Temptions While Dicerning

[MarysLittleFlower]

Certainly what everyone else said about becoming a sister or a nun is also a state of motherhood. :)

 

I remember the documentary "The Nun" about a girl named Marta who was preparing to enter Carmel. At the beginning of the film she starts talking about how the most difficult part for her in this way of life is the spiritual aspect of chastity and how having a solitary heart, they (the nuns) leave that for God to fill.

 

I think she answered a question that many discerning the religious life have. When you have the grace of a vocation, you will find that there will be nothing lacking and that you will be fulfilled because God fills the heart completely with Himself when it is given to Him alone. So really how could we find that anything would be missing? We know He is the source of all life, grace, and blessing for every state of life so if He has our hearts completely I don't think we will ever find that anything is lacking or that we would be missing out on anything; because we have Him alone Who is the giver of all good things. Let Him be your only source of happiness and joy. :)   

 

I think this is very true! :heart:

 

to the OP:

 

I also think that if someone is discerning religious life but sometimes feels drawn to marriage or has 'romantic' or even impure thought temptations about people of the opposite sex - that doesn't mean they don't have a religious vocation, because we don't always feel it ALL the time, sometimes we get distracted, etc. I read in a discernment book that what matters is how you feel when you are close to God! do you have peace then about your vocation? regarding everything else, if you're also drawn to marriage that could be a natural thing, or it could be an indication of a vocation, and of course if you get tempted with any impure thoughts then they should be rejected in any case. Hope that helps :) just my pov!

[TIWW]

When I was discerning religious life, both my spiritual director and the psychologist who did my vocational testing said in different ways, that if you would not make a good wife and mother, you would also not be good nun material.   The qualities of loving charity,  commitment, compassion and forgiveness, among others are necessary in both vocations.