Beginning Discernment... Kind Of

[SilentJoy]

I second taking the job for now. Discernment can be expensive, especially if you are discerning with a place far away. Also God does things in His time and not ours. 

 

This is true. "It's gonna take patience and time...and money, a whole lotta spendin money, to do it right, chile."

 

I was a little aghast at what it cost me to discern (nobody warned me about that part). Then I realized that I had made enough extra to cover it. I had been thinking, "Aa! If I'm going to enter a religious community, I'm going to have to be able to handle the stress; can I do this?" so I took on more work than I would normally have accepted in my right mind (I was self-employed) and it didn't occur to me until later - duh - that more work might also equal more money. (And more self-employment taxes to pay...)
 

[TheresaThoma]

SJ that is true, God will provide but we have to put in some effort too!

(Boo on taxes though. I'm not looking forward to doing mine this year)

[Xanti]

Retreat Follow-up: 

 

Hey guys, just finished the retreat on Friday.  It was a pretty amazing experience.  It's strange all the things you can go through in just a few days of silence, I felt like I was making leaps and bounds in my faith.  I'd like to share with you my journal entry from the final day, just so you can kind of get at what I was feeling towards the end.  It sums up how I'm feeling right now

 

I think I know the next step for me, and thank God for showing me.  The next step is to be completely absorbed by love and truth.  At the intersection of the two is the Catholic Faith.  At the intersection also is an individual's vocation.  To give oneself over in love to serve the Truth is the ultimate realization of one's destiny.

 

And that's all I've got.  So, as generic and abstract as that is to my 'vocation problem,' it's undoubtedly the solution.  Grounded in prayer, if I move forward in Love and Truth, there's no way I can be led astray.  Now I know not if that means religious life, or married life, but that's almost beside the point.

 

...

 

So here I sit, scribbling away at the end of my retreat with an effervescent idea as the only real result.  Nonetheless, I have a sense of direction now, and a means by which to travel in that direction: prayer.  So by opening up my mind and heart to God, he can transform me into the person I ought to be.

 

 

So that's where I stand.  I'm going to take the job offer, and I'm going to continue in prayer and discernment.  I know not where it will lead me, but that's kind of the beauty of discernment.  Thank you all for your prayers, I'm pretty certain they're working! 

 

[TheresaThoma]

I'm glad you had a wonderful retreat! Finding some peace and direction is always good!

[Xanti]

I've decided that I'll just keep updating this thread as I have particular revelations or experiences related to my discernment.  Even if it's not particularly interesting to you guys, at least I'll have it typed out in a somewhat coherent form. :)

 

This past weekend I went on a retreat/visit with Capuchin Franciscans, mostly just to learn what they're about, their various charisms, and ministries.  It was a very educational experience.  I now am seriously considering the Capuchins as a viable path for me if I'm to become a religious.

 

Though I did have an odd experience I'd like to share with you all.  One of the parts of the weekend was a little info session on Fr. Solanus Casey (which I also really enjoyed).  During the session, we were told that Fr. Solanus Casey came from a family of 14 children.  I immediately thought "Wow, that's something I want!"

 

When I took a moment to actually process that thought, I was a little shocked.  Here I was on a weekend learning about what life of a Capuchin is like, and one of the most moving moments for me had nothing to do with the life of a Capuchin.

 

This is not to say, however, that I didn't enjoy or profit from this weekend.  It's just now I'm even less sure of what my vocation.  God is certainly not making it easy for me at this particular moment  :think:

[Charbel]

JMJ

 

(edited for space)

I've decided that I'll just keep updating this thread as I have particular revelations or experiences related to my discernment.  

 

This is not to say, however, that I didn't enjoy or profit from this weekend.  It's just now I'm even less sure of what my vocation.  God is certainly not making it easy for me at this particular moment  :think:

 

Pray to the Blessed Virgin, lay your sorrows at her feet. She will bring them to Our Lord. Try praying the Ave Maris Stella (Hail Star of the Sea) daily, and remember to pray your rosary. Try out the Divine Mercy Chaplet as well if you don't pray it regularly. Persevere in your prayer! Jesus craves our prayers. Give everything to Him. Trust in Him. He will guide you where you need to go. I am still praying for you my brother, and I will always pray for you. May the peace of heaven be upon you.  

 

Your Sister in Christ.