Religious: how to know which community?

[28yrolddiscerner]

I feel God saying yes to me...what does he mean?  I’m discerning with about 3 communities... which is “the one”?

my SD retired, looking for a new one. I’m shy. Prayers please!

[littlesister]

Suggestion : you eliminate one if possible, then visit - more than once - the second and the third possibilities.  Pray to the Holy Spirit, and see where/if you feel at home.  We could all tell you that our God is one of surprises, and he may be holding one for you.

Best wishes on the journey!

[gabrielofsorrows]

Word of advice. Im no expert. Im going by a friend of mine who wanted to be a religious, she visited several convents and entered one. Well unfortunately for some reason she developed a health issue.. And had to leave. Every vocation has a different story and like i mentioned we wish you the best, what im trying to get at is the holy spirit will guide you. Just give it time and patience, even though i know that is difficult. The lord never fails us, he sees us through, he knows our hearts and the " vocation" he has called us to as he puts the longing in our heart. Im sure when you get the chance to visit the convents, you should go to the convents chapel and pray when you first get there if possible. The lord will enlighten your heart to where he needs you and where you will be happy. You will feel comfortable and at home. Blessings to you. One more Word of advice once again we know of a person who entered religious life twice briefly but couldn't go through with it. There isnt a day that goes by that he doesnt regret leaving. So, please if you feel the call to religious life, dont let anything interfere with your happiness in serving Jesus. Blessings to you, best! The V-family

[28yrolddiscerner]

Thank you both littlesister and Gabriel of sorrows!  I’ll try to narrow it down when I can. It’s too soon right now.

Gabrielofsorrows- That reminds me of why I’m going on visits as soon as I can!  If it works out or not is up to God, but I don’t want to have any more regrets...I’ll pray for your friend because it is tough living with regrets.

God bless you both!

[Luigi]

1. Write out the names names of the three congregations/orders - leave some space below the names. 

2. Now, write, ROCK under the first one, PAPER under the second one, and SCISSORS under the third one. 

3. Now, draft a friend to play Rock-Paper-Scissors with you. 

You should know is just a couple of rounds! 

(Just kidding! But don't you wish it were that easy?)

[Sister Leticia]

11 hours ago, 28yrolddiscerner said:

I’m discerning with about 3 communities... which is “the one”?

When you say you're "discerning with about 3 communities", what exactly do you mean? Do you mean what I mean by the phrase "discerning with", ie visiting the communities, getting to know the sisters, praying with them, finding out more about their mission if they're apostolic, attending a Come & See if that's what they offer, spending 1.1 time with the vocations director (and/or any other sister), asking questions, sharing your journey, being helped to see where their charism touches what is deepest within you...?

If that's what you mean by "discerning with" then don't worry. As the process unfolds, you will begin to see/know either which is "the one", or be helped to see that none of them are, and you need to look around again (and a good vocations director, plus the discernment process itself should help you better understand where you need to look)

But if you haven't yet started "discerning with", anyone, and really, you're still looking at them from afar, eg articles, or their websites or Facebook pages, then you're not yet in a position to know which is "the one", so of course you're wondering. That's why, as littlesister has suggested here (and Beatitude on another thread), the best thing is to start visiting and get to know the sisters personally. 

And meanwhile, try not to worry about the outcome. God is taking you on a great adventure, which doubles as a mystery tour! Try to enjoy the journey, which will contain a lot of learning and growth for you, whatever the destination.

 

[TheresaThoma]

Visiting and really getting to know the Sisters is a major part of finding the right place. Remember the community is discerning with you. Their feedback and advice is crucial so listen to what they are telling you. And even if you do discover that you aren't called to that community the vocation directress may be able to give you suggestions on other communities to look into.