Is Waiting A Legit Cross?

[FutureCarmeliteClaire]

[quote name='EmilyAnn' timestamp='1324681077' post='2356542'] You have to accept that you can't live that vocation now and that for now it is God's will for you to live in the vocation you have now. I know it's not always as simple as that but it's an important realisation to come to. Whatever life you are in, you are called to holiness and to the Love of Christ. And you can be holy and you can have that relationship with God whether you are in the world or in the convent. For now, you have to focus on living that call to holiness and love in your life as it is now. Perhaps that is part of what your soul is crying for at this time. I wonder if maybe you equate holiness too much with the convent and as now your soul longs for holiness (as it does for us all) you interpret that as a longing for the convent. That is not to say that your longing for the convent is not a true one, but that maybe you are overlooking that call to holiness. Christ is present in all our moments in all walks of life, we just have to open our eyes and acknowledge Him. Also try not to get swept up in the romanticism and idealisation that can happen. I know that I am very prone to this. We have to remember to be realistic. Entering will not sweep away all your flaws and imperfections and suddenly everything will be perfect. There will be down days and up days, like any form of life. The important thing is that whatever vocation you are living, you are working for the praise and glory of God and living as He wills you to do. That is important, to focus on what is God's will, not what is your desire. I know it is difficult and in that sense yes it is a cross to bear. But it is, like all crosses, one that can be overcome with the grace of God. [/quote]

No, I know perfectly well that the religious life will be hard, but the world is hard too, so neither is perfect, and I get that. Trust me, I am not the one to over-romanticize the religious life, I am telling people all the time who think how nice it must be about how it's not all rainbows and daisies, but if it's your calling, that's where God wants you and my will is His Will even though it's hard sometimes. That brings me back to my original problem, I need to recognize that God's will is for me to become a mother of souls NOW and to help those in the world NOW, and to enter the convent later. I get that, it is just hard.

I do not HATE childhood and nor am I wishing it away, I just feel as though the call is so strong, and it is over-coming me, but it's not. The call is strong and I am dwelling on something I can't have.
Just to remind everyone, this is not something new or has changed. I have wanted to be a Carmelite since I was 7, this is not new.

[savvy]

[quote]I have wanted to be a Carmelite since I was 7, this is not new. [/quote]

Perhaps, this yearning could be a call to deepen your prayer life, because regardless of what state in life we choose, we have to pray.

[BarbTherese]

FutureSisterClaire: [quote]Thanks everybody. I'm not sure I'll be able to get to all these right now, but I will! I really, really liked BarbaraTherese's replies. It's my "over-coming of self" that is my cross. And St. Therese said that when her final profession was delayed and she was upset it was because of her own selfishness and un-willingness to wait that she felt these feelings, and that meant a lot. So, I have other crosses that I can easily identify as crosses, but this one was hard, and I get it now. Saint Therese said that she realized that suffering was the way that Jesus would bring her souls, I am feeling the same way. The more things I am suffering, the more God puts a soul in my life that needs help spiritually, asks for advice, etc. God is trying to make me a mother of souls before I enter the convent, and I know that as of recently. The keep coming to me, and it is actually a little strange how the harder things get, the more souls start coming to me for help. Back to BarbaraTherese, yes, I am a weak, weak creature, and that is why this is so hard, and I totally get what you are saying at that was super helpful, and I will treat my impatience as a cross from now on. I promise to get to the rest of you later on. [/quote] Praise The Lord for His Many Gifts to us! Sometimes through the most unlikely of vessels which makes His Gifts shine the more! I had a peek at your profile thinking that perhaps you were still only in your teens - but your birthdate says you have travelled beyond those years. God bless and ever hold you close. Just as well I looked again at your profile just now after first looking last night. I can't count! You are indeed very young and displaying signs of spiritual maturing - Gift of God! At 16yrs I was accepted to enter Carmel at 21. I had no idea back then the most amazing and often painful journey I was to travel. I desired Carmel, God had other plans and plans for my fulfillment in ways I could never ever imagine. I remember reading in the midst of pain in Scripture "To The Lord I went on your message. If you will be content to remain in this land of yours, all will be rebuilding now not destroying".

Edited December 24, 2011 by BarbaraTherese

[BarbTherese]

Duplicated post - apologies!

Edited December 24, 2011 by BarbaraTherese

[Totus Tuus]

I have this theory that waiting is a vocation.

[FutureCarmeliteClaire]

[quote name='Totus Tuus' timestamp='1324688264' post='2356606']
I have this theory that waiting is a vocation.
[/quote]
That is a great theory and I think so too!! What a great thing to say.

[quote name='BarbaraTherese' timestamp='1324687814' post='2356598']
FutureSisterClaire:




Praise The Lord for His Many Gifts to us! Sometimes through the most unlikely of vessels which makes His Gifts shine the more!

I had a peek at your profile thinking that perhaps you were still only in your teens - but your birthdate says you have travelled beyond those years. God bless and ever hold you close. Just as well I looked again at your profile just now after first looking last night. I can't count! You are indeed very young and displaying signs of spiritual maturing - Gift of God!
At 16yrs I was accepted to enter Carmel at 21. I had no idea back then the most amazing and often painful journey I was to travel. I desired Carmel, God had other plans and plans for my fulfillment in ways I could never ever imagine. I remember reading in the midst of pain in Scripture "If you will be content to remain in this land of yours for all will be rebuilding now not destroying".
[/quote]

Thank you so much and you have been very helpful for me today. That scripture quote was beautiful.

[BarbTherese]

[quote name='Totus Tuus' timestamp='1324688264' post='2356606']
I have this theory that waiting is a vocation.
[/quote]

Well said. Perspective and Attitude!

[BarbTherese]

[quote name='FutureCarmeliteClaire' timestamp='1324688723' post='2356610']
That is a great theory and I think so too!! What a great thing to say.



Thank you so much and you have been very helpful for me today. That scripture quote was beautiful.
[/quote]

Perspective and attitude - you are in the noviciate of The Lord.

[FutureCarmeliteClaire]

[quote name='BarbaraTherese' timestamp='1324688958' post='2356616']
Perspective and attitude - you are in the noviciate of The Lord.
[/quote]
Thank you

[Strictlyinkblot]

[quote name='BarbaraTherese' timestamp='1324688958' post='2356616']
Perspective and attitude - you are in the noviciate of The Lord.
[/quote]

What a lovely way of putting it! I want to be there too

[i<3LSOP]

[quote name='Totus Tuus' timestamp='1324688264' post='2356606']
I have this theory that waiting is a vocation.
[/quote]\
Let's make it a Phatmass law! It was upgraded from theory to law!

[Feankie]

Perspective and attitude.....I love it!

[Because I love Him]

Hi Clare,

I totally get where you are coming from, I new about my vocation since I was thirteen (I am now 15) and that first year was the hardest of my life. I wanted so bad to be a religious and for a while I thought about going to the Pope to pull a Saint Theresa. But then through prayer and thought I realized that I still need to grow alot more and that this waiting is meant to help me. I'll post later all the things that been helping me cope with waiting but right now I need to get ready for Christmas!!!

[Because I love Him]

Hi Clare,

I totally get where you are coming from, I new about my vocation since I was thirteen (I am now 15) and that first year was the hardest of my life. I wanted so bad to be a religious and for a while I thought about going to the Pope to pull a Saint Theresa. But then through prayer and thought I realized that I still need to grow alot more and that this waiting is meant to help me. I'll post later all the things that been helping me cope with waiting but right now I need to get ready for Christmas!!!

[FutureCarmeliteClaire]

[quote name='Because I love Him' timestamp='1324750475' post='2357021']
Hi Clare,

I totally get where you are coming from, I new about my vocation since I was thirteen (I am now 15) and that first year was the hardest of my life. I wanted so bad to be a religious and for a while I thought about going to the Pope to pull a Saint Theresa. But then through prayer and thought I realized that I still need to grow alot more and that this waiting is meant to help me. I'll post later all the things that been helping me cope with waiting but right now I need to get ready for Christmas!!!
[/quote]
Thanks, and yes it is hard...

[Byzantine]

Clare-

It seems like at 17 I'm older than you, though please correct me if I'm wrong. Waiting is indeed tough (seminary for me). But, think about it: you have this time to make yourself useful. Learn what the Church needs from its nuns. Prepare for it. For example, I know that one of my first assignments when I'm a priest will probably be Texas, far away from my own Pittsburgh. Therefore, I'm going to learn Spanish in college. I believe that the current war for America can only be won by taking the internet. Therefore, I'm probably going to major in communications with a multimedia focus. See where I'm going? You have time; use it wisely. Make yourself someone with something special to offer. Look around and see what you'll need in the convent. Then go and acquire it.

[Totus Tuus]

[quote name='Because I love Him' timestamp='1324752996' post='2357036']
Hi Clare,

I totally get where you are coming from, I new about my vocation since I was thirteen (I am now 15) and that first year was the hardest of my life. I wanted so bad to be a religious and for a while I thought about going to the Pope to pull a Saint Theresa. But then through prayer and thought I realized that I still need to grow alot more and that this waiting is meant to help me. I'll post later all the things that been helping me cope with waiting but right now I need to get ready for Christmas!!!
[/quote]

Before I entered religious life at 18, I didn't really think this, but now I do: the more life experience you have before going into religious life, the better, for some people. That's not to say you need to date as many guys as possible or anything, but definitely finishing high school, having had some kind of job in the world, and -depending on how you feel God is pulling you- maybe having had a relationship first, is a good idea. I'm not saying you should go out and date just FOR the experience. That would be wrong, obviously, but the more experiences we bring to religious life, sometimes the more mature we are when we get there. I think of myself when I entered after high school, and myself after college, and there's a huge difference in my perspective of the world and how I perceive my own challenges and difficulties. Granted, one of the major formative experiences in my life was the year between leaving the monastery and trying to discover where God wanted me. But I do think there is a very good reason why some communities don't accept candidates unless they have 2+ years of work or college experience. If I were to start a community, I would probably have that same rule.

[MarysLittleFlower]

Accept everything as from Him I think that helps us to overcome our 'self'. I haven't yet though, lol.