Discernment Challenges

Discovering what God’s will is for me.

Inwarding seeking God’s will above all.

Setting my will aside in favor of what God is asking of me.

Candidly wanting to know the path upon which God wants me to walk.

Eearnestly being alert to when what I want is not what God wants of me.

Resting quietly with God or with God’s word, waiting for God to reveal His will to me.

Never running ahead of God, doing it my way because I got tired waiting upon God’

Mindfully, tuning in to the Spirit working within me and listening for His voice.

Ever more and more reconciling my will to the will of God and doing so by wrestling with God in the desert of my being: entering my confusion, facing my fears, confronting my pride and self-will in the quiet of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, in the solitude of a church or of my room with all equipment silenced, listening to God in the stillness. He is at work!

Never running away from God intentionally and when aware of doing so coming back to Him in the quiet of my heart and asking for His help to bring my will into harmony with His.

Thoroughly researching the options God places before me in considering the decisions I need to make to be in harmony with the will of God concerning my vocation in life, my career choices or any other serious decision I need to me.

Discerning God's Will for Me

Discerning God’s Will:  What does God want of me? Why am I here? In particular,  in which vocation in life—marriage, religious life, single life, priesthood--will I most likely reach the depth, the breadth, and the height of knowing God’s love for me, sharing that love with others and empowering others to love and be loved.  In short, in which vocation will I best be able to build up the Kingdom of God, given my talents, my ambitions, my educational background, my familial foundation  and all that has made me the person I am and am capable of becoming with my strengths and weaknesses, my hopes and fears, my challenges and determination?  Will I best achieve that in an exclusive relationship  with a mail partner? Will that I  best achieve that in a community of women religious pursuing a common mission and engaging in practices geared to assist each person in developing a strong spiritual foundation in study of the Scriptures, in regular daily spiritual reading, annual 6-8 day retreats, a scheduled time set aside each day for sitting at the feet of Jesus, and walking in the footprints of  a chaste, a poor and an obedient Christ, one who learned obedience from what He suffered (cf Hebrews 5:8). Or will I best achieve God’s will for me as a single person? 

As you think of these possibilities, what rings true in your heart?

Final Profession: Giving One's Life to the Lord Forever

CELEBRATION OF PERPETUAL PROFESSION

         

On February 1, 2015, Sister Gillian Angela Marie and Sister Yvette Marie celebrated their final vows as Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother. Both young women have given their lives totally to the Lord to serve in the vineyard of the Lord all of their lives. Similar to the marriage vows of a husband and wife, Sister Gillian and Sister Yvette said to the Community of the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother:  “unto death do us part.”

In Sister Gillian’s own words, published in the community’s Feb. 6^th’s newsletter, Passages:  “The Liturgy of the Word—the word became flesh in me and also in all those participating with me.” As Sister Yvette and she were called forth to profess their vows, she writes: “The Calling Forth—[An] expression of free work of God. I am presented to the Church. At this stage, I am perfectly ready for final vows—my choice to follow Christ as a SSM.”  Commenting on the Litany that is prayed prior to their profession of vows, she writes: “Litany—two strong actions—Prostrating expressed our humility that we can do nothing without our Lord. We call upon the saints to help us in living this life. The Church on earth asks the Church in Heaven to pray for us. Prayer is powerful. By prostrating, I am saying my life is in God’s hands. Reciting the formula [of the vows]—Action of God in the celebration, the decision to live life in fraternity.”  Sister Yvette and she, while professing their vows, place their hand in the hand of our superior General. Sister Gillian writes: “I give my hands to the superior and the superior welcomes me. This action is my choice to be part of SSM forever.”

To what is God calling you?