How Do I Know God Is Calling Me To Be A Nun? How do I know if God is calling me to become a nun? Many young people ask this very question; in fact I asked it myself not very long ago. The answer is not something you can find and define in a simple way. It is a mystery. I asked a friend once, “So, how do you know?” She promptly said, “You will know it when you know it.” That was not the answer I was hoping for, but by all accounts, she was right. The answer will come and you will know it, you just have to determine if you’re willing to find it. For me, I wanted clarity and I felt God was not delivering. Then I realized to understand the call I had to pay attention. One of the first things you can do is simply pray. You would be amazed how prayer can help you sort out the cobwebs of a searching soul. With all the noise and demands of life, just taking time out to be quiet and talk to God is a big step in the discernment process. Through my prayer I found I wanted to be alone with God. I could hear Jesus’ words, as if directly to me, “Come follow me.” There were times when I doubted or was unsure, but God always led the way. Eventually it was apparent when in both my prayer and through my loved ones, God’s message was, “It was I who chose you, you do not choose me.” No matter what I did or where I looked, that message came to me. The words of my friend came back to me, “You will know it when you know it.” As many times as I found myself hanging up on God (which I did literally), through attentiveness, prayer and investigation, I began to trust that God’s call was as genuine for me as it is for anyone. So, how do you know if you are being called? Start by reflecting on these questions: Do I find myself wondering if there is more to life? Do I have a desire to know God more deeply and give my whole self to him? Am I drawn to pray and participate in the liturgy? Do I take an active role in the life of the Church? Do I feel called to live out the Gospel? Do I desire to live a simple lifestyle? Do I feel called to share life, ministry and faith with others? Do I value the multicultural abundance in our world? Am I concerned with the unmet needs of others, especially the poor and those treated unjustly? Do I believe I can live the life of a religious sister or nun? Do I think I can live a life of continual conversion? Do I believe we can do more together than alone? Do I want a challenging life lived with deep satisfaction and love? If you answer “yes” to many of these questions, God may be calling you to religious life. Give us a call. We are happy to journey with you.
World Day of Prayer for Vocations: Is God Calling You? Today, Good Shepherd Sunday, is a special celebration of our Christian vocation. The world–wide Church unites in prayer on this World Day of Prayer for Vocations. The Good Shepherd calls us and guides us on our Christian journey. By our baptism we are all called, chosen, and sent to carry on the mission of Jesus. In 1963 Pope Paul VI designated Good Shepherd Sunday as World Day of Prayer for Vocations. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, protects us as his flock and promises us the gift of eternal life. As followers of Jesus we are called to remain faithful to the grace of God. As we celebrate this feast we pray for fidelity to our vocation. The Church invites us to honor the vocation of all Christians given at baptism. May we who have dedicated our lives to God through the vocation of marriage, priesthood, the diaconate, consecrated life, and the single life remain faithful to our commitments. May those who are discerning their life vocation listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd to guide them. One of the things that Catholics believe is that God calls everyone to some vocation, some specific way of living out holiness. It could be as a married person, a single person, a priest or vowed religious (a nun). So the answer to the question is that God IS calling you. The next question one needs to answer is this: to what way of life is God calling you. Do you think God might be directing you to think about becoming a nun? if you have a burning passion for Gospel service, especially with the poor an ability to take initiative and generate change a spirit of flexible adaptation a concern for families Then, The Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown are who you want to meet. The Ursulines promise a prayerful, supportive community, centered in Christ, Scripture and Eucharist. We are willing to share our lives and our values with women who are interested in permanent, vowed community life or perhaps temporary commitment. Come and See For more information: call Sister Mary McCormick: 330.301.6891 or Email [email protected]