Every journey of discovering God’s call is unique, no two paths are alike. However, the love of Jesus Christ and desire to follow Him lies at the heart of each story. Hearing the testimony of others helps us appreciate the richness of Vocations in the Church . Listening to another’s calling can also inspire and encourage us on our own journey.
A Religious Sister’s Journey
I was 16 years old when I understood for the first time that it may be possible that God, the all-powerful creator of everything that is, may be willing to speak to me and reveal Himself to me personally. My mother had sent me on a Catholic camp in England (I am French), in order to improve my English in a Christian environment. One night during that camp, which took place on a farm, an ex-drug dealer gave his testimony of how God touched his life and transformed it completely through the revelation of His love. This was not the first testimony I had heard, but it was the last I attended with any patience left.
A Deacon’s Journey
I am pretty sure that God has always spoken to me although if I am being honest I have spent much of my life not listening, or more precisely not wanting to hear what he has been trying to say. As children my parents taught us to pray – it was a normal part of our lives as was going to Mass on Sundays. But when I left school I drifted away…more precisely a rapid slide! Within months I had managed to get caught up in all kinds of things and for nearly 10 years this was the pattern of my life. I did my own thing, lived for the “moment”, prayed when I was in trouble and rarely went home.
A Monk’s Journey
The problem with trying to work out how your life has taken you to a monastery is that the temptation to find a pattern is hard to resist. For instance, although I was not raised a Catholic I was aware of the church due to having attended a Catholic primary school attached to the local parish. The parish church was staffed by monks of the English Benedictine Congregation, from Belmont Abbey. During a rather unsettled period of my secondary education I would clandestinely attend Mass there at lunchtime for several years, for reasons I found hard to articulate.
A Priest's Journey
Fr. Luke Goymour talks about his experience of life at Oscott Seminary.
