Has anyone read: Religious Vocation: An Unnecessary Mystery

[Julie]

This book, by Fr. Richard Butler, looks at discerning the religious life from St. Thomas's writings. It seems to take an awfully less cautious approach than most people seem to. If anyone's read the book, tell me what you think. (I think there are also extensive excerpts of it on the website I link to.)

http://www.pathsoflove.com/religious-vocation-details.html

[chrysostom]

I've made it a few chapters in so far.  I especially like his overview of the will of God.  And I also like that incautiousness you mentioned, well, straight from St. Thomas - to just go for it.

[Julie]

23 minutes ago, chrysostom said:

I've made it a few chapters in so far.  I especially like his overview of the will of God.  And I also like that incautiousness you mentioned, well, straight from St. Thomas - to just go for it.

Yeah, I've also only gone a few chapters (and some peeking ahead).

I also kind of like the incautiousness. It's like a "holy recklessness".  Like drastically and in one fell swoop giving God all.

 

Of course, I used to think the opposite:

I actually started reading it a while ago. I found it in our school chapel, and I picked it up because I was struggling with a religious vocation and was hoping that it would say "No mystery here: if an angel does not descend and tell you that God wants you to be a religious, go off and get married." Of course, it did NOT say that, and I got mad: "This dumb old book is telling me I should enter a convent. I am NOT going to do that without some special sign. Seriously, God needs to hit me over the head with it. Books like this are probably why every guy I date runs off to the monastery! Ridiculous and against prudence!"

Needless to say, I was throwing a bit of a tantrum, and was VERY ridiculous myself. Now that I'm over that, I'm thinking of picking the book up again.

Edited December 5, 2015 by Julie

[inperpetuity]

Yes, I've read this book several times.  We all need a good Dominican to straighten us out once in awhile, lol.  It actually helped me realize that yes, although God may be inviting me to live the evangelical counsels, He will not force me to make the choice. I have to make it and as long as there is no impediment on my part, I am free to do so.  If we are stuck and cannot seem to make the choice, then we have to wait until we're able.  I know that in my case God has given many "signs" some of them not little, and because of my own attachments I kept putting Him off and I convinced myself I was not doing that. That's not to say that sometimes there are legitimate reasons for waiting.  "Late, have I loved Thee Oh Lord".