Discerning Conversations

It’s weird how much one day, one conversation, or one moment can change your life.

               I've never really thought about it all that much before what happened a few weekends ago, because something happened that probably changed my life forever. 

               Before I begin to explain what happened, you should probably know that I’m a Catholic. (Roman Catholic to be specific, but unless you are Catholic that might not make sense to you.) Anyway, as a young woman who is a Catholic, I have to discern what God wants me to do. Of course, I could always just ignore what God wants me to do, but I don’t think that would end up too well.

               Anyway, a part of my (or anyone’s, I suppose) discernment, is that I have to figure out what type of lifestyle God is calling me to. There’s the well-known marriage route, but then there’s the also well-known, but not as acceptable to secular society consecrated life (whether that be in the convent or as a consecrated virgin), and there is, of course, the single life.

               Until a few weeks ago, I had kind of pushed away the possibility of the consecrated life. Of course, like many other Catholic girls, I had dreamed of being a nun when I was younger, but I never really gave it much consideration as I grew older. I did this because I thought that I should be a mother. However, I went to a talk that changed my viewpoint entirely.

               My college recently held a discernment weekend, where a bunch of priests, brothers, and sisters came out, and they gave talks. A married couple also gave a few talks, which was really good and helped me come to this realization even sooner.

               But anywho, during one of the talks that was given by a Dominican sister, she mentioned that all women are called to be mothers. She explained how feeling that way isn't a bad thing, and that even if you feel called to be a mother you should also look at the religious life, since sisters are the ‘mothers’ of all those who come to them for help.

               I had never thought of it that way, and now, because of realizing that, I’m beginning to think that I am called to be a sister. I had never really embraced the possibility, but the little voice in my head from when I was little never really went away. Talking to some of the Daughters of Saint Paul helped, as they really helped me learn more about what it means to be a sister, not a nun. (Nuns are cloistered, so you’ll never see a nun walking around. But you will see sisters, because they aren't cloistered.)

               So the Dominican sisters might not have even realized how important that talk was for me, and I wish that I could tell them, so I hope one day I can express my gratitude for opening my eyes a little bit.

               

               I’m not saying that I’m going to join the convent tomorrow, but I am thinking about it, which I think the world needs more of. Not to say that the married life isn't holy, because it is. But I feel like people push away the religious life since it’s not socially acceptable. I find that to be really sad.

   Hopefully it’ll change soon.