First
of all pray. Pray that God will guide you, and that
you will be courageous and try to do what he wants.
Thank God for his kindness and for the many good
things he has given you, thank him for his mercy
and his faithfulness to you. Pray that you will be
as generous with your life as he is with his! A big
prayer, but we can be bold.
A natural thing to do
is to go and stay in a monastery. This is sometimes
called ‘trying one’s vocation’. The point is not
to compare them to find the best one; the point is
to understand what monks are trying to do and why
they do it. That will help you think whether this
kind of life might be the path God is drawing you
towards as the start of your search for him.
Many monasteries, including
Downside, offer opportunities to come and stay in
the Guest House and follow the monastic routine as
a guest. There will always be someone you can talk
to about things if you ask. It is also possible to
come on a Monastic Experience, or a Vocations weekend.
These give you a chance to join with other people,
and there will be talks and the chance to discuss
things more generally. At Downside it is also possible
to apply to come and stay for longer periods and
join in the community life more closely, as well
as find someone who will help you find spiritual
direction. If you would like information about staying
with us for vocational discernment, please contact
Dom David Foster: domdavid@downside.co.uk
Do not be afraid to talk
about your sense of vocation to someone who can give
good advice. A priest or a monk should be able to
give advice, and perhaps suggest books to read or
places to visit. Some monasteries have Vocations
Directors who can help at this stage, and the Novice
Master is also someone who will be available to encourage
you and help you think over carefully what is involved.
It is always a good idea
to read about some of the great men and women of
faith, whose lives and examples can inspire us. We
can learn a lot about vocation from people who have
said ‘yes’ to God, and they will be good friends
when we feel we are the odd one out.
If you want to find out
more about vocations or the monastic life in general,
please go to Contact Us.
|
