Spiritual Direction For Discerners

[Little Flower]

[quote name='Pax_et bonum' timestamp='1315266857' post='2300701']
I met someone this summer at the discernment night with the Poor Clares in Kokomo who had just moved to Ft. Wayne. It would probably help if I remembered her name, but I can't. You should just go up to random girls and ask if they ever thought about a vocation to the religious life
[/quote]
wow. great idea. lol. let me know if you remember her name. maybe I've met her or know her or something

[OnlySunshine]

[quote name='Little Flower' timestamp='1315262938' post='2300669']
well st. therese didn't have a SD while she was discerning. so i guess its not like its the only way to prop its helped me to be emailing with the VD, Sr. Mary Catharine, of the Summit Dominicans (I know you read Phatmass - THANK YOU! ) even if I can't have a SD. I can't really explain why but its really nice.

I wish I had friends discerning religious life, especially contemplative life. I have a friend (and a brother!) who want to be priests, but when I was telling my friend I wanted to be contemplative, he seemed to think that was stupid. He has a cousin who just joined the Carmelites in Nebraska, and he was saying he'll never see her again. And most other people and friends I haven't said anything to. They wouldn't understand. They would just think I am the stupidest person ever to walk the planet earth. I know a lot of guys who want to be priests. I know one girl who thinks she's called to religious life, and she wants to be a Consecrated. whatever maybe God wants her to fix the order. but ive heard too many horror stories.
[/quote]

Well, yes, that's true. I don't think St. Therese needed one, though, because I have read excerpts from letters that she wrote and she was incredibly mature for her age. She was already a saint when she was alive. I wish I could have known her, but I hope to see her in heaven.

I know what you mean about knowing people discerning religious life. There is a lack of support or camaraderie in this area, too, for those discerning religious life. We pray for it in our intercessions during Mass, but no one seems to take it seriously and encourage vocations. I even asked my pastor if we could start a group for those discerning and he said that since there was so much paperwork, he wouldn't be able to start one for a while since he was so busy. It really is a shame. I wish that my Young Adult group didn't meet so far away. They are all the way on the other side of town and I cannot afford gas to get where they are every week. My grandmother is supporting me financially at the moment, and I feel guilty when I have to ask for gas money too often.

You are not stupid for desiring contemplative religious life. I think it is extremely beautiful for those who are called to do it. I rather envy those who are cloistered because the life is much more rigorous, but I know God is not calling me to be cloistered. Stick with what you feel God calling you to. Friends mean well, but they don't know God's will for you. Only you can know that. God bless!

[OnlySunshine]

[quote name='Pax_et bonum' timestamp='1315266857' post='2300701']
I met someone this summer at the discernment night with the Poor Clares in Kokomo who had just moved to Ft. Wayne. It would probably help if I remembered her name, but I can't. You should just go up to random girls and ask if they ever thought about a vocation to the religious life
[/quote]

LOL, that's neat meeting someone discerning just random like that. I found a few people in my young adult group that were discerning but that I had no idea about until I heard of their entrance. Funnily enough, there was one young woman who I met the at the weekend retreat where I experienced my reversion in 2007 who had been discerning religious life for 7 years! She finally entered the Sisters of Life in September 2009 and is now in the 2nd year of her novitiate -- Sr. Annunciata Maria.

Most of the groupies I met who were discerning were young men! My friend, who is engaged to be married in February 2012, was discerning with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal and spent several weeks with them before discerning that he was called to marriage. His fiancee is a former candidate of religious life who was in the [url="http://www.sacredheartsisters.com/"][size=4]Society Devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus[/size][/url]. She was in her 8th year of religious life and about to make final vows when she discerned that she was called to marriage as well.

I also learned that we have a member who was formerly with the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate! He has given several lectures about Marian spirituality. His family is so sweet, too.

We had one young man enter the FFIs in January 2011. We also had a young man enter the Carmelite Monks of Wyoming the same month.