God works in weird ways

[the_rev]

One year ago I thinking about the married life and the dioscean way of life. God has told me otherwise and told me to look into orders, below are a list of orders I contacted or will be contacting.

[b]Contacted[/b]

Norbertines (St. Norbert Abbey)
Dioceses of Green Bay
Jesuits (Milwaukee Province)
Miles Jesu
Legion of Christ

[b]Going to contact[/b]
Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word
Dioceses of Rockford
Companions of Christ
Crosiers

...To be continued

[Piccoli Fiori JMJ]

[quote name='the_rev' date='Jul 29 2005, 05:48 PM']Dioceses of Rockford
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Dude, that is SOOOO my Diocese!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I'll be in it for the rest of my life once I enter the Monastery (God willing I will be in hte same Monastery)

[Totus Tuus]

You were talking about married life a few weeks ago....

Someone once gave me a very good bit of information, and I'm only sharing it with you not to be negative, but perhaps to help with your discernment: Keep your list of Orders short. It often happens that we broaden our discernment so wide that we are missing what we're meant for because we're just focused on so much all at once. It really helped me with my discernment.

[ofpheritup]

[quote name='Totus Tuus' date='Jul 29 2005, 07:46 PM']
: Keep your list of Orders short.

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I do not understand the sentence "Keep your list of Orders short"

How short one, two, twenty? How do you decide?
I think you can have a long list you just don't contact them all at once. Which is what I am doing.

[dspen2005]

as a plug... consider the Mercedarians.. lol

[Totus Tuus]

[quote name='ofpheritup' date='Jul 29 2005, 08:05 PM']I do not understand the sentence "Keep your list of Orders short"

How short one, two, twenty?  How do you decide?
I think you can have a long list you  just don't contact them all at once. Which is what I am doing.
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The person I was discussing this with, who gave me the suggestion, I believe mentioned that three was a good maximum. I don't guess that this is true for everyone, but it was helpful for me.

[Piccoli Fiori JMJ]

[quote name='Totus Tuus' date='Jul 29 2005, 07:34 PM']The person I was discussing this with, who gave me the suggestion, I believe mentioned that three was a good maximum. I don't guess that this is true for everyone, but it was helpful for me.
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It's good so that you don't get your calling all confused...

[benedictaj]

[quote name='Totus Tuus' date='Jul 30 2005, 02:34 PM']The person I was discussing this with, who gave me the suggestion, I believe mentioned that three was a good maximum. I don't guess that this is true for everyone, but it was helpful for me.
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I strongly second that advice.

I only got confused when I "opened up" my options.....I started with Poor Clares, and Dominican nuns. I should have left it there, but self gratuitously I opened it up to active Dominicans as well.

I think that was a mistake because it only caused me confusion, when I so almost CERTAIN about becoming a Dominican nun.....

Luckily, through prayer I have come back to the Dominican cloister.

Personally, I would recommend narrowing it down....however, I guess it depends on how far you are with your discernment and what your spiritual director says. I'm noy going to go my own way and keeping looking up orders, because it tends to cause problems and confusion.

Then again, everyones different!!!!
God bless!

Edited July 30, 2005 by memtherose

[karin]

yeah many people have told me that keeping you list of orders you contact short is best. and it helps me alot.

[ofpheritup]

[quote name='memtherose' date='Jul 29 2005, 10:57 PM']Then again, everyones different!!!!
God bless!
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Again it seems things and opinions are changing.

I had a huge list I couldn't see limiting God to a few.
There is a danger in finding nothing because your list may be too short.

I have been thru 36 communites. If I had quit at three I would have never found the one I am going to visit on Monday.

I am curious for the ones who agree a short list is better what do you do when you run out of list....quit looking?

[the_rev]

I'm just interested in reading about them.

Miles Jesu for example, I don't like the fact their priests are bi-ritural (celebrate both Latin and Eastern Rite)

Crosiers- I use to like them but have gone astray.

Somebody told me the Rockford Dioceses was very very very very very very very very orthodox, so I'm looking into it possibly.

Really I'm only interested in:

MFVA,
Legion of Christ
Norbertines
Jesuits
Dioceses (GB ;Rockford)

[jgirl]

Peoria is much mor eorthodox than Rockford, and it's not too much further South than the Rockford diocese. There are a few guys Chicago who went to ISU who are starting seminary in Peoria rather than Chicago because of this.

[karin]

well i am not saying it is a hard and fast rule to keep it to three if those dont work try another three. God Bless and Mary keep
Karin

[dspen2005]

keeping the list short is good advice. when one is looking at orders and has a massive list - by massive i mean more than 4 -- the discernment process is unnecessarily wrenching and unfruitful. The process inherently is difficult; but by having 5+ orders to consider, one gets lost in the inability to decide as resolutely and concretely as possible.

[Totus Tuus]

I really don't see how anyone can feel really drawn to a bunch of Orders all at once. I am not saying that they can't be interested, but in my experience I have never been seriously discerning with more than two at a time...