ChristinaTherese Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 So, I'm a graduating senior, thinking about what I'll do after I graduate. I'm thinking that it might be good for my personal growth to not get a paying job right away and find a way to spend a year volunteering somewhere and preferably living with religious. The reasons are various: I suspect it would be good for my spiritual growth (not exactly a strong point lately as far as I can tell), it would clearly be good for my discernment, I like it best when I'm working to help others.... It seems like the right thing to do. So today I started an application to the Dominican Volunteers USA. (If anyone has any experience with them, I'd love to hear.) and when I called home to let my parents know that one of my favorite professors said he can give me a recommendation, my mom told me my dad was laid off today. That doesn't change much, I suppose, but it does make the whole $20,000+ of debt that I'll graduate with feel a bit heavier. (And, before you ask, no there won't be any problems paying my school bills. He gets six months of severance and my parents are planning to ask my grandmother to help.) And leaving might be a really good thing for my dad... he's been quite stressed by work lately. NB: No, I'm not entirely sure how vocation related this is, but VS seemed like the place for it because of the people or something. I mean, it's not a prayer request, or lame, and Open Mic feels too open right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puellapaschalis Posted October 22, 2014 Share Posted October 22, 2014 Volunteer work is a super thing to do, and if you can do it in an environment where you'll be challenged to cultivate your spiritual life, so much the better. I think it's a great plan! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veritasluxmea Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 So sorry to hear that. Been there, done that with the parental job loss. Praying for you, him and your family. :kitten: (<-- no point to that emoji I just wanted to use it.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristinaTherese Posted October 23, 2014 Author Share Posted October 23, 2014 So sorry to hear that. Been there, done that with the parental job loss. Praying for you, him and your family. :kitten: (<-- no point to that emoji I just wanted to use it.) Thanks. And the emoji served a purpose: it made me laugh. Thanks for that too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilentJoy Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 So sorry that your dad has lost his job! It's hard on anyone, but sometimes it can be harder on men than women. Depending on which program you're volunteering with, you might be able to earn a *little* money, or room and board, or both (I have never done it myself, though I know a few other Phatmassers have). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vee Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 My two cents would be to get a paying job to help pay off your debts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristinaTherese Posted October 23, 2014 Author Share Posted October 23, 2014 So sorry that your dad has lost his job! It's hard on anyone, but sometimes it can be harder on men than women. Depending on which program you're volunteering with, you might be able to earn a *little* money, or room and board, or both (I have never done it myself, though I know a few other Phatmassers have). Yeah, the program I'm looking at (and any other I would choose) includes room, board, and a very small stipend. Oh, and a grant that would equal about a quarter of my debt were I to receive it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilentJoy Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 My two cents would be to get a paying job to help pay off your debts. That would be an occasion of growth too. I worked for many years before volunteering for, and soon entering with, a community. For me, the experience was invaluable (I am NOT saying, Christina Therese, that you don't have experience!!). I learned how to work - to live up to and increase my capacity for both physical and mental labor, to better manage my time, to meet demands and expectations, to deal courteously with people I didn't like and would rather not work for (but I wanted money and I also wanted to grow in love), to keep better records, etc. These are awesome skills to have in religious life. The work that I did, while "secular," was actually very contemplative and conducive to spiritual growth - I had a glorified mowing route, working with nature, often alone, with lots of room for reflection and prayer. After I became Catholic, I was also able to go to Mass most weekday mornings, which was even better. I was able to help people who couldn't work outside and couldn't afford to have a 'typical' landscape company take care of their property. Even though it could stress me out (some nights I'd come home and yell at the cat and kick my mom :rolleyes:), I have such happy memories. It was truly a beautiful job, and a gift. In short, getting a job is awe.some, especially if you have debt that needs paid. When you are fulfilling your duty, you're doing the will of God, which is exactly what must be done; you're where you need to be even if you feel hopelessly stuck. However, when I decided to volunteer while discerning, a lot of people who knew me were against the idea. They thought, if I REALLY just had to volunteer, I ought to at least stay in the area and do something actively useful for the secular community, instead of going out-of-state to do something somewhat superfluous for a religious community. In a way it was the stupidest thing I've ever done; it's also been the happiest period of my life and it genuinely did help me. Even though I wanted to enter religious life, there was SO much anxiety and misunderstanding around it; it was extremely helpful for me to be able to live and work in their daily lives. Also, the personal growth and healing I experienced seems immense. I guess what I am trying to say is...do whatever you do. I think you'll know what the right decision is when it comes time to make it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikita92 Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Christina T- is that program offered here in Washington state? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristinaTherese Posted October 23, 2014 Author Share Posted October 23, 2014 Christina T- is that program offered here in Washington state? All over the country. And there are more. Check out the Catholic Volunteer Network (Google the name, you'll get the website) and run a program search. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sr Mary Catharine OP Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 So, I'm a graduating senior, thinking about what I'll do after I graduate. I'm thinking that it might be good for my personal growth to not get a paying job right away and find a way to spend a year volunteering somewhere and preferably living with religious. The reasons are various: I suspect it would be good for my spiritual growth (not exactly a strong point lately as far as I can tell), it would clearly be good for my discernment, I like it best when I'm working to help others.... It seems like the right thing to do. So today I started an application to the Dominican Volunteers USA. (If anyone has any experience with them, I'd love to hear.) and when I called home to let my parents know that one of my favorite professors said he can give me a recommendation, my mom told me my dad was laid off today. That doesn't change much, I suppose, but it does make the whole $20,000+ of debt that I'll graduate with feel a bit heavier. (And, before you ask, no there won't be any problems paying my school bills. He gets six months of severance and my parents are planning to ask my grandmother to help.) And leaving might be a really good thing for my dad... he's been quite stressed by work lately. NB: No, I'm not entirely sure how vocation related this is, but VS seemed like the place for it because of the people or something. I mean, it's not a prayer request, or lame, and Open Mic feels too open right now. Let us know if you get accepted and where you will be missioned! It's a long and complicated story but I was actually part of the official launching of the Dominican Volunteers International 14 years ago. It was part of an International Dominican family gathering and the Master of the Order asked the nuns to be represented because 1) we are of the Order and 2)he said that there are members of the Family who didn't even know the nuns existed! He was right. I was chosen as 1 of 3 to represent North America. It was a great experience but I was soooo happy to be back in my monastery! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catherine Therese Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Is it possible to do both? Find a job for three days a week to help pay down the debt and take the edge off the pressure your dad would be under, but still volunteer two days per week? Sometimes volunteering a few days, rather than giving your whole life (for a time) to full time ministry is less glamorous and doesn't feel as good - but it can be immensely significant, and you may never know what good it may do for your father. Volunteering outside of a formal program, is probably less exciting and less structured... but intensely generous and sacrificial. Perhaps you're being called to greater sacrifice than you realise? If you end up working - remember that a humdrum day-job to help contribute to family can be as great an act of worship as helping at a soup kitchen or teaching CCD classes. There is also the consideration that if you're not freely embracing that path, and you're constantly embittered by a sense of obligation that has influenced you to choose it, then you're probably not doing it with enough love. LOVE should trump both duty and attraction/interest as your motivators. Nevertheless duty can't be ignored - rather, the way to sanctify duty is to embrace that duty with so great a love that you would do it even if it WERENT your duty. How is God calling you to love? What kind of saint did He create you to be? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now