lord takes great delight in lighting this fire in His children's hearts and when you see someone who has a fervent prayer life, you can find yourself increasing in your hunger and desire for God. Not His graces per se or gifts.....no just God!!!

I thought all of you would like this...
"Now, Consecrated Spouse of Christ,
The world can part you never,
For you are His, and He is yours
Forever and forever.
Not like and earthly bride who vows
Her love til death may sever,
Death only brings you face to face
Forever and forever."

Wow... the Catechism is so awesome...

CCC 2232

"Family ties are important but not absolute. Just as the child grows to maturity and human and spiritual autonomy, so his unique vocation which comes from God asserts itself more clearly and forcefully. Parents should respect this call and encourage their children to follow it. They must be convinced that the first vocation of the Christian is to follow Jesus: "He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me."

I cannot wait to drop out of school and prepare to enter...

Do you need a countdown thread????

Oh no... I need to get my application in!!! But I am dropping out of school after this semester is over.

How exciting! Prayers for you as you prepare the paperwork!

I am somewhat close to completing the application. I just need the dentist and doctor's papers finished, a character recommendation from a priest (I've already asked nicely...)... Let me think... I already have my baptism/first communion/confirmation certificate sent to them and they have it...

:digs for papers on desk:

okay... took me awhile, but I found it...

that looks like it other than debt...

Wow... it is kinda scarey how close I am to applying... and even enterance...

wow...

Question, I may have asked this before, but this is one of the questions on the application and I never know what I should put...

"Are you free of all personal obligations, financial or otherwise?"

I know this includes debts... should I answer just no or explain a little... ?

So (I´m not sure if I missed that somehow - if I did, SORRY! ):
Where do you wqant to enter? / To what community does God call you?

Poor Clare Colettines of Corpus Christi Monastery Rockford, IL

Do they have a website? Please post it!!!!

One of the websites is in my signature... this one has more information on it:

http://www.poorclare.org/rockford



I love them... they are so wonderful...

Could you please tell us more about your vocation? How long have you been knowing the Poor Clares? And everything else, please....

Pleeeeeeeese....

I would explain a little. Clarity is a good thing.

It's better to be upfront, because they might think you're hiding something. Not to mention, it helps them to know what kind of timeframe they might be looking at for you entering. When I filled out mine, I was pretty thorough on all the questions.

Well, I have been discerning with them for over a year now... I will have to write more later simply because I have much to do today! I will hopefully get a chance to elaborate this evening after all my work is through!


Good point Thanks!

On some website, I must have clicked on something because I have been receiving uber amounts of vocation materials...among them info from the Rockford PCC's! They sent me beautiful holy cards & copies of old newsletters...I still have a soft spot in my heart for Poor Clares!

Yes! They have beautiful vocations materials and they make some beautiful holy cards... I think I get one or more in every letter I receive from them!
Well, I am kinda done for the day, although there are a few things that I would like to work on this evening. I'll tell my vocation story later though. Sorry to keep you waiting All4Him

Arg... why do things at school just now have to start getting good... I just founf out today that I won an art 'grant' thingy for next year based on talents shown in studio classes. Not only that, I got on the dean's list this past semester! I just hate how the world tempts you from the goal...

True, it's a temptation, but just enjoy the moment while it's here and then move on. God bless!

You all are awesome. Thanks for the continued support!

I just got back not too long ago from movie night with the Daughters of St. Paul. We watched "The Mission." Has anybody seen it? It is such an intense movie, but inspiring too. I know this really doesn't have anything to do with vocations other than it was hosted by the Daughters...

I don't know what it has to do with vocations either but it is a GREAT movie!

Wow. Discernment this week has really sucked.

The Mission has a most awesome soundtrack...& just remember there are really good things in the world...But we will hopefully let go of what is good for an even greater good!

I love a good Holy Mass in a beautiful church with Holy Priests. I have a renewed courage in what I need to do. Praised be to Jesus Christ!

Bummer Prayers for you!

Hate it when that happens... What's happening? (only tell us if you want to...)

Thanks.



Thanks to you too.



Oh, it is just that I've really thinking about being( as you all know) a Franciscan Sister of the Renewal. And Last week was really bad. Just thinking "oh I'm not good enough to be a Sister" or "I cant do without all this stuff". But, then I kept thinking "But I want to serve Jesus so badly" but then the devil would come right back and start prodding again. It was just really crappy. Thanks for the prayers.

Greetings, all my sisters in Christ! I've come again asking for prayers. This year I've been through a great many very difficult and very painful trials, some dealing with vocation discernement. I'm going through a very difficult time right now. I somehow managed to fall in love with one of my best friends, and he did with me as well. We both want God's will, and we're both respecting each others' vocations (he's called to be a priest- I just know it!). It's just really hard to know that I'm causing him so much pain, though. Please pray that I may be given the graces of strength and faithfulness to my vocation.

I've had a similar experience - it's definitely not easy! But take heart in the Gospel from this weekend: those which do bear fruit He prunes so that they might bear even more. Take heart, stay strong and keep God close to your heart always. You have my prayers.

PP

I will be praying for you. Just trust in God and He will take care of everything.

For y'all...seems the weasel ( ) is at work at times with us all...Peace!

Please pray for me tomorrow! I am going to visit the registrar to ask about withdrawal from the college...

Prayers for you FutureNun! I hope all goes well. God bless

Hello all,

please remember me in your prayers. I'm dealing with the loss of a family member and a dry period in my prayer life right now.

Thanks much in advance,

PP

May the LORD HIMSELF guide you with his love and comfort!!!!

Prayers here!






Peace be with you & prayers too...

I'll offer today's Mass for you

I just wanted to thank you for your prayers! I did not get a chance to visit the registration and records office but I have sent them an e-mail, and I hope to hear back soon. Now, I just need to get a job!

Hey! I'm asking you all to pray for me (even just a Hail Mary as you're sitting at your computer reading this), pray for me as I continue to discern what God's will for me is.

This past weekend I went on a retreat with a group of wonderful, wonderful Sisters!!! I've known these Sisters for about five years, but I've never really discerned with them before because (1) it's only been about a year since I started feeling/thinking that God could be/I believe is calling me to the religious life, (2) I'm so "used to" these Sisters, (3) my Dad always jokes that one of his daughters will be a member of this community one day, and it's just a joke (maybe not for my Dad, haha). So I've written to a few different orders...Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, Passionists, PCPA's (haven't heard back from them though), and I especially was interested in the PCPA's...but...there's no PCPA convent near me. So I couldn't/can't visit them right now. ...Soooo...this weekend on the retreat I was talking with one of the Sisters (I've been giving her periodic updates on my discernment, lol), and she advised me to get more of a focus, to actually focus on ONE order, ONE community...because she said "everytime I talk to you it's another community" (note: this Sister loves me, lol, so it might sound like she's being mean or harsh, but really it's all in love and I'm glad she said it!!)...so she strongly encouraged me to take those steps that I need to take, like visiting a PCPA convent if I feel called there. But...I told her there's no PCPA convents around me. So...she said "why not discern with the community that's in your backyard?" (another note: these Sisters never 'push me into their order,' pressure me to join that community...they really just want God's will to be done) She had a point, a good one. And it all kinda makes sense when I think about it...they've been here all the time, but, for the reasons I listed above, I never thought seriously about entering their community. BUT...after the retreat with them this past weekend...I feel like I left my heart at their convent, lol! .......But........maybe I'm basing it on emotions too much??? I don't know. It seems like whenever I get excited about my vocation, someone presents me with the cold, hard truth...like someone was reminding me today that the convent isn't heaven, and after awhile the excitement kinda wears off and there's the monotony of it all and the idiosyncracies (sp.?) of the other Sisters start to get on your nerves but you have to deal with it, offer it up, love them...but yeah, basically I'm saying all this because...this is the "Future Nun Support Group" and I'm looking for some support... Should I not get excited about my vocation???(although I'm pretty sure I know the answer to that)

God bless, all!!

PS-"it's only been about a year since I started feeling/thinking that God could be/I believe is calling me to the religious life" okay so a year is actually a pretty long time...

Love is always exciting!

As for emotions: when they're properly (as in, disinterestedly) experienced, I think they can be good pointers in discernment (and life in general, no doubt). However, few of us are good at looking at our emotions impartially. So my advice, however little it may be worth, is to take your emotions and pray that they'll help you in your journey.

PP

I will pray for you as well, JesusITrustInYou. It is an exciting thing to be discerning one's vocation to the religious life.

I think I've experienced in the past what you are experiencing. When I first started discerning religious life, I very much felt the need to write to and then visit as many communities as possible, because I somehow thought that the 'perfect' community was out there! One wise sister said to me, If you chase too many rabbits, you'll catch none. Basically, if you're searching for the perfect community, you'll be standing in the field, looking around and realizing that you're alone.

There's also the 'grass is always greener' rut that some get stuck in. Once you do visit or make an aspirancy, or even enter, and you DO see that it isn't always (or at all) sweetness and light, romantic heroism at every moment, and you SEE that the sisters aren't holy, but striving for holiness in their own imperfections (as another sister once said, 'if you don't have any imperfect sisters in your convent, go out and wave them on in, because they're going to be the ones who will lead you to your salvation!'). You'll also see that these sisters aren't as exciting as you first saw them, and well, gee, that horarium that you LOVED when you first discerned, really IS the same thing day in, and day out. . .discouragement might be just around the corner waiting to peek its head in and drive you away. But let me just add. . .as an 'older; (35) vocation. . .I've lived in the world. Being in the world, working the same job, hanging out with pretty much the same people, well, it's just about the same. . .only a different way of life. Rarely is there something exciting going on. Oh, and if one is called to the married life? LOL You'll have to deal with his (or her, if you are a male, reading this) idiosyncracies just as much as dealing with a nun's.

In the end, both vocations, those that are more in the world, and those that are not. . .married life, single life, and the religious life. .. . each have people in your life with idiosyncracies, each have schedules that don't change all that much, and each have their various excitements.

If you are feeling called to the religious life, you could very well be called, because one of the biggest affirmations from our Lord is the very fact that He put this desire within you. As to which community? Very rarely does He give some sign that leaves one with no doubt. You could be called to the community 'in your backyard' because you feel 'home' with them. Sometimes it is hard to see that. We aren't to look and look until we find the place where we are knocked off our horse, per se, but look for the place which causes us to feel 'home' and 'at peace'. Those are your signs. (I was in a community where *I* thought I was home, but my body was not, it wasn't at peace, it was in turmoil almost the entire time, rebelling, with problems and illness, telling me I wasn't at peace. . .and it took my superior to see that, even though I fit in so well, also per her words. Listen to your inner self, it speaks volumes!)

And if you feel so comfortable with these sisters that you've known for so long?. . .that might be telling you something.

Now, I'm off to the airport for my 'retreat', my time to get away to listen to our Lord, to 'ponder these things in my heart.' God bless you on your journey, and know that I will be praying for you. Please keep me also in your prayers. I fervently need it!

Yours in Christ,
Denise