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How Do I Know I'm Called To Religious Life?
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LORD, ARE YOU CALLING ME?
Life Blooms with Possibilities
A Deacon,
A Deaconess
A Diocesan Priest,
A Monk or a Nun,
A Secular Tertiary Member.
God's Call
How do I know if God is calling me?
How can I tell?
Who can help me?
Where do I go?
When will I know?
What do I do?
Step One
Ask yourself, first of all, how am I doing with my very first vocation: my Baptismal Call?
Am I really a loving and faithful daughter or son of God?
Am I a committed member of God's family? Do I worship God at Liturgy, keeping the Lord's Day? Do I use my gifts to pray, to read, to serve, to sing, to play music, to help with the children's Liturgy of the Word, be a greeter, usher, sacristan, etc.?
Am I united to Jesus Christ? Am I a real member of his Body? Am I living his Gospel? Is my life giving witness to his presence in me? Do I take pride, and find joy, in my union with Jesus Christ? Is Jesus alive in me? Am I alive in Him?
Am I a true dwelling place of the Holy Spirit? Is prayer an important part of my life? Do I pray by listening to and reading the Holy Bible? Is my life guided by the wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy Spirit? Do I really try to love others? Forgive them? Speak well of them? Pray for them? Do I enjoy learning about my faith and religion? Am I involved in things that help people? Volunteer? Work for justice and peace?
Step Two
Do I have a desire to serve? Do I feel an attraction to doing something with my life? Do I have a yearning to ministry and church work? Have I always wanted to be like someone I admired and respected in ministry or religious life? Do I feel driven to help people, or make the world a better place? Are the goals and dreams for my future and my life exciting, challenging, unnerving, seemingly impossible, beyond reach? Do I want to marry? Do I want to be single? Do I want to live in, and be part of a community?
What do I see myself doing with my life? What would I love to do? What do other people think I would be good at? What do my parents or friends encourage me to do?
Step Three
Pray over your calling. Talk with God. Ask for help to know what your vocation may be. Listen. Make a retreat. Spend a weekend in a seminary, a convent, a monastery, or a vocation awareness program.
Also talk about it with others: friends, parents, your pastor, sisters, priests, brothers, teachers, mentors, your own sister or brother -anyone you trust and who knows you well. Read. Ask questions. Learn about how other people have found their calling. Find a spiritual director to help you. Search the "Religious Vocation" web sites.
Talk to yourself, too! Listen to yourself. Know yourself -deep inside. Love yourself. Trust yourself.
Step Four
Take a deep breath. Pray.
*Now call, write, or email a
Vocation Director.
Step Five
Give it a try. You will never know if you have a vocation to be a priest, a sister, a brother, a deacon, or a deaconess unless you actually test and try it.
Application and acceptance into a Diocese, a Seminary, a Religious Order or a Formation Program is essential to discovering a religious vocation to pastoral ministry or religious community life.
Give it a try. There is nothing to lose and everything to gain. The experience, whatever the outcome, will be a rewarding and grace-filled blessing for life.
THE HARVEST IS GREAT . THE CALLING IS A GIFT! COME AND SEE, AND LIVE.
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