Changing Discernment From One Vocation To Another

[savvy]

[quote] I fell in love with their teaching about courtship as opposed to "dating." [/quote]

I know what you mean, but dating and courtship are cultural terms. In Australia, the word used is courting, but it means the same as secular dating.

[OnlySunshine]

[quote name='JoyfulLife' timestamp='1324582904' post='2355975']
Wow. Cherie, do you have any books or videos to add?

I just might have to get into reading if I later discern marriage. (RSM, please email me soon!)
[/quote]

Hun, I know you want to hear back from them, but just realize that this is a VERY busy time of year for religious. You may not hear from them until after Epiphany or the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord.

[quote name='savvy' timestamp='1324590437' post='2356017']
Jason and Crystalina are good. I am just not a Christopher West fan. I have a lot of his books, but would recommend reading Pope John Paul 2's writings directly. I would also recommend the book, "Love and Responsibility". There is a easy-to-read version of L&R.

I would also go with Dawn Eden's "Thrill of the Chaste"
[/quote]

I know there is some skepticism about Christopher West, but from what I have read from "The Good News About Sex and Marriage" I liked. I might try to find a copy of "Love and Responsibility" as it was recommended to the young women in my group by a Sister of Life when she gave her talk on true Catholic womanhood. I've never heard of Dawn Eden, but I'll look into that book as well.

[savvy]

[quote]I might try to find a copy of "Love and Responsibility" as it was recommended to the young women in my group by a Sister of Life when she gave her talk on true Catholic womanhood. I've never heard of Dawn Eden, but I'll look into that book as well. [/quote]

You can download "Love and Responsibility" here.

http://www.catholicculture.com/jp2_on_l&r.html

Dawn Eden is the former rock journalist from the New York Post. She is also a convert.

This is her blog.

http://dawneden.blogspot.com/

[Sarah147]

[quote name='MaterMisericordiae' timestamp='1324596292' post='2356056']
Hun, I know you want to hear back from them, but just realize that this is a VERY busy time of year for religious. You may not hear from them until after Epiphany or the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord.


[/quote]

January 8th or Feb 2nd! :::Joyful, hold it together...::::

Edited December 23, 2011 by JoyfulLife

[OnlySunshine]

[quote name='savvy' timestamp='1324600997' post='2356095']
You can download "Love and Responsibility" here.

[url="http://www.catholicculture.com/jp2_on_l&r.html"]http://www.catholicc...jp2_on_l&r.html[/url]

Dawn Eden is the former rock journalist from the New York Post. She is also a convert.

This is her blog.

[url="http://dawneden.blogspot.com/"]http://dawneden.blogspot.com/[/url]
[/quote]

GOD BLESS YOU!!!! You saved me money and that is amesome!!!

[quote name='JoyfulLife' timestamp='1324601382' post='2356096']
January 8th or Feb 2nd! :::Joyful, hold it together...::::
[/quote]

I know it is a trial, but give it up to God. You will hear from them in God's time, not ours.

[savvy]

[quote]GOD BLESS YOU!!!! You saved me money and that is amesome!!! [/quote]

[FutureSister2009]

I think there is another book out called If You Really Loved Me. I'd like to read that and How To Find your soulmate at some point

[OnlySunshine]

[quote name='FutureSister2009' timestamp='1324665934' post='2356461']
I think there is another book out called If You Really Loved Me. I'd like to read that and How To Find your soulmate at some point
[/quote]

Yes, I saw that on a Catholic Courtship website. There are so many good resources out there that are for those who want to discern marriage. I truly think it is beautiful to be surrounded by amazing Catholic husbands/wives in my Young Adult group. It's so inspirational, but the Holy Family is my biggest inspiration.

[Oremoose]

[quote name='MaterMisericordiae' timestamp='1324408280' post='2354525']
Hi all! I was curious about this topic. I know we have a few phorum members that discerned religious life (even entering communities) but then discerned that God was leading them towards marriage like Totus Tuus, Cherie Madame, etc. I am curious as to how long you waited after discerning religious life before you started dating and discerning marriage. Did you go right into it? How did you meet your boyfriends or husbands?
[/quote]

Could any one answer this part of the first question? This This is where I ( a young man who has some what recently decerned away religious life) am interested. I wish to do God's will at all times and serve him. Now I am not sure if I should look into other orders or find try to find the woman God made for me if she is ut there. When would one know such things?

[Sarah147]

Well, you really need a spiritual director. For me, since I have health issues, only two of all the orders out there veiled will consider me. We'll now be discerning if I even have a calling to religious life. If they say I don't have a vocation or my health is a problem, then I will give myself time to be open what God wants to do with me, whether it someday be consecrated virginity or marriage or josephite.

I think it would help you to talk to a spiritual director and get advice from vocation directors.

[EmilyAnn]

[quote name='Oremoose' timestamp='1324678515' post='2356522']
Could any one answer this part of the first question? This This is where I ( a young man who has some what recently decerned away religious life) am interested. I wish to do God's will at all times and serve him. Now I am not sure if I should look into other orders or find try to find the woman God made for me if she is ut there. When would one know such things?
[/quote]

I think you've got to be open to God's will. Surrender yourself entirely to Him and let Him guide you. Trust Him and He will show you the way.

[OnlySunshine]

[quote name='Oremoose' timestamp='1324678515' post='2356522']
Could any one answer this part of the first question? This This is where I ( a young man who has some what recently decerned away religious life) am interested. I wish to do God's will at all times and serve him. Now I am not sure if I should look into other orders or find try to find the woman God made for me if she is ut there. When would one know such things?
[/quote]

For me, it was all signs pointing to discerning a different vocation when my discernment with a religious community ended unexpectedly. I've been discerning for 4 years and had a spiritual director for one of those, but have had to do without a regular one for a quite a while. I go to regular Confession and have a Holy Hour. When I went on retreat with my Young Adult Group, our diocesan vocation director was there and he was the next one available when it was my turn to go to Confession. I asked him if should stop discerning altogether and he said not to before I told him my medical troubles. When I told him I have depression and have to be on regular medication, he agreed that it might be time to discern a different vocation. Now, there may be a religious order out there that I don't know about that would be open to me, but no such thing exists at this moment in time, so I open to other vocations. I feel most attracted to marriage and have off and on during the course of my religious discernment. I know, should I get married, I hope to be together with a nice Catholic man who is trying to go down the road of sainthood but understands that no one is perfect.

Like someone else said, it is very important to remain open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. That's what I keep trying to do.

[Sarah147]

[quote name='MaterMisericordiae' timestamp='1324689085' post='2356618']
I know, should I get married, I hope to be together with a nice Catholic man who is trying to go down the road of sainthood but understands that no one is perfect.

Like someone else said, it is very important to remain open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. That's what I keep trying to do.
[/quote]




Most of the time these days I go around like this: Be patient, Joyful, be patient.


.... Still waiting on the RSM to contact... Still seeing what's ahead....

Edited December 24, 2011 by JoyfulLife

[Sarah147]

Ahh! I JUST received snail-mail vocational materials from the RSM!!! It's a start! Now just waiting for an email response from before.. It's exciting learning what God's plan for my life may be, whatever that is...

Edited December 26, 2011 by JoyfulLife

[BarbTherese]

[quote name='MaterMisericordiae' timestamp='1324689085' post='2356618']
For me, it was all signs pointing to discerning a different vocation when my discernment with a religious community ended unexpectedly. I've been discerning for 4 years and had a spiritual director for one of those, but have had to do without a regular one for a quite a while. I go to regular Confession and have a Holy Hour. When I went on retreat with my Young Adult Group, our diocesan vocation director was there and he was the next one available when it was my turn to go to Confession. I asked him if should stop discerning altogether and he said not to before I told him my medical troubles. When I told him I have depression and have to be on regular medication, he agreed that it might be time to discern a different vocation. Now, there may be a religious order out there that I don't know about that would be open to me, but no such thing exists at this moment in time, so I open to other vocations. I feel most attracted to marriage and have off and on during the course of my religious discernment. I know, should I get married, I hope to be together with a nice Catholic man who is trying to go down the road of sainthood but understands that no one is perfect.

Like someone else said, it is very important to remain open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. That's what I keep trying to do.
[/quote]

Have you looked into secular institutes of consecrated life? I know that with The Leaven (Carmelite O.Carm) one lives in one's own home and this may be an opening for those suffering forms of illness and needing medication. I enquired of them (Rosemary Kinman then I think it was if a bad memory is serving) briefly years ago but cannot recall if we got to the point where I shared I suffer Bipolar. They did ask if I would be able to make at least one visit to one of their meetings. At that time a plane fare to the UK and return was out of the question and so my enquiry went cold. I know that they were open to distant membership i.e. I live in Australia and would continue to do so.
No harm in asking and enquiring and finding out how the land lies - sharing the info too as it may be helpful to others who suffer illness and feel called to a consecrated way of life in The Church.

They are centred in the UK and Ireland and last I heard about 30 members worldwide. They have recently established a fairly informative website: [url="http://www.theleaven.org.uk/"]http://www.theleaven.org.uk/[/url]

That all said, if you feel most attracted to marriage it is some indication anyway of God's Will [i]possibly[/i]. But if you still have some atteraction to religious life, then an enquiry of The Leaven or some other secular institute may be helpful.

Edited December 27, 2011 by BarbaraTherese