Organizational - Mental Checklist - Gonna Think Seriously About This T

[Micah]

Alright. 22, healthy, almost done school, looking to the future. It is time to begin discerning my vocation. This thread is going to be my mental checklist of orders, communities, websites, and any other odds and ends that need considering. If anyone reading this can recommend any specific orders or communities, please post them, but please not any websites with lists of communities nor articles on discernment. I'd like your own opinions on the matter though.

I'm looking at religious life rather than diocesan, and mendicants over monks, because I feel that would best suit me (should religious life trump matrimony). Two groups I thought were interesting tonight were:

[url="http://www.op-stjoseph.org/vocations/more/formation_process/"]The Dominican Province of St. Joseph[/url] (Thanks DominicanSoul!)
[url="http://www.franciscanfriars.com/"]The Franciscan Friars of the Renewal[/url]

(So far I'm lacking any knowledge on Carmelites or their male communities)

[tnavarro61]

Edited January 2, 2011 by tnavarro61

[tnavarro61]

Institute of the Incarnate Word

Formation: A year of novitiate (not yet seminary), then to seminary formation. Gotta ask what being an IVE brother means.
I AM NOT AN IVE SPOKESPERSON! I'm just starting out with them.

iveamerica.org

They study theology and philosophy. That includes Summa.. so you can leave the Dominican Friars out of the list (Sorry DS but I have to save him from Dominican craze LOL!) I gotta say, they're a cool religious order. Very LIVELY! Very friendly, very COOL! They wear habits but not always. They live as simple as possible.


I am also considering the Franciscans of the Immaculate.
They are pretty penitential friars, very traditional (Latin Mass, latin here, latin there). There's a great amount of asceticism there. Again, I AM NOT A SPOKESPERSON here.. I have to visit them first. My interview is yet to be scheduled.

Praise God you're considering vocation to religious life. Welcome dude!

[holly.o]

Some questions that might helps us to provide you with some ideas:


What kind of spirituality are you attracted to?
What is your prayer life like?
What most inspires you to love God & others?
What Saints do you most identify with?


God bless in your discernment!

[vee]

The Jesuits AMDG

The Canons Regular of St John Cantius
http://www.canons-regular.org/

[sistersintigo]

[quote name='Micah' timestamp='1293959179' post='2195889']
I'm looking at religious life rather than diocesan, and mendicants over monks, because I feel that would best suit me (should religious life trump matrimony). Two groups I thought were interesting tonight were:

[url="http://www.op-stjoseph.org/vocations/more/formation_process/"]The Dominican Province of St. Joseph[/url] (Thanks DominicanSoul!)
[url="http://www.franciscanfriars.com/"]The Franciscan Friars of the Renewal[/url]
[/quote]
Regarding the mendicant Order of Preachers, better known as the Dominican Order:
Worldwide, the OPs are grouped in Provinces, and there are four Provinces for the United States alone, with at least one province of Dominican Friars in Canada. I strongly suggest that you look at more than one Dominican Friar Province! Only you know which Province is most compatible with your way of relating to other people and to local dioceses, so none of us can call that one for you. That said, different provinces within the same religious order can be shockingly different from each other! Not knowing anything about the Canadian OP friars, as a US person, I can't comment.
In these United States, however:
The Province of St Joseph is the oldest province, and the newer provinces were all offshoots of it, back in the day when there were exponentially increasing numbers of vocations to the Church. Safe to say that St Joseph -- whose scope is the northeastern seaboard, and goes west as far as Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee -- is also the most formal, the most conventional, and in some clusters of friars, the most snobbish, and that is putting it gently! Must in all fairness add that when Dominican friars are good, they are very good indeed, regardless of what province they come from, so St Joseph has some great friars to balance out the territorial, vicious ones.
Vancouver puts you closer to the Province of, is it, the Holy Name? of the OPs, and this is not a large Province, but it does occupy the West Coast and Arizona.
The newest province is in the Southeast US including Texas, and is the St Martin de Porres Province of Dominican Friars. While St Joseph goes through growth spurts, vocations-wise, St Martin de Porres is growing in the natural way, as more and more Catholic immigrants settle in Florida, Georgia, Texas....
Finally, Chicago is the home base for the Dominican Friars province of St Albert the Great, which has long been a political rival with the St Joseph Province; in truth, there is bad blood between them historically, because one split from the other with some rancor. Worldwide, at the Dominican Curia in Santa Sabina, and elsewhere (England, with its friars at Oxford), Dominican friars nickname it "The Great Province," however its friars are a little too progressive for some tastes.

[Guest A Thomist]

Friend and brother, I am also twenty-two and in the same position. Naturally, being unbaptised I cannot do a thing about it yet; however, I can still discern privately. You are in the same shining, ethereal light of infinity which gladdens us all and asks us to commit ourselves to God. This binding majesty is a being; indeed, being itself! I know that, though I am unwashed, my vocation is with the Dominicans. No amount of explanation or discernment beyond this point can turn me away from the Order of Preachers. Whatever it takes, I will go there with all my heart. I think you must have the same intention! Once you've realised that God is leading you to a specific charism or apostolate, you[i] must[/i] follow it unwaveringly! Let His holy conviction wash over you.

Now... are you a bookworm? Do you find yourself studying more than praying, or do you consider study to be a form of intense prayer? Do you tend to stress the logical over the mystical? Do you sympathise with the phrase: "love follows knowledge"? Do you find yourself reading sacred texts and apologetics? Conversely, do you enjoy the company of the poor more than that of your friends and relatives? Do you feel an intensity of spirit to throw your possessions away in accordance with our Lord's command in 18:18-35? Do you want to serve the poor, as is commanded in the same evangelist's 16:19-31? Do you tend to stress the mystical over the logical?

If the first set: you should read about St. Dominic and his Constitutions. If the second set (after "Conversely): you should purchase the Fioretti (little flowers) of Saint Francis of Assisi, and see where your mindset fits. Remember that the Dominicans always considered poverty a means to an end, and the Franciscan spirit has consistently considered poverty as an end. The former imitate Christ more in the spirit of 1 Peter 3:15, and the latter in the spirit of Mark 10:21. See what suits your soul, which God has graciously given you in love.

[Amy G.]

Here are some great religious orders --

[b]Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate[/b] [url="http://marymediatrix.com/"]http://marymediatrix.com/[/url]
They are a wonderful group of brothers! They celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass.

[b]Brothers of St. John[/b] [url="http://www.stjean.com/"]http://www.stjean.com/[/url], [url="http://www.communityofstjohn.com/"]http://www.communityofstjohn.com/
[/url]One of my good friends spent a long time living and discerning with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in NYC (also a great group!)...in the middle of his discernment period he had to drive to the west coast for his sister's wedding. On the way there, he happened upon the Brothers of St. John in Princeville, IL, slept at their guesthouse for the night, and arrived at his sister's wedding with the announcement that he would shortly be joining the Brothers of St. John as a postulant! I studied with the Brothers of St. John for a year - I know and love them well!

[b]Carmelites of Wyoming[/b] [url="http://www.carmelitemonks.org/"]http://www.carmelitemonks.org/[/url]
You mentioned that you aren't too familiar with any male Carmelite groups. I must admit I'm a little biased...I've been slowly but surely falling in love with the Carmelite charism over the past year! Since you said you prefer mendicants over monks, I'm not sure if this community is what you're looking for...but it doesn't hurt to check it out. They are mendicant in a way - they put their lives and the existence of their monastery in the hands of Divine Providence and depend on donations and benefactors. They are cloistered, their apostolate is prayer, and they celebrate the full liturgy of the hours everyday (with the Traditional Latin Mass). They are bursting with young vocations, and are building a new monastery. The keep silence much of the time, in order to have no distractions from fixing their gaze on Jesus and being totally attentive to the intentions of His Heart...in order to devote their lives to praying and performing penances for these intentions. (I visited a group of Carmelite nuns this past summer, and this is how they explained the charism to me). : )

And...if you're interested in mendicant communities -- the [b]Little Brothers of the Lamb[/b] are the most hardcore medicants I've met! They go door to door in groups of two or three begging for their food, and with those who welcome them and feed them, the brothers share the Gospel. The sisters of this order have a new foundation in the States, but the brothers still only have foundations in Europe. (The other communities I mentioned above all have houses in the States). They have a beautiful charism of poverty and littleness; their motto is "Wounded, I will never stop loving." I live in Rome and occasionally visit the sisters' house in Rome. They live extremely simply, and chant beautifully! Their witness of joyful, radical poverty is very moving. [url="http://www.communautedelagneau.org/little-brothers-of-the-lamb.php"]http://www.communautedelagneau.org/little-brothers-of-the-lamb.php[/url]

I hope this little compilation proves useful to you! My prayers are with you for your discernment!!

[MessorCarus]

I have a friend who is discerning with the Capuchin Friars [url="http://www.capuchins.org/"]http://www.capuchins.org/[/url]

Wherever God draws you to, your gifts and talents will radiate His Glory. [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/dance.gif[/img]

[tnavarro61]

i really think Micah that you should be considering the Institute of the Incarnate Word.

[Sarah147]

HELLO MY FRIEND!

GET A SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR. They will help you know yourself and what you are suited for.

Keep praying that God will show you where you are called, if you are called. A SD can help you discern your calling. Get a GOOD one. Especially one that is grown in contemplative prayer and is very spiritual, loving, doing things right.

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR DISCERNMENT!

Edited January 3, 2011 by JoyfulLife

[Sarah147]

I'd like to give a thumbs up for

[url="http://www.fathersofmercy.com"]www.fathersofmercy.com[/url]
[color="#0e774a"][url="http://www.franciscanmissionaries.com"]http://www.franciscanmissionaries.com[/url][/color]
[url="http://marymediatrix.com/"]http://marymediatrix.com/[/url]
[url="http://www.knightsoftheholyeucharist.com"]www.knightsoftheholyeucharist.com[/url]

I saw a fabulous thing on EWTN about these:
[url="http://stmichaelsabbey.com/Abbey-Home.html"]http://stmichaelsabb...Abbey-Home.html[/url]
(Excellent homilies, brotherly love, it's growing, it's great)


Look into the Jesuits, Maronites and Dominicans, too.

Edited January 3, 2011 by JoyfulLife

[cmaD2006]

[quote name='JoyfulLife' timestamp='1294019159' post='2196032']
HELLO MY FRIEND!

GET A SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR. They will help you know yourself and what you are suited for.

Keep praying that God will show you where you are called, if you are called. A SD can help you discern your calling. Get a GOOD one. Especially one that is grown in contemplative prayer and is very spiritual, loving, doing things right.

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR DISCERNMENT!
[/quote]
I say DITTO DITTO DITTO DITTO DITTO DITTO on all of the above.

[tnavarro61]

Keenan, my spiritual director is an IVE priest. Maybe you should really consider having an IVE spiritual director. they're cool and holy indeed. You'll get along with them.

[HopefulBride]

May the Holy Spirit be with you as you discern the Father's will. I pray that our Lady watches over you. I love our lady so of course I must mention Father Calloway's order (don't know if someone did already)

Marians of the Immaculate Conception
http://www.marian.org/

God Bless!