Author Topic: vocations (Read 1247 times)

tradlover · « **on:** September 29, 2011, 08:48:08 AM »

How does one know with certainty inside of themselves if they have a religious vocation?

How does it differ from a vague feeling?

ServusSpiritusSancti · « **Reply #1 on:** September 29, 2011, 09:15:17 AM »

It isn't an easy thing to describe, especially for me as I have not felt such a feeling yet. But God will always let a person know. I've heard of people praying in front of the Blessed Sacrament before and suddenly knowing it what God's Will was for them. Pray for His Will every day, eventually you will get an answer, and you will know when you do.

God Bless.

Stephen Francis · « **Reply #2 on:** September 29, 2011, 09:18:06 AM »

Dear friend, we will all certainly be praying for you; a vocation to religious life is a great blessing and a great responsibility indeed! Deo gratias!

I suggest that along with prayer, especially before Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament (if possible where you live), that you begin meeting with a traditional priest for formation and examination of your heart, mind and conscience as soon as possible. Even if, actually ESPECIALLY if, you think this might just be a 'vague feeling' or passing idea, you should submit yourself to the experience and spiritual authority of a validly-ordained traditional priest; in this way, he will be able to direct your devotional life in terms of which devotional practices would be beneficial. He will also be able to suggest good reading material and will be able to determine how your life so far has begun to conform to the habits and tendencies of one who is called to shepherd and teach others.

Please remember that while vocation, whether to the priesthood, to monastic life or any other calling, is a SERIOUS business, your heart and mind should never be totally devoid of joy and excitement as you think about the religious life. Remember that St. James and St. John, the sons of Zebedee, immediately left their father's fishing business to follow Our Lord Jesus when He called them. Likewise, St. Matthew took up Our Lord's command to follow Him in an instant.

While there will certainly be challenges to your determination (the Scriptures tell us that the world, the flesh and the Devil are constantly at war with our souls), there should also ALWAYS be a gladness of heart. As you anticipate giving yourself wholly and completely to the worship and adoration of Our Lord, commit yourself to not only the protection which Our Lady offers, but also commit yourself to protecting HER, both Her dignity and place as Mother of Our Savior, and her dignity as She is representative of Holy Mother Church.

Again, be completely assured of my prayers for you; I believe I speak for nearly everyone on this forum when I say God bless you richly with every grace as you seek His will for your life.

St. John Vianney, pray for us and for this young person, that traditional, faithful vocations might increase to the glory of Our Lord and the honor of Our Lady.

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.

JohnGrey · « **Reply #3 on:** September 29, 2011, 10:02:39 AM »

Quote from: tradlover

How does one know with certainty inside of themselves if they have a religious vocation?

How does it differ from a vague feeling?

I'm going to assume that you mean a priestly vocation as opposed to one of purely contemplative or ascetic monasticism.

Speaking personally of course, I've always had a great preoccupation with sacred things and love of for the Sacrifice of the Mass, even before I was Catholic or could really understand the idea with intellectual assent. I was raised in a mixed home, that is to say a home of Protestant heresy and conciliar heresy (thankfully it was lukewarm and I was not raised in it conscientiously), but my attraction to the faith and most especially the liturgy and Marian devotions was something I always had (and incidentally caused my father a great deal of consternation).

I suppose a lot of it has to do with how you feel that you'll deal with the everyday task of being a priest. As a priest, you will spend the rest of your earthly life at spiritual toil. You will have the weight of at least a parish, and the spiritual good of all their souls, on your shoulders. You will exercise the sacraments unceasingly, baptizing the catechumen, receiving confession from the sinner, anointing the sick and the denying and, above all, offering the perpetual Sacrifice for the living and the dead. There are no true vacations and little in the way of respite for a priest. It is unceasing hard work. Preoccupation with the sublimity of religion is wonderful and a help to the spiritual life of any Catholic. But if you cannot see yourself been fulfilled and happy performing the duties listed above then you should pause and examine your desire for vocation.

Jonah · « **Reply #4 on:** September 29, 2011, 07:16:38 PM »

I think this catechism on vocations from 1897 is really a good read and it will be useful to you (you may read from ch.vii onwards)

lxoa.wordpress.com/2010/09/01/a-catechism-on-vocations/

You have my prayers

Sedevacantist MelFan · « **Reply #5 on:** September 29, 2011, 08:08:30 PM »

Dear Tradlover,

I can recommend the CMRI.

Their Bishop is Bishop Mark Pivarunas. He is very good.

This is their website:

http://www.cmri.org/

This is about vocations with the CMRI:

http://www.cmri.org/cmri-vocations.html

God Bless you, Tradlover

Yours in Jesus and Mary,

Sedevacantist MelFan

Sedevacantist MelFan · « **Reply #6 on:** September 29, 2011, 08:24:07 PM »

The CMRI are most likely the largest group of Sedevacantist priests, brothers, and nuns in the world, I think.

If there is another one that is bigger, I'm not aware of them.

I think that the CMRI are possibly the best group that anyone with a vocation could join.

This is their website:

http://www.cmri.org/

This is about vocations with the CMRI:

http://www.cmri.org/cmri-vocations.html

Sedevacantist MelFan · « **Reply #7 on:** September 29, 2011, 08:31:06 PM »

Also, if any girls or ladies are thinking about becoming nuns, the CMRI are having a vocations weekend from the

4th-6th November 2011 A.D.

Here is a wonderful link about that:

http://www.cmri.org/pdfs/2011vocations-weekend.pdf

And also see:

http://www.cmri.org/

Vladimir · « **Reply #8 on:** September 30, 2011, 12:27:41 AM »

Quote from: tradlover

How does one know with certainty inside of themselves if they have a religious vocation?

How does it differ from a vague feeling?

One cannot, of one's own strength, know.

Find a spiritual director and discuss it with him.

Always be docile to the will of God, no matter where it may bring you. Enter a seminary or monastery to further discern your vocation (which is impossible to do if one is content to simply theorize without actually entering into a seminary, etc). You will know that you have a vocation to the priesthood when the bishop lays his hands on your head.

The beauty is that one does not need to decide for oneself whether or not one has a vocation. The superiors at the seminary and the ordaining bishop, if acting in accordance with Providence, will decide that.

Re: the feeling

It is common for those that have religious or priestly vocations to have a vague fear of pursuing their vocation, especially before they have entered into an appropriate environment in which to discern it.

Eager disposition is not a sure sign. Many may feel attracted to the priesthood or religious life, yet not have a vocation. Some may feel initially repulsed to the thought, but indeed have a true vocation.

TKGS · « **Reply #9 on:** September 30, 2011, 08:47:13 AM »

I've known more than one sister who answers this question with, "You just know."

However, because this may not really be the vocation one actually is supposed to have, religious institutions have a long period of discernment. If one has a "vague feeling" that one is called to the priesthood or religious life, one should pursue that feeling. If it was just a feeling and not a true calling, one will eventually figure this out in the years prior to taking final vows.