What does it mean to be
called?
There is only one call: the call to
follow Jesus and to work for the
Kingdom.
There are many different ways of
following Jesus, of working for his
Kingdom, and of living our vocation to
love. In all of these, Christians
participate in the same call to
holiness in different styles of life:
married life
priesthood
consecrated life
permanent deaconate
committed lay ministry
What is important is to discover,
what is the path for you? What is
God's will for you? How do you do
this?
By opening yourself to God and
making yourself available to do his
will.
Learning more about yourself, your
dreams, limitations, gifts, and
aptitudes.
Becoming familiar with the different
forms of Christian life or
"vocations."
Finding a spiritual guide, someone
that can walk with you in this process
of discernment.
Deepening your faith, listening to
what the word of God awakens in you.
Developing a prayer life that is
regular and consistent.
How do I know if God wants me
to consecrate my life to him?
Do I want to live for God and give
myself entirely to him?
Do I feel attracted to religious
life?
Does the thought of being a
consecrated woman affirm who I am deep
inside?
Do I feel called to give my life to
others, to serve?
I must ask myself, why am I inclined
to religious life? What am I looking
for? What are my motivations?
Consecrated life, like any of the
other forms of Christian life, may not
be pursued with the thought of what it
can give us, but WHAT IT ALLOWS US TO
GIVE.
Through the religious consecration,
one publicly makes a commitment to God
in the service of others:
By the vow of chastity one promises
to love selflessly, freely giving of
oneself to others.
By the vow of poverty one promises
to live a simple lifestyle, sharing
with others everything we have and we
are.
By the vow of obedience one promises
to live in total availability to God's
will.
Each religious community has a
particular spirituality. We invite
you to learn about our religious
family.
What do I have to do if I
want to find God's will for me?
First of all, it is important that
you begin putting aside some time
for prayer, quiet time alone, where
you can ask God what he wants of
you.
It is also important to share your
search with your spiritual guide.
Reading the Gospels is a great way
of getting to know Jesus better, so
we can become more in tune with Him.
Become involved in some Church
ministry if you are not already.
Contact different religious
communities, visit them, and get a
feel for their way of life.
Sometimes, it is only through
personal contact that we can find
out if a particular lifestyle is for
us, and if that particular community
is the right one for me. Listen to
your heart.
Finally, if it starts to become clear
that you are called to a particular
community, ask for more specific
guidance from a member of that
community. Ask them what the process
of formation entails and what they
require.
Our Formation Program
Our formation house is in South
Florida. We accept candidates 18-39
years old through the following
process:
Initial discernment stage.
Allows the individual and the
community to get to know each other,
while the person remains living
outside the community.
Postulancy is the
initial transitional stage, where
the candidate begins living with the
community. It can last from 6 months
to 2 years, depending on the process
of each individual. When the
Postulant is ready to continue to
the next stage, she asks to enter
the Novitiate
Novitiate is a
very special time of spiritual
growth and learning about the
community and an opportunity to
experience most of the demands of
religious life by practicing the
vows of chastity, poverty, and
obedience, community life, and the
apostolate of the community.
At the end of this 2-year period,
the novice and the community discern
if she is ready to make her first
vows.
Juniorate is the
period between the first vows and
the perpetual vows. When the sister
makes her first vows she continues
for a period of two years in
formation as a Junior Sister. After
the second year she is assigned to
one of the communities to work and
to acquire the necessary education
to better serve the Church and
others.
The Juniorate lasts for 5 years,
although it may be extended up to 9
years. It prepares the sister for
her perpetual vows, which express
her total commitment to God.
For more information contact us: vocations@claretiansisters.org
