Categories: Society & Culture

Why do some people choose a religious community to join?

Our church and the world is in need of vocations, whether they be priests, brothers or sisters. There are many churches who rarely see a priest and have mass. A vocation is a call from God to serve him more perfectly.

In the story of the rich young man, when Jesus told the man to go sell all he had and give to the poor, that was an invitation to the young man to the total dedication of the religious life.

The apostles were the first religious community. They left all their material goods, and dedicated themselves completely to our divine Lord, forming a small religious community. This is how they responded to the call of God. It is important to remember, however, that a vocation does not always come in the way, it came to the apostles, where our Lord verbally called them as they were out fishing or mending their nets.

Usually a religious vocation is not an extraordinary manifestation, although it was, perhaps, for some saints. We must not be misled into thinking there will be a voice in the night, an apparition, or some other unique mystical experience in which God will manifest his call.  How does God call one to the religious life? There is usually an inner attraction, or at least a desire, but more than that, there is a choice on the part of the individual based on the realization that the religious life-or the priesthood-is a more perfect life. Vocation is, an intellectual choice by which a young man or women chooses to give his or her life to God. Young people who believe that God is calling them to serve him must foster that vocation. It is not simply going to happen.

Young people must pray for the grace to follow their vocation, to know for certain what God’s will is, and when they are certain or his call, and the time is right and the opportunity is there for follow it, they should not delay. The vow of poverty, whereby a religious surrenders the control of property, attacks the tendency to avarice or greed. Through the vow of chastity, they overcomes and controls concupiscence. Through the vow of obedience, they subdues their pride.

Some people concentrate too much on the negative side, which is you are giving up this or that. A religious gives up everything for the love of God. A young woman becomes a sister, and gives up motherhood in its natural sense, but she becomes a mother of many children-all the children she teaches, all the souls to whom she becomes a spiritual mother. She has a much larger family that she would have had she become a natural mother.

A priest also gives up marriage and the opportunity to have his own children-but he, too, has many spiritual children.

To all young people who feel called to the religious life, to God’s service, as priests, sisters, brothers-do not allow a fear of failure to turn you away.




  • Nikita Billett

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    • Brothers and sisters, do not criticize one another. Anyone who speaks against or condemns another, speaks against the law and condemns the law. If, however, you condemn the law you are no longer an observer of the law but a judge of it.-James 4:11

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