Useful Resources

S

Be who God meant you to be, 
And you will set the world on fire.

– St. Catherine of Siena

Scripture

Mathew 19: 27 – 30

Peter said in reply, “Lo, we have left everything and followed you. What then shall we have?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of man shall sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. But many that are first will be last, and the last first.

Mathew 19: 10 – 12

His disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” But he said to them, “Not everyone can accept this teaching, but only those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.”

Mathew 6: 33

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.

1 Corinthians 7 : 32 – 35, 38

I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to please the Lord; but the married man is anxious about the affairs of the world, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided. And the unmarried woman and the virgin are anxious about the affairs of the Lord, so that they may be holy in body and spirit; but the married woman is anxious about the affairs of the world, how to please her husband. I say this for your own benefit, not to put any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and unhindered devotion to the Lord.

So then, he who marries his fiancée does well; and he who refrains from marriage will do better.

Catechism

Consecrated Life

The content regarding religious life in the Catechism comes in Part 1, under Section 2, in Chapter 3 on ‘I Believe in the Holy Spirit’. In this chapter, it is covered in Article 9, paragraph 4. The easier way is to look at the numbers.

The introduction to this is covered from 914 to 919. This is further divided into the different forms of Consecrated Life, given below:

– Religious Life: The content regarding Religious Life is covered in numbers 925 to 927, which you can find here.

– Secular Institutes: The content regarding Societies of Apostolic Life comes in number 928 to 929, which you can find here.

– Societies of Apostolic Life: The content regarding Societies of Apostolic Life comes in number 930, which you can find here.

– Consecrated Virginity: The content regarding Consecrated Virginity is covered from 922 to 924, which you can find here.

 

Priesthood (Holy Orders)  

The content regarding Priesthood (or the Sacrament of Holy Orders) in the Catechism comes in Part 2, under Section 2, in the Chapter on ‘The Sacraments at the Service of Communion’. In this chapter, it is covered in Article 6. The easier way is to look at the numbers. This content is covered from 1536 to 1600, which you can find here.  

 

Books

There are many books that address this topic from various angles. Only a select few that are verified and have stood the test of time are included here. More will be added as we progress.

General

Religious Life

  • Discerning Religious Life – Sr. Clare Matthiass CFR. There is an accompanying website to this called Avow that provides additional materials to conduct your own small discernment groups. The material is free when you buy the book or you can get it online.
  • And Mary’s Yes Continues: Religious Vocations in the New Millennium – Dominican Sisters of Mary 
  • A Living Sacrifice: Guidance for Men discerning Religious Life – Fr. Benedict Croell OP and Fr. Andrew Hofer OP

Priesthood

Vocation Stories

This is a tiny small sample of what’s available. Any of the Saints’ life stories are good sources for inspiration.

  • The Ear of the Heart: An Actress’ Journey from Hollywood to Holy Vows – Mother Dolores Hart OSB
  • Mother Angelica: The Remarkable Story of a Nun, Her Nerve and a Network of Miracles – Raymond Arroyo
  • My Beloved: The Story of a Carmelite Nun – Sr. Catherine Thomas
  • In this House of Brede – Rumer Godden (fiction but a good representation)
  • Called by Name: The Inspiring Stories of 12 men who Became Catholic Priests – Dr Christine Anne Mugridge, Jerry Usher

Websites

*Almost all of these sites are international, primarily US-based, so they lack the Indian context. However, most of the information is relevant irrespective of location and therefore, can be very helpful in your process of discernment. 

GENERAL

  • Vocation Network is an excellent site for those who are discerning. They have a survey (Vocation Match) that helps you identify congregations that might be a good fit for you. They have a Community Search feature that helps you find congregations. They also have hundreds of articles and information on all the aspects of a vocation for a man or a woman.
  • Vocations Outreach is an initiative of the Franciscan University of Steubenville. They have a section for Discerners that has a lot of resources. They also have a Discernment Mentorship Program that connects discerners with a Sister / Brother / Priest to mentor you through the discernment process. Those outside the US can also apply for this mentorship program.   
  • Vocation Blog: As per the site, ‘the purpose of Vocation Blog is to provide information and inspiration about the vocational call to consecrated life, whether it is as a religious sister, priest, brother, monk, or other consecrated person’. It has a lot of articles on various aspects of religious life.
  • UK Vocation is a site that caters to vocations in the UK. It has a lot of good information about Vocations and Discernment. They even have an App that helps you in the Discernment Process. 
  • Vocation Center is a vocations based site from Australia. They have information on What is a Vocation and how to Explore your Vocation.

TOPIC BASED

Nuns / Sisters

Secular Institutes 

Consecrated Virginity

Brotherhood

Priesthood

Some real-life stories of Priests / Sisters / Brothers

Documents

These are the basic documents in these areas. They are limited so as not to overwhelm you. If you want to read more and in detail, you can always search the Vatican website or this site or contact us at info@evocation.org.

Religious Life

LUMEN GENTIUM: Dogmatic Constitution of the Church : Chapter  6 on Religious (November 21, 1964)

PERFECTAE CARITATIS : Decree on the Adaptation and Renewal of Religious Life by Pope Paul VI (October 28, 1965)

ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS In The Church’s Teaching On Religious Life As Applied To Institutes Dedicated To Works Of The Apostolate (May 31, 1983)

VITA CONSECRATA : Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation of Pope John Paul II On The Consecrated Life And Its Mission In The Church And In The World (March 25, 1996)

Secular Institutes

PROVIDA MATER ECCLESIA: Apostolic Constitution of Pope Pius XII concerning Secular Institutes (February 2, 1947)

PRIMO FELICITER: Motu Proprio by Pope Pius XII on Secular Institutes (March 12, 1948)

Consecrated Virginity

SACRA VIRGINITAS : Encyclical Of Pope Pius Xii On Consecrated Virginity (March 25, 1954)

ECCLESIAE SPONSAE IMAGO : Instruction on the Order of Virgins (June 8, 2018)

Priesthood

AD CATHOLICI SACERDOTII : Encyclical of Pope Pius XI on the Catholic Priesthood (December 20, 1935)

PRESBYTERORUM ORDINIS : Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests by Pope Paul VI (December 7, 1965)

OPTATUM TOTIUS: Decree on Priestly Training by Pope Paul VI (October 28, 1965)

ORDINATIO SACERDOTALIS: Apostolic Letter of Pope John Paul II on Reserving Priestly Ordination to Men Alone (May 22, 1994)

For more documents on the Priesthood, you can visit USCCB, the NCDVD or The Foundation of Prayer for Priests.

Videos

For those of you who prefer videos, a few channels that are focused on Vocations: 

  • Vision Vocation Guide: This is the Youtube channel of the Vision Vocation Network and Vocation Match. It has videos on religious life, men’s and women’s congregations and consecrated life in general.
  • Vocations Outreach: This is the Youtube channel of the Vocations Outreach initiative. It has videos on discernment, A day in the life series’, Vocation Stories, Q&A with various religious etc.
  • Ascension Presents: This is a regular video by Fr. Mike Schmitz on various aspects of the Catholic faith. This link will lead you to a lot of excellent videos related to discernment, different vocations, vocation stories etc.
  • Breaking in the Habit: This is a Youtube channel by a Franciscan friar that covers various aspects of the Catholic faith and religious life. This link will show you all the videos related to vocations and discernment.

Podcasts

Podcasts / episodes about Vocations are highlighted below: 

  • Vocations Today by Rhonda Gruenewald: Some of these podcasts are directed towards congregations and parishes but some of them are very useful for those who are discerning.
  • Vocation Boom: This primarily focuses on vocations to the priesthood but there are many episodes sharing about discernment, experiences etc. You can see the full list at the Vocation Boom website.
  • What’s my Vocation: Fr. Mike Schmitz is an excellent source of all things Catholic. This is a podcast episode where he talks about finding your vocation and the different options available for those discerning.

Glossary

As you navigate these new waters, you may encounter words that are not familiar. This article has explained most of the key words for you e.g. charism, discernment, monastic, apostolic etc.

If there is a word you can’t find on that list, mail us at info@evocation.org and we’ll help out.