Where Are You In Your Discernment? Version 3.0

[TheresaThoma]

Since the previous versions of this thread have gotten lost in all the moves, I'm restarting it!

 

For my happy news I'm down to 2k in student loans. Which is VERY manageable. According to my lender I only have 48 payments of 50 dollars left. However I am hoping to pay at least 100 a month which means it will be paid off in under 2 years at this point since less of my payments will be going towards interest over time. So at the latest I will be debt free Jan. 2017!

I'm also going to visit the Sisters sometime at the end of January. So excited and happy. 

 

(edited because I can't type)

Edited December 29, 2014 by TheresaThoma

[Spem in alium]

I joined the Sisters last Sunday, on the Feast of the Holy Family. :) I will have January with my family before moving in to the convent on February 2. Please pray for me. Praying for all your intentions.

[TheresaThoma]

Congrats! That is wonderful. I will be praying for you Spem!

[Spem in alium]

Thank you, TT! So happy for you - about your coming visit to the Sisters, and your manageable debt. Yesterday I put most of my savings on my debt. It's not nearly at as low a level as yours, but definitely a great feeling to be paying it off.

[totustuus20]

I am about 2 weeks away from my come and see visit!

[BarbTherese]

I will be following this thread with instant notifications. So as not to use up my props, I will be praying for all those in discernment.

[Hemma]

As you might remember I am in contact with a benedictine abbey and around Candlemas I will go and live with them for a few weeks, in order to decide about "entrance - yes or no and when". Now I got my remaining days of vacation. I'm just thinking whether I should visit some other abbey now or not. I think I should visit the other at some time before entering, because then I know how they are and it can't trouble me once that I'm locked-in. On the other hand NOW is just not enough time, because this is the last christmas time I spend with my family and I don't want to travel around. I think I shall leave it to the Lord whether I shall visit them still later or not at all.

Up to now it has been my strategy to visit a monastery as long as I don't see a concrete reason to visit another. So I should wait whether during a visit at my monastery the thought comes up that I should visit them still - or not. (What do you think? Do you think it's a good strategy?)

[Carla]

I joined the Sisters last Sunday, on the Feast of the Holy Family. :) I will have January with my family before moving in to the convent on February 2. Please pray for me. Praying for all your intentions.

 

So beautiful i will pray for you and for you vocation.I will pray that God give you strength to pass all temptations on your Vocation journey.

I' waiting end of January and trip to my Sisters.I will know then replay of the community and possible my entrance date.

[TheresaThoma]

Sensis, if you are seriously considering this one monastery I would advise against making a visit to a different one. Visiting a different community may be confusing and not that helpful. Unless you really feel it would be helpful to visit this different community. Recently I've been in a similar situation, sometimes I feel that I should check out a couple more communities. However I know that is just a temptation and distraction. I remind myself to focus on the community I am discerning with and I remind myself why I feel called to that community. Remember as well the other community will still be there if you decide that this first community is not for you.

As far as your vacation days maybe use them for a nice retreat. It might be a good idea to make a personal retreat either before or right after you visit with the community. 

[Spem in alium]

So beautiful i will pray for you and for you vocation.I will pray that God give you strength to pass all temptations on your Vocation journey.

I' waiting end of January and trip to my Sisters.I will know then replay of the community and possible my entrance date.

 

Thank you! Wishing you much peace, and praying for courage as you continue to discern God's will for your life.

[MarieLynn]

Senesis, you remember the old saying about the grass being greener over the other side of the fence? Well guess what - it isn't, - nine times out of ten

My advice is to stick to the community you are discerning with at present, for if you go visit another,it could lead to confusion and self doubt at this time. Just remember why you chose your present community in the first place, pray hard that this is where God's wants you, and if at a later date you find that it was not to be, then you could consider visiting somewhere else. This other community is not going anywhere anytime soon, so just focus on where you are headed at the present time. God works in mysterious ways, and will reveal all, when He is ready. Be patient.

[Sponsa-Christi]

I'm celebrating the sixth anniversary of my consecration next Saturday! :) But in one sense, I feel like I'm still "discerning," since you never stop trying to listen to the Lord's voice and follow His will more completely. 

[BarbTherese]

never stop trying to listen to the Lord's voice and follow His will more completely

 

 

Well said

[Catherine Therese]

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 :)

[Catherine Therese]

From what I understand about St Paul the Apostle... I've been told that a period of about 10 years elapsed between his conversion on the road to Damascus and the beginning of his missionary journeys. 

I've always wondered what those ten years must have held for Paul. 

Perhaps I'm getting a bit of an insight into that now?

[Church Mouse]

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. 

[TheresaThoma]

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?

[Hemma]

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.

[Carla]

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.

[Hemma]

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.