the beginning of your vocation?

[sistersintigo]

What a positive, fascinating thread, it deserves a bump at the least.

Twenty years ago, when my need for professional help was most acute and counseling became the biggest and most urgent thing in my life, there were two influences.
My counselor/therapist, a cradle Catholic, left the church because the school nuns had traumatized her mother, and she just had so much indignation about it! And yet she remains one of the most deeply spiritual, contemplative presences of my experience. She told me, that when a person has been as deeply traumatized at as early a developmental age as I had been, that healing will never be complete without letting the divine/the spiritual/God into it, and having a spiritual if not a religious faith. She persisted in encouraging me to stay a practicing Catholic partaking of the sacraments, even though she did not return herself.
She had much to do with my choice of a retreat center run by sisters with an active apostolate. I'm not going to name names here, and you will see why. Two of the religious sisters, members of the same congregation, affected me in very different ways. One of them started giving me directions and got downright pushy. The other stayed close at hand but in an attitude of loving disinterest, fully centered on her Lord and Savior, always available but working through attraction rather than clutching at and pushing people.
Guess which sister became my ideal in my discernment process?

[laetitia crucis]

I "blame" Sr. Michelle, fsp (Daughters of St. Paul) and Fr. Andrew Wisdom, OP.

Both of these religious were at my first Catholic college conference I attended shortly after entering the Church. I had never seen or met religious in my life, especially not habitted religious. (These two were the only habitted religious at the conference, so they were easy to spot.)

I remember just being fascinated by their contagious joy and love of the Church. I think that's where the first "seeds" of my vocation were planted, especially by Sr. Michelle. She just seemed so [i]normal[/i] and liked the same things I liked. Haha! That was definitely one of those, "Ooh... so God can call people like you to be nuns -- and I'm kind of like you.... Hmmmmm...." moments.

I also "blame" my parish priest in college for blatantly asking me a couple of years later, "So, have you ever thought about a vocation to the religious life?" I finally had to come face-to-face with those little seedlings. God bless him for asking!

[morostheos]

[quote name='MC IMaGiNaZUN' date='14 December 2005 - 11:05 PM' timestamp='1134615939' post='825974']
Has anybody else heard of fr. stan fortuna cfr? [url="http://www.francescoproductions.com/"]http://www.francescoproductions.com/[/url]

I remember years back when a friend of mine asked me if i ever thought about being a priest. I simply said No, with clarity and precision. It wasn't a matter of fear, it wasnt a matter of fighting off the idea of a vocation. The simple reason was, "if i become a priest, they wont let me rap." I cant really recall who "they" is that i was referring to. But it was simple, i wanted to use my gifts in hip hop music to bring glory to God. And i was decided, and going along with that.

But then my friend told me about fr. stan fortuna. I didn't believe him. Conveniently enough, i saw him the next summer at the steubenville conference in Arizona five or six years ago. And then after seeing him, i allowed myself to seriously discern.

SHALOM
[/quote]

I had a very similar experience this past summer, but with environmental education instead of rapping. I met Sr. Damien Marie who is the chair of the environmental science department at a university in Texas. Many people have asked me before if I have thought about religious life, but I didn't see a match with the use of my gifts in the sciences.

[BarbTherese]

An Order priest and theoligian who was my confessor/director (now deceased). I am in private vows in the lay state, incidentally, and a live a specific Gospel way of life.


Blessings this Lent - Barb

[Tridenteen]

JMJ
Sr.Karen, a Presentation Sister who was the principle of the school I went to during preschool, one of those p-12 ones. She did not wear a habit, but dressed very modestly, with the dignity of a nun. She often explained to the students, and then to me, that she was a Bride of Christ. She was an incredibly holy woman, and she ran a truly Catholic school

[Tridenteen]

JMJ
Sorry, accidently clicked wrong button. I remember from Preschool on, I knew I was to be a nun, and Sr.Karen is the one who I "blame" for it. God bless you, Sister!

[Tridenteen]

[quote name='TheresaMF' date='08 January 2006 - 11:19 PM' timestamp='1136780359' post='849961']
The Dominican novices in the Eastern Province of the friars. Year after year, these young men enter, so serious and earnest in giving their lives to God. Awesome. [url="http://www.op-stjoseph.org/Students/homepage.html"]Link.[/url]

Pray for me as I discern entering the [url="http://www.stjudemonastery.org"]Dominican Monastery of St. Jude[/url]! Praised be Jesus Christ, now and forever! And blessed be Mary, the Mother of all vocations.
[/quote]


JMJ
Their postulants wear CAPES!!! Cool, I give them a thumbs up! Seriously, I have heard of them, and they seem to be very holy nuns.

[littlesister]

Mine started in the family. My mother's cousin waw a Dominican priest, then serving in the Irish Province's mission near Fatima. His picture was on the mantlepiece. Of course we rarely got to see him, but it was the greatest thing in the world that Father Joe was a Dominican. The second greatest was that he was so close to Fatima.

Dad's first cousin was one of the early members of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. For many years she was St. Katharine Drexel's nurse. Visiting her was much easier, and again, just having her, gentle and good-humored, was the greatest thing. She went to her reward a short lifetime ago. To this day, we miss knowing that she's there, even though she's not far away.

After that, it was the Grey Nun in high school who was such a support even though I was never attracted to a teaching community, the SSJ who loved us even when we flunked her math tests, and the Little Sisters who loved their community and their mission - and who put up with our "teenagering" as we learned to love them, too.

This is a great thread. Thanks for asking.

[Indwelling Trinity]

I blame God, My High school chaplain God bless him for 4 years he nourished my vocation... and finally, Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta who called me on a visit to the sisters summer camp to come and talk with her. She asked me three questions and then put her hand on mine and told me to go home and tell my people. She had me enter two days later and in two weeks had me on a plane to Rome to join the postulants.

Father and Mother Teresa gave me the roots that sustain my vocation to this day. Great topic!

Tenderly,

Indwelling Trinity

[AccountDeleted]

Mother Teresa of Calcutta

[brightsadness]

St. Seraphim of Sarov

[vee]

St Therese She is very sneaky.... and persistent.

[Indwelling Trinity]

[quote name='vee8' date='02 March 2010 - 11:02 PM' timestamp='1267585375' post='2065682']
St Therese She is very sneaky.... and persistent.
[/quote]

Laughing here... as a true Daughter of Big Teresa, she does carry family characteristics! OHM St.Teresa of Jesus was also that way with others to when it came to GodGod... she even captured John of the Cross before he got a chance to flee to the carthusians! Laughing.. . fess up sis, you have been bitten by the bug!

Love ya !

Indwelling Trinity

Edited March 3, 2010 by Indwelling Trinity

[vee]

[quote name='Indwelling Trinity' date='02 March 2010 - 10:33 PM' timestamp='1267587231' post='2065701']
Laughing here... as a true Daughter of Big Teresa, she does carry family characteristics! OHM St.Teresa of Jesus was also that way with others to when it came to GodGod... she even captured John of the Cross before he got a chance to flee to the carthusians! Laughing.. . fess up sis, you have been bitten by the bug!

Love ya !

Indwelling Trinity
[/quote]

Haha poor John but unlike him they havent got me... yet If they do my memoirs will be titled [i]Kicking and Screaming - How I Ended up in a Convent by Vee8.[/i] Here I was thinking saints are dull boring people up in heaven who help you find your keys or send you a nice bouquet of real flowers then POW spiritual flowers.

[Indwelling Trinity]

[quote name='vee8' date='03 March 2010 - 12:44 AM' timestamp='1267591471' post='2065751']
Haha poor John but unlike him they havent got me... yet If they do my memoirs will be titled [i]Kicking and Screaming - How I Ended up in a Convent by Vee8.[/i] Here I was thinking saints are dull boring people up in heaven who help you find your keys or send you a nice bouquet of real flowers then POW spiritual flowers.
[/quote]

I can't wait to read you memoirs!