Wednesday Discernment Link: Aggie Catholics

Yes, I admit it…I’m an Aggie. I spent 5 years at Texas A&M University, and that is where I was baptized into the Catholic Church. Their student center was always very active, but now they have a very strong vocational discernment program, and a nice website to go with it. So, please give them a visit, and if you’re a Catholic in the College Station, Texas, area, then give St. Mary’s Parish a visit. It’s a lovely, vibrant parish ideal for young people.

Tuesday Book Review: Discovering Your Personal Vocation

Well, this isn’t really a book review, because I haven’t had a chance to read this book yet. However, it’s on my list of books to read as soon as I can afford to get a copy of it (already checked the library, and they don’t have it).

In Discovering Your Personal Vocation, Fr. Herbert Alphonso, SJ, talks about using the Spiritual Exercises to understand your vocation in life. I think I’ve mentioned my experiences with the Spiritual Exercises before and how incredibly useful I found them in deepening my own spirituality. So, needless to say, this book is definitely going on my wish list.

The Editorial Review on Amazon begins, “Deceptively brief and simple, this is a profound reflection on identifying your “personal vocation”–not just discovering what you really want to do, but discovering the very essence of your being, what is unique and unrepeatable about you. Doing flows from being, so this is the spirit that animates everything you do; this is the secret of unity and integration at the Heart of Life, how you are called by name. ”

If anyone out there has read it, I’d love to hear your opinion of the book. Just leave a comment!

Video Monday: Vocation Testimonial

This sister is a nun with the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. It’s well worth watching till the end to see her really beautiful smile.

Video Monday: Sr. Margaret Chapman, IHM

Sister Margaret Chapman, an IHM Sister from Detroit, talks about the various work she has done over her 40 years of religious life.

Friday Community Highlight: St. Gertrude Monastery

The Benedictine Sisters of St. Gertrude Monastery have been in Ridgely, Maryland since 1887.  Originally teaching in parish schools, they now only teach in the elementary and high school in Wilmington, Delaware.  After closing their girl’s accademy at their motherhouse, they started a school for mentally challenged children and young adults.  In addition, they work with St. Martin’s Ministry to help the rural poor.  Like many Benedictine Sisters, they are devoted to peace and justice issues.

Click on “Meet our Sisters” and you can read a bit about each of the Sisters at St. Gertrude’s Monastery.

Take some time and visit their website today and get to know St. Gertrude’s Monastery.

Thursday Discernment Discussion: Vocation Directors

Today’s discussion is centered on Vocation Directors.  I’ve heard some great stories about vocation directors, and I’ve heard some really horrible ones as well.  My own experience while I was discerning religous life was rather mixed.  I had some really great experiences, I had some not so great experiences.

Tell us about your experiences with vocation directors, and how you handled any problems that arose.  I know that your stories and experiences can help those out there who are going through some of the same things, so please share with us.

Obviously, you may post anonymously if that is your wish, because, let’s face it, vocation directors do talk to each other.

Community Database

Note: This is a sticky post…please scroll down for new content.

My husband and I have been tossing around an idea for a while now of creating a searchable database of communities to help women more easily find a compatible community.  It would be a free tool for both the communities and the women who are discerning.  I sketched out some criteria to start with, but I’d like to hear from you what you would find helpful.

The criteria I’ve listed so far are:

• Habit
• Type of Order (contemplative, apostolic, monastic)
• Size of order as a whole
• Size of communities within the order
• Communal prayer
• Primary ministries/work
• Age Limits
• Education requirements.

What other criteria would you find helpful to have in a database?  I’ve thought about location, but not sure how to do that.  But programming it is my husband’s job.

If you are active on other vocation boards or e-mail lists, please share this with others so we can get as much input as possible.  Thanks in advance for your help!

Wednesday Discernment Link: Nuts and Bolts of Vocation Discernment

This week I found a great podcast called The Nuts and Bolts of Vocation Discernment.  The podcast seems to run every few weeks without a set schedule, but they already have been running for one and a half years, sponsored by the Diocese of Albany.  If you are listening in when the podcast takes place, you can call it and ask questions.

The next podcast is this Friday, January 23, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern.  Listen and call in if you get the chance.  I’ve listened to a few of them, and they really are quite interesting.

Tuesday Book Review: Wisdom Distilled From the Daily

I first read Sr. Joan Chittester’s book, Wisdom Distilled From the Daily almost 15 years ago, when I was discerning religious life.  While I believe it has great significance for those discerning vocations, I think it is also a book appropriate for anyone attempting to live an authentic life of love.

The Rul of St Benedict was written centuries ago for the monks of his order.  But it is a rule that is easily adaptable to any state of life.  What always struck me more than anything else about Benedict’s Rule is it’s kindness and generosity.  Every rule is written for those with love and consideration for others.

Sr. Joan Chittester brings this beautiful rule forward into the modern world and applies it to the modern day struggles.  Well, not entirely modern day as it was written almost 20 years ago and society has changed a great deal since then.  But her words are still applicable today.

The point of the Benedictine Rule is to build our spirituality on our every day experience.  Sr. Joan does a great job of bringing into the every day experience of modern life.

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Video Monday: Poor Clares ~ Galway Ireland

This has to be one of the best Poor Clare videos I’ve found so far on YouTube. This 10 minute video was shot by a local news agency, and captures a very personal look at women who have entered there in the last decade. I highly recommend it to anyone who is discerning religious life.

The nun’s website is at Poor Clares Galway – Ireland.