Fr. Antony Maria OSB Posted November 14, 2007 Share Posted November 14, 2007 First off I want to thank everyone who has been praying for my discernment these past few months: it's been quite a ride, lol! The last time I made a post (in the pray for us section) I really had no idea where God wanted me to be: I had a crush on a good friend of mine, but she had a new boyfriend who I introduced her to, so I was just really confused. Since then it has varied by day where it was that I felt called to. About a month ago, now, I went on a retreat at my school called Kairos as a leader, and while there I was given the gift of tears. What really hit me, though, was when our spiritual director on the retreat, Fr. Mike, came and sat next to me, and after talking a little while about why I was crying, he just told me, "I don't mean this when I say it, but you're meant to be a priest." I just got in to see Fr. Mike yesterday to talk to him about what he meant, and he said that the beginning of what he said must have gotten garbled, but that he thinks that God is calling me to the priesthood. Since Kairos, this is what I have for the most part been leaning towards, and not only the priesthood but becoming a Benedictine at my high-school. So that's where I am right now, and please keep me in your prayers, that I may come to more fully know God's Will for me. Thank you very much! May God bless and protect you always in all of your endeavors! Your Brother in Christ, Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starets Posted November 14, 2007 Share Posted November 14, 2007 That is encouraging news Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deus te Amat Posted November 14, 2007 Share Posted November 14, 2007 (edited) Oh wow Joe! I wish you would have told me!! Thats beautiful! Edited November 14, 2007 by Deus_te_Amat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TotusTuusMaria Posted November 14, 2007 Share Posted November 14, 2007 [quote name='Deus_te_Amat' post='1419195' date='Nov 14 2007, 12:48 AM']Oh wow Joe! I wish you would have told me!! Thats beautiful! [/quote] Amen! Praying for you Joe! God bless you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fr. Antony Maria OSB Posted November 15, 2007 Author Share Posted November 15, 2007 Thank you, all of you. Right now the next thing that I think is really important for me is deciding which college to go to, Steubenville of Benedictine College in KS. I visited BC last week, and I'm going to FUS tomorrow, but I am honestly leaning towards BC right now, in large part because of how alive they are to God there and also because they are Benedictine and I love the Benedictine spirituality, but we'll see how the Franciscans do tomorrow, lol! Thanks again for your prayers and encouragement! May God bless and protect you always in all of your endeavors! Your Brother in Christ, Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNSeminarian Posted November 16, 2007 Share Posted November 16, 2007 Saw your post and how you're discerning colleges. I went to BC for two years before leaving for seminary. It's a good place to help foster a vocation and there are many there who will honestly seek to help you find God's will for you. I don't know as much about Steubenville... and I didn't go there, so I'm honestly biased. But I think that BC is a good place for people to discern their vocation. Plus if you are honestly discerning a vocation to the Benedictines, I think that it would be helpful to see some of them in action. At any rate you are in my prayers and will continue to be! Sts. Benedict and Scholastica, pray for us! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fr. Antony Maria OSB Posted November 17, 2007 Author Share Posted November 17, 2007 Well, I just got back from Steubie, and I won't lie: it was a terrible experience. I don't mean to offend anyone who goes there or who graduated from there, but I received pretty much no hospitality there. When I walked into the dorm room I was staying in, I was actually greeted with a staged gay sex romp or something: I won't go into details because it was honestly on the level of porn, no nudity, but it was still bad. That was my first impression of the university. I've got all my applications and things in, but I am pretty sure that I will be going to BC if I get the chance. I can't imagine living at FUS for four years knowing that that kind of stuff goes on there. Thanks again for your prayers for my discernment, and TNSeminarian thank you for your advice, as well. That's another reason that I've been leaning towards BC, because they are Benedictine and I'm seriously concidering the Benedictine Order. Thanks again! May God bless and protect you always in all of your endeavors! Your Brother in Christ, Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deus te Amat Posted November 17, 2007 Share Posted November 17, 2007 uh... okay? I shall have to take this into consideration... a visit is definately in order... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fr. Antony Maria OSB Posted November 17, 2007 Author Share Posted November 17, 2007 That's why I mentioined visiting if you hadn't already on TTR. That was the farthest thing on my mind when I got to Steubie, and yeah. For the rest of the night I played two games of ping pong, watched a ton more games of ping pong, walked down to the convienience store in town where the guy I was dorming with bought some cigarettes, listened in on some conversations, and spent at least an hour in the chapel. That was my safe haven Thursday night: the chapel that was in the dorm. May God bless and protect you always in all of your endeavors! Your Brother in Christ, Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starets Posted November 17, 2007 Share Posted November 17, 2007 Yes a visit is vitally important. Im sad that it was so unpleasant for you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the lords sheep Posted November 17, 2007 Share Posted November 17, 2007 Who you meet on your visit is VITALLY important. I didn't like the people I met while at another university, and I was turned off immediately. I'm thankful, though, because I believe I am now where I am truly supposed to be, and I recognize that the one experience I had of the people I stayed with does not make the school a bad place, nor can I categorize everyone there by my one experience. If I were you, though, I would let the admission's counselors know, just because I am sure they wouldn't want other people to have the same bad experience that you had. Good luck in your discernment and application process! Lauren another Benedictine school that may interest you is St. John's University in Michigan. I believe it's orthodox (I could be wrong, but I know a number of people who loved it there.) Just a suggestion! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fr. Antony Maria OSB Posted November 19, 2007 Author Share Posted November 19, 2007 Thanks again for all of your prayers. Now I've just got to talk to my sd about all of this, lol! With Thanksgiving being this week, and the fact that I have to serve some academic detentions for missing school for the college visits (I had to take half days to catch flights), I don't know when I'll be able to speek to him this week, but I really need to, so please just pray that I can so I can run all of this by him. Thanks! May God bless and protect you always in all of your endeavors! Your Brother in Christ, Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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