franciscanheart Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 On finding a spiritual director... I would start by calling the vocations director in your diocese. Often times they have a list of priests and religious who offer spiritual direction. Also, they will have a list of communities in your area. Take the list(s) and read over them. If you don't know much about a particular community, research it. Find a person you trust and who is further than you in your spiritual journey, and preferably one that would know something about the communities near you, and look over the list with him or her. Pick out the orthodox communities and start to call them. Ask if they have someone who offers spiritual direction and if they would be willing to take a new directee. Pray for the Lord to guide you in your search. The hardest part will be starting out. Sometimes sorting through the list of communities within a reasonable drive is long! Oh - don't feel too bound to anything within 20 or 30 minutes from you. You will mostly likely only meet with your SD once a month and sometimes the hour or hour and a half drive is WORTH IT. And as it is with most things, you won't know until you try. Make an appointment and keep it. The Lord will bless your efforts. ((BTW - I don't know [i]much[/i] about discalced communities, but I do know there are some Discalced Carmelites in my area. I'll have to ask some friends more about them. (I only know the very basics.) What are you wanting to know?)) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chatbox829 Posted July 20, 2006 Author Share Posted July 20, 2006 (edited) [quote name='josefamaria' post='1027728' date='Jul 20 2006, 04:42 PM'] Welcome, although I am rather new here myself. I, also, don't want to give advice -- only encouragement but I have to tell you that you must not feel that Jesus is demanding anything. I don't feel our Lord demands anything of us as that would be next to forcing and He would not do that---He gave us free will. He is asking--- He is telling you that He loves you and is asking you to be His bride. This is a courtship. Chatbox, you don't have to answer Him right away--He under- stands. The courtship can take months or sometimes years. Ask our Lady to cover you with her mantle and help guide you. And always ask our Lord to give you the desire and courage to follow His will. Just remember---you will still be a mother for if you enter an active order all those you help will become your children. If you enter a cloister--all those you pray for will become your spiritual children. There are so many great active orders out there that desperately need young women to come help---orders that work with "little ones" that have no mothers--you might want to consider those. Anyway, you (and you, too, Called2theCross) are in my prayers. God bless you both and all the others here that are in discernment. [/quote] got it just feels that way sometimes thanks even if you weren't tring to give advice Edited July 20, 2006 by chatbox829 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franciscanheart Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 And remember... you are young! You don't have to decide anything tomorrow. There is a reason why orders build in 6, 7 and 8 years before taking final vows! (This is not to say you are too young to discern, just that nothing has to be decided tomorrow.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chatbox829 Posted July 20, 2006 Author Share Posted July 20, 2006 [quote name='hugheyforlife' post='1027776' date='Jul 20 2006, 05:17 PM'] And remember... you are young! You don't have to decide anything tomorrow. There is a reason why orders build in 6, 7 and 8 years before taking final vows! (This is not to say you are too young to discern, just that nothing has to be decided tomorrow.) [/quote] i just want some direction before i apply to collages which could be only a little over a year and a half time goes fast in high school but i do have time which is important for discernment thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franciscanheart Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 I understand! Can I ask you a question? If you decide to pursue the religious life, would you halt all college applications? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chatbox829 Posted July 20, 2006 Author Share Posted July 20, 2006 [quote name='hugheyforlife' post='1027783' date='Jul 20 2006, 05:24 PM'] I understand! Can I ask you a question? If you decide to pursue the religious life, would you halt all college applications? [/quote] Probable not but i might change my carrer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franciscanheart Posted July 20, 2006 Share Posted July 20, 2006 Gotcha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uruviel Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 [quote name='phatdaddy' post='1027210' date='Jul 19 2006, 08:24 AM'] Welcome to Phatmass and more precisely to Vocation Station. I am not one to give vocation advice, but I did want to encourage you, to admire you, and to offer my prayers. As a parent of a religious (and a devout Catholic) I can appreciate the uncertainty you are experiencing. I heard a very holy priest say a short time ago: (I'm paraphrasing) "If you even have the idea, or the notion, or the thought that you might have a vocation to consecrated life, then you should ASSUME that you do have a vocation and move forward and pursue it." Take the position that you ARE being called to this life of union with God for the sake of the Church. The only question at hand is: where. The call to a religious vocation is really not yours to make. God gives the call by His providence (and being worthy has nothing to do with it). God will normally work through your desires so if you do, He did. Leave the discernment of your vocation to your directors, cuz it is really up to them to see it or not. And God ultimately directs them. So the bottom line (if you have the desire): You have a vocation. Now, how does our dear Jesus, your spouse, want you to serve the Church, His mystical body. Oh, on the other issue, the fact that you also feel called to marriage and motherhood is a good sign, it is normal and natural and in reality a sign that you have a religious vocation if the desires are still in your heart. Sorry, I did not want this to sound like advice but this is my idea of encourgaement. God love you future bride of Christ, Mr. Ray [/quote] daddy you said what I wanted to say. We both heard the same homily, but basically, the priest said that the desires to GIVE UP everything, to devote ourselves to God, it's not a NATURAL desire. Yes, a desire to get married, settle down, have a family, that's all in our nature, it's natural! But the desires to give up everything you own and sacrifice it for the glory of God and the desire to be His servant does not come from our own 'natural nature' It comes from something far greater, the grace of God, and whereas not everyone can be garanteed to have a vocation if he or she feels those desires, I would say that you should mosdef ASSUME that you have a vocation. What can it hurt to visit orders, research, and in all that, you may just find where God wants you. For you don't choose God, He chooses you. The only part you have in it is fulfilling God's will, you really don't choose if you have a vocation or not, if God chooses you, you can't resist Him. Ok, I will stop now. God Bless you and Mary keep, -uruviel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Called2theCross Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 [quote name='uruviel' post='1027935' date='Jul 20 2006, 08:38 PM'] daddy you said what I wanted to say. We both heard the same homily, but basically, the priest said that the desires to GIVE UP everything, to devote ourselves to God, it's not a NATURAL desire. Yes, a desire to get married, settle down, have a family, that's all in our nature, it's natural! But the desires to give up everything you own and sacrifice it for the glory of God and the desire to be His servant does not come from our own 'natural nature' It comes from something far greater, the grace of God, and whereas not everyone can be garanteed to have a vocation if he or she feels those desires, I would say that you should mosdef ASSUME that you have a vocation. What can it hurt to visit orders, research, and in all that, you may just find where God wants you. For you don't choose God, He chooses you. The only part you have in it is fulfilling God's will, you really don't choose if you have a vocation or not, if God chooses you, you can't resist Him. Ok, I will stop now. God Bless you and Mary keep, -uruviel [/quote] That is really inspiring!! It's really cool to think that of the billions of people on this earth, God is reaching out to me. He has an unbelivably specific plan for me and it's my duty to fulfill it. Being on this thread has helped me realize a lot of things about vocations. You know what helps me a lot when I am feeling confused or helpless with my faith? When Jesus was on the cross, he thought about me and about the choices I would make in my life. He thought about my sins, the reason he was dying an unbearably painful and unfathomable death on the cross. If he is asking me to be a nun, how can I not accept? -Called2theCross Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uruviel Posted July 21, 2006 Share Posted July 21, 2006 exactly!! For God chooses us, and we are the vessel, we are the instrument, we are God's servants, to fulfill His will through us and save souls with His grace, [i]how can we not accept?[/i] I as well have learned so much from you guys, about vocations and spirutual matters, so much. Y'all are always in my prayers! God Bless, -uruviel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chatbox829 Posted July 23, 2006 Author Share Posted July 23, 2006 thanks guys this has really helped i'm praying for you Call2theCross Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Called2theCross Posted July 23, 2006 Share Posted July 23, 2006 Thx, Chatbox!! And you are in mine. I just wanted to share another thing that helps me grow closer to Christ....when I walk my dog, it's a chance for me to mull over my day and think about what I did wrong and how to make it better. One day, I decided while I jogged I would make it one big prayer. As I looked around, I thanked God for every object I saw and why. LIke I would see a dead leaf, which when first glanced upon is a useless piece of trash. THen, I would say "God, thank you for this shriveled leaf because it reminds us that without you Lord, we may have life, but we cannot live without you. Without you, we still exist, but we shrivel and die." and so on. Afterwards, I felt really relieved and satisfied that I had given this previously tedious and monotonous chore and new meaning....I know it has nothing to really do with vocations, but you can't grow closer to your vocation if you can't grow closer to God, right? -CalledtotheCross Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chatbox829 Posted August 11, 2006 Author Share Posted August 11, 2006 [quote name='Called2theCross' post='1029509' date='Jul 23 2006, 01:20 PM'] I know it has nothing to really do with vocations, but you can't grow closer to your vocation if you can't grow closer to God, right? -CalledtotheCross [/quote] yes i think gr8 idea thx -chatbox Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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