This past week (January 13-19) was Vocation Awareness Week. Becoming a
priest or religious brother or sister may seem like a respectable vocation . . .
. as long as it is someone else who is considering it. If you're the one being
called, instead of respectable, it may seem EXTREMELY scary.
I remember the first time I was brave enough to share with a college
friend that I was considering religious life. It took what seemed an eternity
to get it out. I wanted her to guess what I was trying to say because I was
having such difficulty forming the words. I thought about playing 20 Questions
or Charades or Pictionary. I struggled so much. I'm sure I wasn't making any
sense.
Finally I asked, "Do you know what I'm trying to say?"
To my horror, she said, "No, you're just going to have to tell me."
Somehow I mustered up the courage to just blurt it out. "I'm thinking about
becoming a nun."
Her response was, "Praise God."
It was nice she was so supportive, but I thought, "Easy for you to say.
You're not the one being called to be a nun." I was one of those people who
thought a religious vocation was a great idea . . . for someone else.
Because of her response and some further research of who nuns really are and
what they're really like (rather than relying on my own misperceptions), I was
truly able to see that this calling was really a blessing. Whereas at
first I couldn't formulate the words, I was later able to join my friend in
saying, "Praise God."
Praise God that I was given the openness to hear God calling me to
this vocation. Praise God that I had people to support me. And praise God that
I was given the strength and courage to say yes and follow.