ne of the most intimidating challenges for people discerning religious life is to come face to face with huge directories listing all the possibilities! These directories can be as heavy and bulky as a telephone book. Where does one begin? Start at home. Talk to a priest or religious in your area. Then, this article will provide some ideas for exploring religious communities.
You might ask yourself, “Why are there so many religious orders?” They evolved throughout history in response to particular needs that were developing. That response is called “Charism”, that is a given gift given for the good of the Church. Vatican II described them as “Special graces to undertake various tasks for the renewal and building up of the Church” (Lumen Gentium)… A charism is prompted by the Holy Spirit. It’s alive and dynamic. Faithfulness to it calls for creativity and flexibility in adapting to the times…

Spirituality

The spirituality of different orders is also very distinctive. How the community prays, which devotions are central, how ministry is integrated into life, and how the human being is viewed flows from the spirituality of the order.

“What an intimidating challenge it is to come face to face with huge Vocation Directories listing all the possibilities! Where does one begin?"

In discerning religious life, it is important to find a community in sync with YOUR own spirituality… Don’t panic if you don’t know the difference! The best way to find out where you fit, is… PRACTICE. So: go, visit the community, pray with them. The community motto and logo will often reflect the spirituality of the community as well.
Sometimes a charism reflects one aspect of the Gospel or one aspect of Jesus. No one community or person could fully embody the person of Jesus or the entire Gospel. When YOU explore different communities, you might ask yourself WHICH ASPECT of the Gospel they reflect… And, do you feel that that focus is YOUR calling?

Lifestyle

The lifestyle of religious is shaped by their charism. Each order has a “Constitution” or “Rule of Life” that defines how the members live. These documents describe how the order is governed and how the vows will be observed… Some communities are very structured. Others have their members in different ministries, with different work hours. Some apostolic religious have personal budgets others do not…
When discerning which community YOU are called to, be sure to ask questions about their lifestyle. The honestly ask yourself, “Can I live this way?”

Ministry

The Founders of religious communities had an experience that led them to begin an order with a specific gift… For our Founder Blessed Guido Conforti, it was the encounter with the Crucified Jesus that stirred up his missionary calling: “The Love of Christ impels us!”…
Amazingly enough, charisms have often been troublesome for the Church. Many Founders were misunderstood by the Church in their own time. In fact, the Spirit is known to unleash innovative creative ideas to shake up our present “status quo.” Only years later were some publicly acknowledged as “saints”...

Practical Suggestions

Finding a community in which you will be your best self, means finding one in sync with your own call and gifts. Pay attention to which charisms resonates within you. As you browse through a vocation magazine, notice which phrases leap out at you and highlight them. This practice may reveal a common theme or focus FOR YOU as you look at different communities.
When you visit an order, ask questions about their charism, like:

What is your charism? Your motto? Your logo?

What was the key “Vocation Experience” of your Founder?

What aspect of the Gospel does your community identify with?

How has the charism been adapted to present day circumstances?

Find out if the order is local, national or international. Like among the Xaverian Missionaries, you may be required to be open to being sent to another country and live in an international community. Does geography matter to you? If so, find out where the community lives and sends members.
After visiting a religious order, spend some time reflecting on two things:

What were you attracted to in that community? What were you comfortable with? What did you find was in sync with your own call, spirituality, goals and gifts?

What were you uncomfortable with? Was there anything that didn’t suit your experience or gifts?

It helps to make notes in a journal… Take your own spiritual inventory, and write about what YOU feel called to be and do in religious life:

What are YOU looking for in areas of community, prayer and ministry?

How would YOU describe YOUR spirituality, prayer style and focus?

Which aspect of the Gospel do YOU reflect most vividly?

 

Trust in God !

Although you need to do your “homework”, it is important to remember that God calls and God is the one who will lead you to the community in which you can be your best self. You want to join a community that will challenge you to grow and “stretch” you. God knows us through and through. He know what we think, how we were formed in our mother’s womb and where we are meant to be! (Psalm 139)
A genuine trust in God’s lead plus an intelligent discernment will lead you to a place you can call “home.” 

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Adapted from an article by K. Bryantl