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Seeking A Bit Of Practical Advice..


Kayte Postle

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Kayte Postle

I'm living in Pittsburgh for the summer with the LSOP, and on my days off I've been going to different churches for mass. This Sunday I am thinking about going to the TOR's in Steubenville for mass. Here's the problem I'm wrestling with, the TOR is the order that I am very interested in and drawn to, but I am currently not actively discerning. I have discerned that God is asking me to wait for another year (I'm starting to discover possibly two), before I start to contact and visit communities. What I'm worried about is that by going to mass, seeing the chapel, walking the grounds, seeing the sisters, and then not being able to continue to 'wait' as God is asking me.

 

Should I not go? Or am i just making a mountain out of a mole hill?

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Mary's Child

I'm a bit confused.  Weren't you applying to the Salesians?  :unsure:

I think that was a different Katie and as far as I know she was accepted by the Salesians.

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Kayte Postle

I'm a bit confused.  Weren't you applying to the Salesians?  :unsure:

 

Nope, that's Katiebobatie94. =)

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OnlySunshine

I'm living in Pittsburgh for the summer with the LSOP, and on my days off I've been going to different churches for mass. This Sunday I am thinking about going to the TOR's in Steubenville for mass. Here's the problem I'm wrestling with, the TOR is the order that I am very interested in and drawn to, but I am currently not actively discerning. I have discerned that God is asking me to wait for another year (I'm starting to discover possibly two), before I start to contact and visit communities. What I'm worried about is that by going to mass, seeing the chapel, walking the grounds, seeing the sisters, and then not being able to continue to 'wait' as God is asking me.

 

Should I not go? Or am i just making a mountain out of a mole hill?

 

Wait, nevermind.  That was Katiebobatie94.  Sorry!

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OnlySunshine

Nope, that's Katiebobatie94. =)

 

Yeah, sorry!  See my other post below yours.  I got your name confused.  :hehe2: :blush:
 

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maximillion

Whatever you do or don't do, it will all happen in His time and His way anyhow, so I don' see how it makes much difference unless you intend doing things your way, which I doubt. What it might do is raise lots of feelings for you. Can you cope with that...possibly feeling frustration and the need to be patient? 

 

If you can attend with an attitude of 'I'm gonna enjoy this for what it is now, in this moment.' then do that......

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Go to another mass!! It's like being on a diet.. And then walking over to the table that has a bunch of cookies on it!! Humm.. How good is your will power??? Are you sure he is telling you to wait??! ;)

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Kayte Postle

Whatever you do or don't do, it will all happen in His time and His way anyhow, so I don' see how it makes much difference unless you intend doing things your way, which I doubt. What it might do is raise lots of feelings for you. Can you cope with that...possibly feeling frustration and the need to be patient? 

 

If you can attend with an attitude of 'I'm gonna enjoy this for what it is now, in this moment.' then do that......

 

Go to another mass!! It's like being on a diet.. And then walking over to the table that has a bunch of cookies on it!! Humm.. How good is your will power??? Are you sure he is telling you to wait??! ;)

 

max: You bring up an excellent point. I think that yes, I could go and just enjoy the experience for what it is. Lately I've been very at peace with having to wait, when earlier in my discernment I had been so very itchy and impatient, always wanting to get going already! But now I am so so so at peace with waiting.

 

nikita: I'm sure He is asking me to wait. I know that right now He is calling me to be a student and finish out my bachelors degree, I've only got one year left. Also practically speaking, I just entered the Church this Easter, so most communities will ask me to wait two years anyways. More than that though, I know that I have some spiritual maturing to do before I am ready to take on the next step.  I love your diet analogy! So true! But something I've noticed for myself is that my impatient heart has been calmed more by going to see religious. (I went to the dsmme retreat may '12, and just went on a mini nun run). As I'm reflecting now, getting those very brief looks helped me to grow more at peace with waiting on His time. It is like being on a diet, but instead of going cold turkey I have a small cookie every now and then!

 

Thank you both for your input, and advice!

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You seem wise for your age, Kayte. I don't think you need advice at all. Discern well, and follow your heart. :-)

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If you have the opportunity, I would go for it. I have visited quite some communities before entrance into my community and it has enriched me in a lot of ways. I think our emotions work not in a way like "Okay, I decide that this will not touch me, I will just go to mass there, I discerned to give discerning a break" - If you go, something might touch you, or not. But I think this is also the Spirits way to lead us. My advice would be to take discernment a bit more "light". It is not a state of life! It is not like you are wearing a big T-Shirt with "Hey, I am a discerner", It is not something YOU have to "work on", it is the Holy Spirit who will work this in your heart, slowly. And for this we never know HOW He uses our experiences, our meetings and relations to move something in our hearts.

 

Being now in my community I love to have an image of some other communities. First, because we also pray for other communities, there are sisters from other communities coming to visit or coming on retreat and knowing a little bit of their life helps me to welcome them and to interceed for them. Also visiting other communities has helped me a lot in being at peace with "my" one - I kept more and more comparing and saying: "But at XYZ they do it like this" ;) ;)

 

So if you are close, I would go for it. But don't stress about it. But stay open to all that come to you in your daily life.

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