Discernment Times

[Jacen Marx]

Well first off I am discerning priesthood.  I am in my first semester an minor seminary and we are coming up on finals (prayers please).  One of the hardest things about being at seminary is being away from family and friends.  It may be tough but everything in life is tough.  All our vocations will come with suffering and joys.  I am at seminary because I feel I could be called to the priesthood.  Therefore I must be here.  I know I will find the best joy in what God is calling me to so I must discover what it is.  That is where I find my joy.  In knowing that I am searching for God's will in my life.  Seminary is a really great place but it also comes with it's sacrifices.  I know that no matter what happens with my discernment that coming here was the right decision for me. :D

[Tally Marx]

Hello, Jacen!  :hehe2:  Welcome to the phorum!

Edited December 4, 2012 by Tally Marx

[Jacen Marx]

Hello, Jacen!  :hehe2:

 

Hey Tally!

[Pax_et bonum]

My dad still seems to be really opposed to my vocation. I asked my parents about going to the friars' and sisters' investitures this weekend, and my mom was ok with it but told me to ask my dad. He said no because I have no business going down there, but I got him to say he'll think about it. I made it to my room before I cried after asking him. Am I a crybaby? I feel really immature, but it hurts so very much that he opposes my vocation.

[OnlySunshine]

My dad still seems to be really opposed to my vocation. I asked my parents about going to the friars' and sisters' investitures this weekend, and my mom was ok with it but told me to ask my dad. He said no because I have no business going down there, but I got him to say he'll think about it. I made it to my room before I cried after asking him. Am I a crybaby? I feel really immature, but it hurts so very much that he opposes my vocation.

 

No, you're not immature.  It stings when our family opposes something that we deeply desire -- especially serving Jesus in religious life.  It would feel the same way if they opposed marriage to the one we love.  :(

[Gabriela]

The hardest part about my discernment is the not knowing.  I began my discernment asking God what He wanted of me.  Instead of joyfully accepting His silence as an entreaty from Him to wait, I often find myself (unconsciously) interpreting it as if He doesn't want me, because He doesn't seem to want anything of me.  I know that this is downright wrong on numerous levels, and proves that I have a bunch of issues (with pride and selfishness, especially!) but I find myself feeling that way despite the reasonings of my head. 

 

Ditto. Only in addition to pride and selfishness: impatience, lack of trust, the nagging self-accusation that I'm not really open to ANYTHING He'd call me to, the fear He'd call me to single consecrated life, the total self-doubt about my own drawings and longings being His will and not just my own... and on and on and on...

[Gabriela]

What if I'm not good or smart enough.  What if religious communities don't get enough donations or have enough benefactors, especially in times like these.  I know some communities don't rely completely on donations and they work such as making cheese, altar breads, vestments for priests, gift shops and holding retreats... etc.  What if it's not enough to support their community?  I know God always provides but it's just so scary and I have more fears on top of all that.  I do know without a doubt that He's calling me and what a gift it is!

 

I don't know if this is any help to you, Freedom, but I never feared this, because I reason so: Even if the community falls on hard financial times, it will still be better to fall on hard financial times IN A COMMUNITY than ON MY OWN. And in these times, the latter is pretty likely. And REALLY scary.

[Gabriela]

My dad still seems to be really opposed to my vocation. I asked my parents about going to the friars' and sisters' investitures this weekend, and my mom was ok with it but told me to ask my dad. He said no because I have no business going down there, but I got him to say he'll think about it. I made it to my room before I cried after asking him. Am I a crybaby? I feel really immature, but it hurts so very much that he opposes my vocation.

 

Everyone's family is different, so no one (but God) can know if this is how it will work out for yours, but just in case it gives you some hope, I wanted to say that, of the 35 sisters I interviewed for my thesis, quite a few of them had families who initially opposed their vocations to the sisterhood. As time went on, they reconciled to it, and now many of them are very happy that their daughters are spouses of the Most High. So, follow Him, and trust that He will work on your dad!

[i<3franciscans]

Well first off I am discerning priesthood.  I am in my first semester an minor seminary and we are coming up on finals (prayers please).  One of the hardest things about being at seminary is being away from family and friends.  It may be tough but everything in life is tough.  All our vocations will come with suffering and joys.  I am at seminary because I feel I could be called to the priesthood.  Therefore I must be here.  I know I will find the best joy in what God is calling me to so I must discover what it is.  That is where I find my joy.  In knowing that I am searching for God's will in my life.  Seminary is a really great place but it also comes with it's sacrifices.  I know that no matter what happens with my discernment that coming here was the right decision for me. :D

 

Welcome to the phorum!

[father's heart]

My dad still seems to be really opposed to my vocation. I asked my parents about going to the friars' and sisters' investitures this weekend, and my mom was ok with it but told me to ask my dad. He said no because I have no business going down there, but I got him to say he'll think about it. I made it to my room before I cried after asking him. Am I a crybaby? I feel really immature, but it hurts so very much that he opposes my vocation.

 

I know what you mean, in fact I have just been feeling something a little too close to despair about that... my dad is a very anti Catholic Protestant. It feels like he will never be okay with my vocation. My whole family seems pretty opposed to this call on my heart, it is very hard getting no support when you finally find what you were MADE to be. Yet, Jesus will draw us closer to his heart through all pain and struggle, especially if it is on His behalf :) Don't feel immature, it is beautiful to care about your family, but also to remember the sweet, freeing example of our Lord. He left his parents in anxiety even as a young boy to be in His Father's house, though they could not yet understand. He also tells us that if we will not give up mother, father, brothers, sisters, ect... we are not worthy of Him. I will pray that He strengthens your heart as you suffer for His will, please do the same for me! 

[father's heart]

Ditto. Only in addition to pride and selfishness: impatience, lack of trust, the nagging self-accusation that I'm not really open to ANYTHING He'd call me to, the fear He'd call me to single consecrated life, the total self-doubt about my own drawings and longings being His will and not just my own... and on and on and on...

 

Oh that last one, self doubt and wondering if it's all my own will and not His, that one is the worst! I fear all of this, I know that God has the best possible path set out for me, yet it's so hard when you just want to know for sure and you wonder if He is actually calling you to something else. It's times like these that I'd like to have Him just appear in my room or something.. haha. How easy that would be! Please pray for me that I would trust Him to tell me what He wants, I realize... I really don't, I feel like He'll never let me know what to do!

[Spem in alium]

Well first off I am discerning priesthood.  I am in my first semester an minor seminary and we are coming up on finals (prayers please).  One of the hardest things about being at seminary is being away from family and friends.  It may be tough but everything in life is tough.  All our vocations will come with suffering and joys.  I am at seminary because I feel I could be called to the priesthood.  Therefore I must be here.  I know I will find the best joy in what God is calling me to so I must discover what it is.  That is where I find my joy.  In knowing that I am searching for God's will in my life.  Seminary is a really great place but it also comes with it's sacrifices.  I know that no matter what happens with my discernment that coming here was the right decision for me. :D

Welcome! :)

I have been contemplating religious life since the beginning of this year. At the very beginning it was very difficult to even consider that God may be calling me to be a sister, because I'd never even imagined it as a possibility and had my own ideas for my future that didn't include religious life. I spoke to a couple of priests who encouraged me to continue fostering my prayer life and my studies. I'm studying abroad this semester, and have experienced some of the greatest growth in my spirituality in this time. I have become involved in so many spiritual ventures and now feel at peace with the idea that I could be called to be a religious. I've even taken the step of sharing my story and my goals with a few people, which was something I didn't expect I'd be able to do yet. When I return home I plan to contact several communities, including the Poor Clares, a Benedictine monastery and the Little Sisters of the Poor. I'm not entirely sure whether I'd fit into an active or contemplative community, but I feel that doing some productive research would help become more clear on that. Until then, I'm trying to listen to God's Will a lot more and learn how to discern it properly.

[VeniJesuAmorMi]

I'm not speaking for everyone but I'm sure this can be the case for some in discernment.

 

Sometimes when it comes to discernment we already know the answer in our hearts. When we know what we want and start asking "but is this what He wants also?" we can forget that what we want can very possibly be what He wants also, which is why it is in our hearts. The anxiety and impatience that we may experience while trying to figure this out can be a spiritual attack to keep us away from Him and His plan. When there are trials and sufferings during this time it can make the anxiety (lack of trust) and discouragment even more. It's so important to remain in His presence and be faithful to what is in our hearts because if it is from Him then He will make everything turn out in His way and in His time. :)

 

There must be many (and we read about these stories also from the Saints) that have been through so many trials and rejections through their discernment, but they kept going and remained true because they didn't deny what they had in their hearts and Our Lord worked everything out for them.

 

This is a really good Scripture Passage to know, especially if anyone is going through this. "The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace." Exodus 14:14

[Catholicterp7]

Oh that last one, self doubt and wondering if it's all my own will and not His, that one is the worst! I fear all of this, I know that God has the best possible path set out for me, yet it's so hard when you just want to know for sure and you wonder if He is actually calling you to something else. It's times like these that I'd like to have Him just appear in my room or something.. haha. How easy that would be! Please pray for me that I would trust Him to tell me what He wants, I realize... I really don't, I feel like He'll never let me know what to do!

 

I more and more am struggling with this as well.  It's very hard for me because I've jumped to conclusions so many times in the past that now it's really hard for me to tell what's Him and what's me. 

When I was in Adoration the other day I was praying about my discernment with the Children of Mary and how hard it has been for me to make contact and maintain it as well as to go visit them. God said "think about these five other communities you visited in the past. It was really easy to get there wasn't it? (the answer is yes, it was VERY easy to get there) Don't take me wrong, you needed those experiences but Satan didn't put up any obstacles because he knew that you weren't called to those communities so he didn't worry about it. Now think about all the things that are happening with the Children of Mary. It took you two and a half months of looking at their website before you actually sent in the vocation inquiry. It then took you a day after Sister called you to get the nerve up to call her back, almost a month before you emailed her again and another hour to call her back a second time. Do you think maybe Satan doesn't want you to be in contact with them?" 

It was really reassuring for me to realize that. 

JMJ+ :heart: 

[4LoveofJMJ]

Discernment is different for everyone. I am a young woman who has been discerning on and off for about 5 years and has still not been able to get comfortable with what my vocation might be. Especially when I try to talk about it with someone. Has anyone felt like that before? And if so, what helped you to get over it?