What To Do With Life Until Entering Religious Life?

[TheresaThoma]

If you can I would try a long term volunteer position. I'm currently doing one and it honestly has been the most amazing experience. As part of mine I live in community and it has taught me so much about myself. Honestly if I had to learn these lessons in religious life I think I would have left.

[Blue.Rose]

My main points were:
1) to keep busy (i.e., live a focused, purpose-driven life, and avoid aimlessness) and
2) to take great care of all facets of your being. By this I mean that you should be sensible to avoid burnout. To endure, you must pace yourself. After all, there is no shortcut in the lifelong journey toward our Lord.

Most certainly you should not attempt to live a solitary life. Regardless of aspirations, one should always strive to share experiences. Prayer, physical exercise, spiritual readings, etc., typically become much more regular activities when shared with a friend or more.

The list of books I provided were hastily mentioned examples from my own reading list. ALWAYS consult with your spiritual director on all matters, most especially on what to read and study.

Anyway thank you for this advice - I actually took your advice and have started reading The Interior Castle by Teresa of Avila, I was meaning to get around to reading some of her work.
Thanks Edited April 28, 2014 by Blue.Rose

[Blue.Rose]

If you can I would try a long term volunteer position. I'm currently doing one and it honestly has been the most amazing experience. As part of mine I live in community and it has taught me so much about myself. Honestly if I had to learn these lessons in religious life I think I would have left.

Do you mind me asking what kind of work it involves? I would really like to volunteer.
Early in the year I enquired to do volunteer work but places only wanted retirerees.

What can someone in their 20's do? Edited April 29, 2014 by Blue.Rose

[OnlySunshine]

If you can I would try a long term volunteer position. I'm currently doing one and it honestly has been the most amazing experience. As part of mine I live in community and it has taught me so much about myself. Honestly if I had to learn these lessons in religious life I think I would have left.

 

This is a terrific idea!  :)

[arfink]

If you're serious about joining a community, learn to cook. Seriously. Especially learn to cook with almost nothing in your pantry. Do it.

[OnlySunshine]

If you're serious about joining a community, learn to cook. Seriously. Especially learn to cook with almost nothing in your pantry. Do it.

 

Wow, what a crazy challenge!  :)

[arfink]

Wow, what a crazy challenge!  :)

 

There is always time to learn practical everyday skills, but with something like cooking, it may be best to do the dangerous early experimenting phases when others do not depend on you. ;) Just my two cents.

[ChristinaTherese]

There is always time to learn practical everyday skills, but with something like cooking, it may be best to do the dangerous early experimenting phases when others do not depend on you. ;) Just my two cents.

And then it's useful whatever you do with your life. Especially being able to make decent food with next to nothing on hand. (Wait... I'm sick and I have neither a car nor food in the pantry/fridge? What do I do now? That's happened to me recently enough....)

[TheresaThoma]

Do you mind me asking what kind of work it involves? I would really like to volunteer.
Early in the year I enquired to do volunteer work but places only wanted retirerees.

What can someone in their 20's do?

 

For the program I am in I live and work at a home of hospitality for pregnant women. Basically I am there to provide support to the women, it is a full time job and then some but I love it.

Most of the MissionCorps (my official job title) are in their 20s, so yes it is definitely something someone in their 20s can do. Most of us came to do volunteer work because we didn't really know what to do after college but wanted to do something.

 

There are lots of other programs you can search them through Catholic Volunteer network. https://catholicvolunteernetwork.org/

The other good thing is most of them work with AmeriCorps which means that you can get an education grant. Which is good for 7 years after you finish your term of service. If you are going into a community that requires schooling or you end up deciding to go back to school anyways you can get about $5500 dollars to use for education.

[Blue.Rose]

For the program I am in I live and work at a home of hospitality for pregnant women. Basically I am there to provide support to the women, it is a full time job and then some but I love it.
Most of the MissionCorps (my official job title) are in their 20s, so yes it is definitely something someone in their 20s can do. Most of us came to do volunteer work because we didn't really know what to do after college but wanted to do something.

There are lots of other programs you can search them through Catholic Volunteer network. https://catholicvolunteernetwork.org/
The other good thing is most of them work with AmeriCorps which means that you can get an education grant. Which is good for 7 years after you finish your term of service. If you are going into a community that requires schooling or you end up deciding to go back to school anyways you can get about $5500 dollars to use for education.

Thank you, I'll have to look for something along the lines of that in my country though (Australia) since I suppose that's only in the US?

[TheresaThoma]

I have no idea about programs in Australia. The AmeriCorps thing though is definitely only in the US

[AugustineA]

Support myself and a family member, pay off student loans, keep a regular prayer rule, go to Mass and confession regularly, try not to end up married.. :saint2: