Friends and colleagues often see God’s grace is at work in a person called to religious life. I witnessed this at a Newman Center (college ministry) that was offering a vocation retreat for college students. Marci, a member of the Newman Center recommended that Edward attend the retreat. When Edward asked why Marci invited him, she responded that she had seen how Edward matured in faith from high school to college. Edward accepted her invitation, made the retreat, and received the necessary tools to discern his vocation to religious life.
What are some concrete signs that God’s grace might be at work in a person considering religious life?
- a desire to participate more in mass or in Church events
- a desire to serve others
- a desire to celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation more frequently
- a desire to attend Eucharistic adoration
- a desire to practice devotions such as the rosary, The Sacred Heart, The Divine Mercy, or novenas
- a desire to read and study scripture or Church teaching
- a desire to make retreats or pilgrimages
There may also be movements that shape a person’s life that others come to recognize. John Bosco, the founder of the Salesians, experienced the desire to serve young people when he was still a child. His mother Margaret recognized this movement in her son and pointed out that this may be God’s way of calling him to be a shepherd (priest) for the young.
What qualities or movements have others recognized in your own life that point to religious life?