Trials Along the Vocational Journey
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June 7, 2021Searching for one’s vocation is also a time of trials! As the Word of God reminds us,“If you present yourself to the Lord, prepare yourself for temptations”
(Sir 2:1).
During my vocational journey of understanding where the Lord would call me, the greatest trial came after seven years of searching for my vocation.
I felt like no one understood me, like there was nobody to concretely help me come to a full maturity in my vocation or ask me questions to help me understand if I was on the right path and which community I should enter.
There was only one priest who told me in confession (as I already had a community in mind that I should enter), “Don’t go there because you want to…Enter that community if God wants you to!”
After searching in various places and having various vocational experiences with no results, I said: “Lord, here are two things: either I am completely wrong and these have been seven years of vain effort, or you need to tell me soon which community is the one for me. Otherwise, I’ve simply lost time, and don’t tell me that I didn’t want to do your Will!” I was a bit blunt in the way I asked, but I was also sincere.
I was battling between realizing my calling and giving up; as St. Luigi Orione says, “Life is a battle and the prize is in heaven.”
Soon after I made this prayer, the Lord answered me: finally, in November of 2012, I saw the religious community of the Little Friars and Little Nuns of Jesus and Mary for the first time – on Facebook. Now, I am happily part of that same community.
