DameAgnes Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 This is a very serious, very well-done piece on the vocation of marriage, which is something we don't touch on much, here at VS. I post it because it is particularly well done! http://www.patheos.com/Resources/Additional-Resources/Surprised-by-Love-Tim-Muldoon-05-31-2011.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dominicansoul Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 i'm praying a novena to ST. Joseph, as I'm beginning to feel pulled in this direction.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 That was a beautiful, well-written, and inspiring article. "Discerning a vocation" includes discerning marriage! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DameAgnes Posted June 1, 2011 Author Share Posted June 1, 2011 Yes, one thing that struck me after reading the piece is that we don't really teach marriage as a vocation as much as we should. But if it were discerned as a vocation, and not just as a romantic event (although this piece is very romantic and demonstrates that the vocational mindset seems to enhance the romance) perhaps more Catholic marriages would be successful, because they'll contain that whole element that is so often missing: the fact that it is also a relationship with God. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 [quote name='DameAgnes' timestamp='1306952625' post='2248775'] Yes, one thing that struck me after reading the piece is that we don't really teach marriage as a vocation as much as we should. But if it were discerned as a vocation, and not just as a romantic event (although this piece is very romantic and demonstrates that the vocational mindset seems to enhance the romance) perhaps more Catholic marriages would be successful, because they'll contain that whole element that is so often missing: the fact that it is also a relationship with God. [/quote] exactly! One of my friends was talking about the divorce rate in the U.S., which in general makes me very sad, and she said that Christian-it wasn't broken down by denomination- marriages were just as likely to fail. When we talk about a religious vocation, we are advised to pray, spend time in front of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, go to Mass, pray some more, get a spiritual director to help walk through emotions, trials, etc, and more! I think if we took that same approach to promoting marriages, we would have stronger Catholic families. In my own experience, once you get into the habit of spending more time in prayer and going to Mass, for example, while discerning, that becomes a big part of life- I can't imagine that the same wouldn't happen for people discerning marriage and family life. Their family would be centered around God! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FutureSister2009 Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 I thought for the longest time that Marriage was my true Vocation. However God revealed to me that He had other things in mind for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeteorShower Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 [quote name='FutureSister2009' timestamp='1306964126' post='2248915'] I thought for the longest time that Marriage was my true Vocation. However God revealed to me that He had other things in mind for me. [/quote] I was in the same boat, just vice versa...lol. When I became Catholic, I first thought that I had a vocation to religious life, and now I feel that I am being called in the complete opposite direction. However, I am still very young, and I haven't actually began discerning anything so far - at least not yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatherineM Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 If you don't view marriage as a vocation, that makes it way too easy to discard when times are tough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faithcecelia Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 [quote name='CatherineM' timestamp='1306965785' post='2248925'] If you don't view marriage as a vocation, that makes it way too easy to discard when times are tough. [/quote] I totally agree with this. My parents have, for all number of reasons, had a difficult marriage. There have been times when I would not have blamed either of them for leaving the other. But they both believe that they were called together by God, and that their vows were made to Him as well as each other. The forgive each other's wrongdoings because they know it is God's will that they do, and that He too forgives them. At times when they have found it hard, or even impossible, to love each other in a human way, they have loved them through Christ. My mother has come close to death a few times, very near, and my dad's face says it all when she is like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbTherese Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 To fall in love is a great gift from God Who Is Love. Sadly, the pre V2 notion that "vocation" means the priesthood or religious life still lingers. Just as God gives the qualities necessary for religious life to those called to religious life etc., He gives the necessary qualities to those He calls to marriage e.g. falling in love. I think today because The Church lacks vocations to the religious life and priesthood generally, with the emphasis often on these vocations therefore, it can tend to underscore the importance of the priesthood and religious life as potential vocations - and they are important. More important I think to highlight and underscore the discernment journey of where God is calling a person, no matter where it may be. I think if God has gifted one with the qualties necessary for religious life, that discernment journey must include a discerning of whether religious life is indeed my call - and coupled with the qualities, God gifts the desire which is not necessarily an emotionally based desire for the life. God bless - Barb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AccountDeleted Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 The Church considers marriage an important enough vocation to be a sacrament. Without marriage and families, there would be no Church. It would be so wonderful if all couples considered their marriage to be a vocation to serve God - it would help them stay together and to make the wellbeing of the family a primary concern. Thank you for a lovely article. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proud2BCatholic139 Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 [quote name='Lisa' timestamp='1306951692' post='2248770'] That was a beautiful, well-written, and inspiring article. "Discerning a vocation" includes discerning marriage! [/quote] I was just talking to my roommate about this tonight! She is engaged to be married and she gets so frustrated when vocations prayers only include the priesthood and religious life. We need to pray for Holy Marriages also, because without these Holy Marriages, there would not be priest or religious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Totus Tuus Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 I feel like religious discernment programs are even incomplete without providing some formation on the vocation to marriage and making sure that the visitor or candidate has discerned it. Girls who grow up thinking that the only way to be holy is religious life are not good candidates for religious life until they straighten out their understanding of vocation. I'm always glad to see articles like this that reaffirm that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tally Marx Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 [quote name='BarbaraTherese' timestamp='1306974602' post='2248981'] To fall in love is a great gift from God Who Is Love. Sadly, the pre V2 notion that "vocation" means the priesthood or religious life still lingers. Just as God gives the qualities necessary for religious life to those called to religious life etc., He gives the necessary qualities to those He calls to marriage e.g. falling in love. [/quote] With these lines in mind, I have a question for no one in particular and everyone in general: Is being in love with someone enough of a reason to "give up" on religious life? In other words, if you really love someone, does this mean that you are not called to the religious life? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnlySunshine Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 [quote name='Tally Marx' timestamp='1307075538' post='2249392'] With these lines in mind, I have a question for no one in particular and everyone in general: Is being in love with someone enough of a reason to "give up" on religious life? In other words, if you really love someone, does this mean that you are not called to the religious life? [/quote] I've heard that this happens to people who feel they have a calling to religious life. Often times, the couple will break up and one of them will discern priesthood or religious life. I've heard that it happens a lot, and I think it doesn't mean that you are not called. Sometimes, I feel God brings couples together to ultimately lead them to the convent or seminary. It happened to a friend of mine who broke up with her boyfriend to discern the Sisters of Life. She ultimately entered and is currently a 2nd year novice. I'm sure that some people have thought they were called to religious life or priesthood and then discerned that their calling was marriage. It's funny how God works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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