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Where Are You In Your Discernment? Version 3.0


TheresaThoma

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I'll be going to my first Come-and-See Jan. 7th. I've never been to one before. 

 

I... I know what God is calling me to do... He's been calling me for so long, and I just didn't have the ears to hear. 

 

But I didn't grow up Catholic. I didn't grow up going to Mass, I grew up going to a non-denominational church, one so frightened of doctrinal dispute they refused to preach on anything remotely controversial, and I never knew I was only hearing the palest echo of the Word. 

 

My parents, they're not Catholic. They're evangelical protestants, and I, I haven't even gotten up the courage to tell them... 

 

I really need some prayer right now, there's no way I can do this on my own. 

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Church Mouse, I will be praying for you. I'm in a similar situation, my parents are not Catholic and the times that I have brought up the topic of discerning it turned into a nasty fight. Its really really hard. 

My advice is to 1) have some degree of certainity about your call before talking to them. They are obiviously going to want to know why you feel drawn to religious life. Be able to give them an answer. 2) Find some common ground to start the discussion off with if your parents are Christian maybe go back to scripture to help them understand religious life 3) Be patient with them they had dreams and hopes for you and they will have to grieve the (potential) loss of those dreams.

 

I hope you enjoy your Come and See. Is it just for a weekend or is it longer?

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Thank you TheresaThoma and MarieLynn for your wise answers.

My motivation however was: I know from previous  experiences that it can be very disturbing when you are in - somewhere - and you get chased by the thought of a community where you have never been. The trick is: you don't know the place and thus your phantasy puts everything in it. When I've seen it before, well, at least I know whether it is something serious or only a daydream.

But you're absolutely right: I shall pray over this at my actual monastery and decide there, in the face of the Lord, whether I should see them or not. (Mostly when I had visited a place the whole thing has settled completely and I know why I'm not called there.) If the Lord says: no, you don't need, I shall trust Him and go not.

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I'll be going to my first Come-and-See Jan. 7th. I've never been to one before. 

 

I... I know what God is calling me to do... He's been calling me for so long, and I just didn't have the ears to hear. 

 

But I didn't grow up Catholic. I didn't grow up going to Mass, I grew up going to a non-denominational church, one so frightened of doctrinal dispute they refused to preach on anything remotely controversial, and I never knew I was only hearing the palest echo of the Word. 

 

My parents, they're not Catholic. They're evangelical protestants, and I, I haven't even gotten up the courage to tell them... 

 

I really need some prayer right now, there's no way I can do this on my own. 

 

I will pray for you and for your parents.Just trust Him and be patient.I understand that it is really hard Discerning without family support.

For me my Discerning is very hard even i have fully support from my family.Me and my sister are both blessed with amazing parents who understand the importance of support during Discerning so i can imagine how is be alone in that.

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Being at "home" with my parents - maybe for the last time longer than a weekend - and feeling so unwelcomed. My father is so dominant in keeping others off his patch. I just feel as if I was a guest, nothing more. It's so sad. In earlier times we had less problems because I was used to it, but by now I have become a more free person and won't duck to everything. I don't know whether the whole situation is a temptation or whether it shall make the parting easier.

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Spem in alium

All the very best, Spem! Hope one day to meet you, perhaps at an event in the Cathedral or something sometime over the years to come. It is wonderful to see that there are still women in our Diocese pursuing vocations in local communities and we're so grateful for your generous "yes" to the Lord! Know of my prayers :)

Thank you so much, CT. That means a lot. I hope to meet you one day, also. :) Keeping you in my prayers!

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Being at "home" with my parents - maybe for the last time longer than a weekend - and feeling so unwelcomed. My father is so dominant in keeping others off his patch. I just feel as if I was a guest, nothing more. It's so sad. In earlier times we had less problems because I was used to it, but by now I have become a more free person and won't duck to everything. I don't know whether the whole situation is a temptation or whether it shall make the parting easier.

 

Everything seems to have settled now. Maybe we needed that sort of battle to adjust to the situation.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just wanted to add that I have set a date to visit the Sisters again. I'll be going there the last week of January for a couple of days to talk with the Prioress. I'm nervous yet really excited. 

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Exciting news, TT! And nerve-wracking :)

 

I don't know where I am nun-wise. I'm living with friends and just got hired for a really good job. Faith is coming easier since Christmas - but it was a really bleak autumn. Mostly I'm just super fed-up of the Orthodox Church in this country. Work on the new monastery has stalled, and with everything else, I've been wondering if 'nothing happening' is God's way of saying 'you choose'. But I'm trying my absolute hardest to not 'write my own story' of how I want things to go...

 

Just received a copy of BXVI's Jesus of Nazareth in the post though, so it's not all bad :)

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Discernement continues also in the community. And I am still here (it will soon be two years that I entered the Noviciate) and for the moment I will stay. Formation is a roller-coaster, I have learned and I am still learning a lot... about God...about prayer... about myself ... about community life... about communication ... about work..... But despite all the challenges I am experiencing a deep joy and peace within. And it is also amazing to see what God can make out of oneself and of others.

Sometimes I think it is crazy how we live! Yes, it is really crazy. If I had known everything that would happen during these 3 years, I do not know if I had dared to enter. But all that happened was good in the end. We will see what is to come!

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Oh it's so good to hear from you, juchu! I can't BELIEVE you've been in community two years - I could have sworn it was just a few months ago :) Sounds like you have been learning a lot. It's so encouraging to hear that things are going well.

 

:heart:

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Its good to hear from you juchu, I'm glad formation is going well despite some challenges (but if there weren't any challenges how would we grow?).

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AdvocataNostra

Could I ask for prayers for my family? I am in application with a community and my family is still very in denial about it. Hopefully they will come around to being more supportive over the next few month. Thank you:)

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