Parents

[M.SIGGA]

I have really nice Catholic parents, but it's really hard talking to them about my vocation discernment, mostly because deep down I know they are upset about it. Do you all have any suggestions?

[cmotherofpirl]

Start by praying for them.

[M.SIGGA]

Thanks I trust it's going to get better and better with prayer.

[cmotherofpirl]

Remember we parents want grandchildren, so if you are planning a religious vocation, it is sometings we will have to get over.

[M.SIGGA]

Thanks again. My dad's beef with the whole thing is the becoming a religious isn't something "normal" people do - define "normal" as you may because I have no idea what exactly "normal" means. My mom's attitude is more of "do what you need to do" with this sort of expression -_- but Grandma is gungho about it

[J.R.D]

I would say" moms im be coming a priest because that what God himself wants me to do.....Its is will not mine....or yours... We may have free will but u know when it comes God then...i dont u know....so im doin this for him and for me...or else il be miserble because i didnt execpt my true callin in life so"..... thats what i would say

[zwergel88]

[quote]My dad's beef with the whole thing is the becoming a religious isn't something "normal" people do[/quote]

wow, that sounds exactly what my mom says, she told me once that the religious life is un-natural and people just do it to escape from the world. It totally hurt my feelings, and I tried to explain everything to her, but i know she still thinks i have totally lost my mind or something

[pax]

Try asking your parent's guardian angels for help.

[M.SIGGA]

sorry I've been away for awhile, but thanks for all the suggestions. they are actually comming around to the idea more and more everyday. and it's clear with them that this is discernment so nothing is completely definite. Christ has been leading me closer and closer everyday! pax

[Don John of Austria]

Well My mother was very supportive of my Vocation, my father was not, he wasn't opposed he just didn't understand. Of course I didn't become a priest but that was because of experiances i had during formation, Not because of my Parents, be firm tell them God has called and that you are going to answer, they will come around or they won't they shouldn't be upset they should be proud, still sometimes one can't control how one feels, they may always be upset about it, I had a friend back in highschool seminary who was thrown out of the house because he told his parents he wanted to be a priest, you can imagine how hard that must of been just stick with it, tell them that your still in dicernment and that you love them but God is incharge of this area of your life. Hope that helps.

[the_rev]

Pray for your parents, and ask your heavenly parents to bless u.

[the_rev]

[quote name='cmotherofpirl' date='Jul 16 2004, 07:37 PM']Start by praying for them.
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Good idea, I'm going to start praying for my mother to accept my calling, and allow me to enter colelge seminary.

My grandmother I think is in favor of me being a priest, she wanted to know if Deacon Walter (soon to be Fr. Walter) would be at my ordination.... so she must still know i'm contemplating Holy Priesthood!

[Sixtina87]

my dad thinks its a "phase" that i'm going through!!!! but i try to brush it off and discern his will. I'm kinda at the same place where you are at, i had a 2 hr argument with them on Saturday night about my religious vocation!!!! Evidently it went through one ear and out the other!!!

[Extra ecclesiam nulla salus]

my parents think im wacko

[Nathan]

My dad doesn't take my vocation to the priesthood -- that is, if I have one and I think that I do -- very seriously at all. He thinks it's just a phase, as he does my very conversion to Catholicism I'm sure. So I don't talk to him about it. Anyway, he's an agnostic who was formerly a lifelong Protestant (Presbyterian). I don't expect him to understand Catholic vocations.

My mom isn't Catholic either, but she's a lot cooler about it. She had a few concerns when I had intially expressed an interest in the priesthood -- she thought that I was trying to "escape from responsiblity," until I explained to her how hard Catholic priests work, especially parish priests, and how long and rigorous priestly formation can be -- but she has slowly come to embrace the idea. Now she tells everybody that her son is going to be a priest.

I think my mom befriending my RCIA intructor/mentor, a great and wise old gentleman, really helped a lot in that department. She's a barber and hairstylist, and she cuts his hair every couple of weeks.

[msahara]

[quote name='Nathan' date='Dec 20 2005, 10:24 AM']My dad doesn't take my vocation to the priesthood -- that is, if I have one and I think that I do -- very seriously at all. He thinks it's just a phase, as he does my very conversion to Catholicism I'm sure. So I don't talk to him about it. Anyway, he's an agnostic who was formerly a lifelong Protestant (Presbyterian). I don't expect him to understand Catholic vocations.

My mom isn't Catholic either, but she's a lot cooler about it. She had a few concerns when I had intially expressed an interest in the priesthood -- she thought that I was trying to "escape from responsiblity," until I explained to her how hard Catholic priests work, especially parish priests, and how long and rigorous priestly formation can be -- but she has slowly come to embrace the idea. Now she tells everybody that her son is going to be a priest.

I think my mom befriending my RCIA intructor/mentor, a great and wise old gentleman, really helped a lot in that department. She's a barber and hairstylist, and she cuts his hair every couple of weeks.
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Nathan, it's so awesome that your mom is excited about your vocation. I wouldn't expect your dad to understand a vocation to the priesthood either.

I haven't told my parents of my vocation but I plan to tell them after Christmas while I'm still at home for break. They attend a non-denom church but I think that at heart, my dad is an agnostic. I don't expect them to understand my vocation either. I expect more anger than anything ("You're throwing your life away.") type of stuff. Because I go to a fairly good school, it will be a little harder for my parents to even accept the fact that I want to become a Dominican nun and not use my degree to make a lot of money. In the cloister, It will be used in other ways, I'm sure!

[OLAM Dad]

[quote name='Nathan' date='Dec 20 2005, 10:24 AM']My dad doesn't take my vocation to the priesthood -- that is, if I have one and I think that I do -- very seriously at all. He thinks it's just a phase, as he does my very conversion to Catholicism I'm sure. So I don't talk to him about it. Anyway, he's an agnostic who was formerly a lifelong Protestant (Presbyterian). I don't expect him to understand Catholic vocations.

My mom isn't Catholic either, but she's a lot cooler about it. She had a few concerns when I had intially expressed an interest in the priesthood -- she thought that I was trying to "escape from responsiblity," until I explained to her how hard Catholic priests work, especially parish priests, and how long and rigorous priestly formation can be -- but she has slowly come to embrace the idea. Now she tells everybody that her son is going to be a priest.

I think my mom befriending my RCIA intructor/mentor, a great and wise old gentleman, really helped a lot in that department. She's a barber and hairstylist, and she cuts his hair every couple of weeks.
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Nathan, your approach is very wise in my opinion. I especially like this comment, "I don't expect him to understand Catholic vocations." This is very accurate. It also means that you have a lot of prayer and work to do in his regard.

[karin]

My mom is like super happy I want to be a nun but she wnats me to do it on her time. I think some where deep down she would rather me just like raise me little brother first and then become a nun though she hasnt said it out right she has implied such things. My dad well he is not Catholic and ever since he left a year ago I think he sees my vocation as crazy but also he doesnt care a whole lot about it. Anyway while I wait to enter the cloister I just pray for both of them always and try to see them to obey them perfectly and be a pleasing daughter in the eyes of the Lord. I am not very good at that yet but my strength lies in my Jesus and He ALWAYS helps me. God bless and Mary keep you
Karin

[photosynthesis]

sometimes God uses hostile parents' reactions to show us something.. I told my mom i was thinking about becoming a sister over a year ago, and it broke my heart. But now I look back, and I don't think I was discerning religious life for the right reasons (i.e. i was very afraid of marriage and single life, so i was running from those vocations to religioius life )

[magnificat]

Thanks for everyone's insight. Short of actually figuring out what God wants me to do, this is the next hardest part about discerning. I've been discerning for about 6 months now and I still haven't told my parents that I think I'm being called to the religious life. I used to think that the hardest part would be talking to a vd but now that I've done that, it doesn't seem nearly as hard as telling my parents. I really don't want to because I fell like it'll only make discerning more difficult.