Gday folks,

All this talk of vocations makes me wanna share my own experience with the Lord's calling to me.

My calling has inseperably wrapped up with my conversion. The more I conform myself to the will of God, the more I want to be a consecrated soul. It works the other way too, the more worldy I choose to be, the more I compromise the will of God and the desire to be consecrated gets smothered with earthly wants, which aren't gravely immoral, but don't seem to work for me. E.g - a nice car, a good job, nice clothes etc etc.

It's would seem all rosy to join up and join a religious congregation, but the single one that that suits my nature I'm almost barred from joining it - the oblate apostles of the two hearts. For me to join would cause such catostrophic heartache in my family that it makes me wonder if God would actually ask me to do such a thing which such a imminent result to occur. A holy priest from their order told me recently, 'God sometimes asks the impossible so you can learn to go beyond your earthly capacity and trust in Him.'

Some people's vocation is much more simple than mine, and some, I know, are far more dangerous and audacious. I know of girls who joined a religious congregation and their entire village - in the phillipines - would came after them, invade the mother house, and try to take her back home.

God calls the young people to heroic virtue just in responding to their vocation!

All I know is that for my vocation to continue working out I must be close to Jesus and Mary. Without that closeness in Mass, Adoration, Confession and Rosary, the secular world just bogs me down.

I haven't posted for a while because i've been caught up in the battle for my vocation.

JMJ.

Wow that's an awesome story. It doesn't sound like you need any advice- just prayers. You have the tools you need, namely Mass, Mary, and the Sacraments. I hope it all works out for you, no matter where you are being called. I know that it is very difficult for many families to accept their child's vocation, but if you keep praying about it, and be patient, what you need to do will reveal itself. I know what you mean about being attracted to the world. Every time I start feeling that way, I make myself remember what the result is- emptiness. God will fulfill you! God bless!

Staying close to Jesus and Mary is definitely the best way to cope. Also, honesty and prudence. I knew Mum and Dad were unhappy about my wanting to be a nun, so I didn't talk to them about it for several years. Things got very intense and uncomfortable between us until I finally came out with what I really wanted to do. Perhaps your situation is different because you're a convert (if I've read you correctly). I don't know. I mention prudence, because I used to hint at it at unwise moments and it upset my mother a lot - it became a weapon against her, rather than something we faced together.

I came to the same conclusion about needing to stay extra close to Our Lord and His Blessed Mother, because I have several years before my student loan will be payed off and I'm scared I'll chicken out before then!

God bless

Haha, in another part of the phorum I started a post on RPG's. RPG's are supposed to be captivate the imagination to give it a great desire of adventure and surreal excitement. They hook sooo many people, even myself at time, BUT THIS WHOLE VOCATION THING IS THE BEST DARN ADVENTURE I'VE HAD SO FAR!!!

PRAISE JESUS! AVE MARIA!

If any of my three children would awnser such a vocation I would be thrilled. It would signify to me that I did a pretty good job raising them in the faith (your parents had a hand in your vocation somehow). Maybe if you explained this to them they would tend to understand better.

I can also understand some disapointement from maybe not getting grand-children, its alway one of the finer things parents look forward to. But such desires if choosen above a vocation is vanity as I am certain st-Francis would say.

Best of luck and God be with you in your choices.

Awesome....