“John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as He walked and said, “Behold the Lamb of God!”
So, you’ve heard God whispering in your heart…or felt a nudge…or an attraction to give yourself completely to God.
“The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.”
You’re trying to live a holy life, to commit yourself to regular prayer, hoping to be given a clear direction. Perhaps you’ve begun a daily examen, are trying to use St. Ignatius’ Discernment of Spirits, and/or are meeting with a spiritual director to find out where God is leading you.
“Jesus said to them, ‘What do you seek?’ And they said to Him, ‘Rabbi, where are you staying?'”
Maybe you’ve tried these methods (off and on) for a long period of time, or even just for a short time. You’ve googled “discernment” / “religious life” / “Sisters in my area” / “Sisters who _____(fill in the blank)” and scrolled through numerous websites. What’s your next step?
“He said to them, ‘Come and see.'”
Summer is a great time to take Jesus’ advice to “Come and see.” The disciples had already heard about Jesus from John the Baptist. Now they needed to come and see where Jesus was staying, listen to what He taught, and experience His radical love for them and all humanity. Similarly, during a time of discernment, when you hear a call to follow Him in Religious Life, you need to come and see how that life is lived.
A “Come & See” is an opportunity to spend some time with a particular Religious Community, to get to know them, to see and enter into their daily routine, to hear about (and possibly experience) their apostolate and Community history. Most importantly, during a Come & See experience, you spend time with Our Lord within this Community. This is a sacred space, where the Holy Spirit often speaks, giving clearer direction to your heart.
A Come & See can vary from an overnight visit to a weekend, a week, or more. It can be a regularly scheduled event with other discerners or a personal visit set up to match your schedule. A Come & See is an opportunity for the Holy Spirit to point, “This way.” or “That way.” It is NOT a commitment to enter a Community:).
Here are some real-life Come & See stories from our Sisters, while they were discerning the call God had placed on their hearts.
I Knew!
I was sure. I was so sure that God was calling me to be a Poor Clare nun! Their website was so simple and beautiful. It struck my heart and I knew! As I prepared for the Come & See, I told my mom, “I’m going to be a Poor Clare. I know this is it. I’ll be cloistered and will be there the rest of my life.” My mom said, “Let’s wait and see.” I came…and I saw the beauty…the simplicity…the joy, but I knew. God was not calling me here.
I Knew Nothing!
I knew nothing about religious life, but I felt something missing in my life, and I thought, “maybe that’s it,” so I contacted the Sisters who had taught me in Elementary School and scheduled a visit. The Vocation Director showed me proudly where eight Sisters prayed Morning Prayer together a few days a week – in a large room full of cushioned recliners. She told me about the Novitiate shared by a number of Communities far away from any of the Sisters of this Community. I joined the Sisters for Mass on Sunday, and wondered why one of the Sisters was standing in the Sanctuary near the altar during the Liturgy of the Eucharist. I came…and I saw…and I still didn’t know anything about Religious Life…but I knew. God was not calling me here.
Not Here
I was excited and nervous. I had known since I was a teen that God was calling me to Religious Life. Now I was on a bus trip to Irondale, AL, half a country away from home and about to meet Mother Angelica – maybe today was the day I would know where God’s plan would plant me! Mother Angelica was so kind. She listened to my story, paused, and said, “I believe you have a vocation to Religious Life…but not here.” I hadn’t know what to expect, but it hurt, a lot. I still knew God was calling me…but not here.
The Wrong Convent
I knocked on the door of the Convent where I had an appointment to meet the Vocation Director. A housekeeper answered the door and told me I was at the wrong Convent. I was sure I wasn’t, but she insisted, strongly, and kept pointing down the street, telling me about another Convent where I should go. She wouldn’t let me in, so finally, I left. I decided I might as well go to the Convent where she had directed me. While speaking to the Sister who answered the door, I realized that I had already heard about this Community and decided they weren’t a good fit for me. Knocking on doors and talking to people was too difficult! The Sister was very understanding, and as I explained to her what kind of Community I was looking for, she got down a magazine with information about many Communities in the US and helped me find some that fit my ideas. As I was preparing to thank her and leave, she invited me to come up to their Motherhouse for a Vows ceremony the next week. She had been so kind, and I had never been to a Motherhouse, so I decided to go…and after that visit I knew…I had been at the wrong Convent the first time….God was calling me to be a Parish Visitor of Mary Immaculate.
Who Wouldn’t Want This?
Before arriving at the Convent, I had received an offer to go in a different direction than Religious Life, an offer that seemed to fit in better with the general movement of my life over the last decade since graduating college, better than leaving everything behind to join a Religious Community. Moreover, could I really knock on a stranger’s door and talk about God?! Could this really be where He was calling me – it just didn’t fit. However, as the Come & See was already scheduled, and I was planning to visit a friend on the way, I decided to go. During the Come & See, I enjoyed time eating, talking, playing, and praying with the Sisters. One Sister even took me out to meet some people she had met on door-to-door Visitation. The conversations reminded me of conversations I had had with family, friends, people at the gym…maybe I could do this. As I drove home I reflected on my experiences that weekend, and thought, “Who wouldn’t want this?” God was calling me to be a Parish Visitor of Mary Immaculate.
Where do I go from here?
Now is the time to take that next step, and I’d be happy to take it with you. We’re hosting a Come & See this summer, July 17-19. You can register here. If that time frame does not work for you, but you’re interested in talking about your journey, or visiting at a different time, please reach out by email, or through our Vocation Inquiry form here. You can also find other Come & See opportunities through CMSWR, the Institute on Religious Life, or on Community websites.
This summer we’ll also host our annual Marycrest Youth Day on Saturday, August 1. This event is open to high school teens and young adults (up to 25 years old.) If you or anyone you know within driving distance is interested, you can find more information here.
Also, could you help us spread the word? Do you know any young Catholic women who would be interested in these upcoming events or the Vocation Newsletter? Pass the word along and please pray for many young women to answer God’s call to grow closer to Him through discernment.
In the hope of Christ,
Sr. Theresa Marie, pvmi
Vocation Director
Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate
845-542-1086
“I am only a drop of dew, but I will do what I can, and God will do much..” ~Servant of God, Mother Mary Teresa Tallon, PVMI
http://www.parishvisitorsisters.org
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