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.
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