choosing a charism

[MarysLittleFlower]

That makes sense! there is a certain spirituality I've been drawn to consistently for years now. I guess I'll see if God would call me to something like that 

[4LoveofJMJ]

On 2/15/2016, 11:33:34, DominicanHeart said:

I swear I'm half Dominican half Carmelite 

This sounds like me at the moment! I love the Dominicans and their love of study but recently the Carmelite spirituality has been calling to me. The more I read of it, the more I love it. Oh how I wish I was closer to the Carmelites back in California. I miss them so much.

[FlowerofCarmel]

4LoveofJMJ, I have been the opposite! I have mostly been drawn to the Carmelite life,though the possibility of the Dominican spirituality and way of life come up every now and again in between the sweet solitude of Carmel... 

God knows what he is about...

 

[4LoveofJMJ]

2 hours ago, FlowerofCarmel said:

4LoveofJMJ, I have been the opposite! I have mostly been drawn to the Carmelite life,though the possibility of the Dominican spirituality and way of life come up every now and again in between the sweet solitude of Carmel... 

God knows what he is about...

 

Lol yes He does! As for me, I can only wonder. I seem to be stuck in a perpetual discernment phase. I can think and pray about it but am not in a position to visit any communities at the moment. Well maybe one since it's close enough. I certainty can't enter for a while even if I wanted to.

[AgnesHolyInnocents]

I've also been pondering what charism I am called to. I too love Carmel and the Visitation. Today it struck me that one might also avoid a charism in some kind of unconscious way. Actually God showed me in prayer that I tend to choose what is comfortable. What Beatitude wrote really resonates with what God showed me about myself in prayer... Beatitude wrote "A more helpful way to phrase the question might be, "Of all these charisms, which one is most likely to help me grow in holiness and nurture me in my love for God?"  This is the same question I came to today in prayer. I have come back to Charles de Foucauld and I am reading more about him. When I first was learning about this saint, I was in love and wondered if this was my place. My heart was on fire reading about him and the Jesus Caritas Fraternity, but the more I pondered it, the more I thought it would be too hard for me right now- perhaps in the future when my circumstances change. I also thought to myself that it was probably then not my calling, so I put the idea away completely. Some time has passed and again I am reading more and wondering again if this could be where I am called. Then I read these words from Pope Francis..

"Every family is always a light, however faint, amid the darkness of this world. Jesus’ own human experience took shape in the heart of a family, where he lived for thirty years. His family was like any number of others, living in an obscure village on the outskirts of the Empire. Charles de Foucauld, perhaps like few others, grasped the import of the spirituality which radiates from Nazareth. This great explorer hastily abandoned his military career, attracted by the mystery of the Holy Family, the mystery of Jesus’ daily relationship with his parents and neighbours, his quiet labour, his humble prayer. Contemplating the Family of Nazareth, Brother Charles realized how empty the desire for wealth and power really is. Through his apostolate of charity, he became everything to everyone. Attracted by the life of a hermit, he came to understand that we do not grow in the love of God by avoiding the entanglement of human relations. For in loving others, we learn to love God, in stooping down to help our neighbour, we are lifted up to God. Through his fraternal closeness and his solidarity with the poor and the abandoned, he came to understand that it is they who evangelize us, they who help us to grow in humanity.
To understand the family today, we too need to enter - like Charles de Foucauld – into the mystery of the family of Nazareth, into its quiet daily life, not unlike that of most families, with their problems and their simple joys, a life marked by serene patience amid adversity, respect for others, a humility which is freeing and which flowers in service, a life of fraternity rooted in the sense that we are all members of one body. The family is a place where evangelical holiness is lived out in the most ordinary conditions. There we are formed by the memory of past generations and we put down roots which enable us to go far. The family is a place of discernment, where we learn to recognize God’s plan for our lives and to embrace it with trust. It is a place of gratuitousness. of discreet fraternal presence and solidarity, a place where we learn to step out of ourselves and accept others, to forgive and to be feel forgiven."

By nature, I am an introvert. The desert life, silence, being alone, adoration, these are all places where I am drawn and find my peace. When I read these words of Pope Francis "Attracted by the life of a hermit, he came to understand that we do not grow in the love of God by avoiding the entanglement of human relations. For in loving others, we learn to love God, in stooping down to help our neighbour, we are lifted up to God. Through his fraternal closeness and his solidarity with the poor and the abandoned, he came to understand that it is they who evangelize us, they who help us to grow in humanity." I saw myself in them. I see the truth in these words, and yet when I read them today, I was ready to run, and again decide that this is not where I am called to be. In prayer however, God showed me myself better. I've been looking at what charisms fit my solitary nature, which does call to my heart, and yet today I left prayer with a question... What place will challenge me, in what place will I grow and become the saint I am meant to be? Maybe it is just me, but I tend to find God has different plans than I do. So I am pondering what God showed me, and what Beatitude wrote, and will try to get some thoughts on it from an sd. I think the thought of being taken out of my comfort zone a bit may also resonate with what Swami Mommy wrote, and how we progress as we age. I thought I'd be most happy tucked away somewhere praying all day, which I am drawn to, but I wonder if God is asking something more from me. 

[AgnesHolyInnocents]

I guess I've been seeking God's will in a way where I thought I'd know when I found "home" but I'm wondering how I know if that is God centered or me centered? Is it possible to be called to a charism which speaks to our hearts but also scares us a bit because we see the sacrifice it will require of us, that it will be hard work? It seems to me that maybe the latter is where God is calling, because it is the place which gives God the most love. 

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

On 2/15/2016, 11:33:34, DominicanHeart said:

I swear I'm half Dominican half Carmelite 

I haven't seen them talked about on Vocation Station for awhile, but the Sister Servants of the Eternal Word are very specifically Dominican and Franciscan in their spirituality, and it even shows in their habit. sisterservants.org  Among other things, they run a retreat house.

If memory serves me correctly, at least two Phatmassers that I can think of off the top of my head were formerly Sisters in this Order. However, for privacy, I won't identify them (even in a PM) because I don't know either of them well enough to know whether their time with the SSEW is something they want to talk about. Also, one of them hasn't logged into Phatmass for a long time.

Others here may have experience with these Sisters, information, etc. Just thought I'd speak up and let you know they exist, in case you didn't know.

[DominicanHeart]

On ‎3‎/‎11‎/‎2016‎ ‎8‎:‎55‎:‎43‎, IgnatiusofLoyola said:

I haven't seen them talked about on Vocation Station for awhile, but the Sister Servants of the Eternal Word are very specifically Dominican and Franciscan in their spirituality, and it even shows in their habit. sisterservants.org  Among other things, they run a retreat house.

If memory serves me correctly, at least two Phatmassers that I can think of off the top of my head were formerly Sisters in this Order. However, for privacy, I won't identify them (even in a PM) because I don't know either of them well enough to know whether their time with the SSEW is something they want to talk about. Also, one of them hasn't logged into Phatmass for a long time.

Others here may have experience with these Sisters, information, etc. Just thought I'd speak up and let you know they exist, in case you didn't know.

Oh yeah I've heard about them. But I'm half Carmelite half Dominican. Franciscan is not too high with me.

[IgnatiusofLoyola]

18 minutes ago, DominicanHeart said:

Oh yeah I've heard about them. But I'm half Carmelite half Dominican. Franciscan is not too high with me.

Gee, that's the second time this week I didn't read a post carefully. Sorry about that. I was mostly thinking about the SSEW habit which is a mixture of white and brown.

Carmelite? Franciscan? What's the issue? They both have brown habits, they must be alike. 

[DominicanHeart]

5 minutes ago, IgnatiusofLoyola said:

Gee, that's the second time this week I didn't read a post carefully. Sorry about that. I was mostly thinking about the SSEW habit which is a mixture of white and brown.

Carmelite? Franciscan? What's the issue? They both have brown habits, they must be alike. 

I know. It's fine. I've looked at them. They're cool 

[TheresaThoma]

One of the biggest things that has helped me is to really find my own deep desires or "thirsts" (for me they come more as sorrows). From there you can start looking at different charisms and see if they meet that thirst. 

Personally I have this desire to be with Jesus at the Cross and in His Passion. I also have a desire for silence. Which may point towards a contemplative vocation with a community like the Passionists. However there is a third "thirst", service and sharing the faith and truth. That has led me to discern with an active/contemplative community.

[Spem in alium]

6 hours ago, TheresaThoma said:

One of the biggest things that has helped me is to really find my own deep desires or "thirsts" (for me they come more as sorrows). From there you can start looking at different charisms and see if they meet that thirst. 

Personally I have this desire to be with Jesus at the Cross and in His Passion. I also have a desire for silence. Which may point towards a contemplative vocation with a community like the Passionists. However there is a third "thirst", service and sharing the faith and truth. That has led me to discern with an active/contemplative community.

^This. Look for what you desire, or what you thirst for. I only really knew what I was seeking after I found my sisters and got to know them better. I would learn more about their charism or mission and think, "This is really speaking to me", or "This is calling up a desire in my heart". A lot I wasn't really aware of until I actually tested myself and allowed myself to be moved by God.

[Swami Mommy]

I don't remember which thread someone posted a desire to write a book for those leaving religious life, but I see a great need being filled in writing a book which compiles descriptions of the various charisms of different orders.  Does a book like this already exist?

[Charbel]

5 hours ago, Swami Mommy said:

I don't remember which thread someone posted a desire to write a book for those leaving religious life, but I see a great need being filled in writing a book which compiles descriptions of the various charisms of different orders.  Does a book like this already exist?

That was Sponsa's thread: http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/topic/141123-any-literature-on-this/

There used to be books like that (I am sorry Swami Mommy, I cannot tell you the names ) but since the internet I think the demand for those books sort of went out the window... Maybe someone else knows a few and can tell us! I knew a sister who had a book like that while she was discerning, and it even had a bunch of addresses so you could contact communities. It was some discernment book she had got at a vocation fair (granted this was years ago, I'm not sure what they do at vocation fairs now) She folded down pages of the orders that interested her, and she narrowed it down eventually to one order. She randomly chose one of the addresses and contacted them, and now she's the novice mistress there!

[sr.christinaosf]

The CMSWR has a great directory (both in print and online - cmswr.org)

I found it very helpful.

[Swami Mommy]

The CMSWR directory doesn't have any Benedictine orders listed, so I'm assuming not all orders are represented.  Still, a very lovely starting point.  Thank you for posting the link.

Edited March 16, 2016 by Swami Mommy

[Sister Leticia]

The CMSWR directory would only list those congregations which belong to it, so it's a partial list of congregations with a presence in the USA.

Elsewhere, each country will have its own listing of religious orders, either on the conference of religious website or in the directory of the national church. Here we have a listing at http://www.ukreligiouslife.org/ which provides links to each congregation's website. Ideally, each community's website should clearly explain their spirituality, charism, mission etc - though it's a lot to get through!