One of the hallmarks of a religious vocation is a longing for greater intimacy with the Lord, a sense that there is “something more” than your current prayer life. A real friendship with God is the firm foundation upon which religious life can be built.

If the Lord is calling you to the contemplative life, He will place in your heart a desire to pour yourself out in prayer and sacrifice for the sake of His glory and His work of salvation.

Ask yourself if you feel drawn to a more prayer-centered way of life. Sometimes the ardent desire to be a missionary to the whole world could signal your potential contemplative vocation.

Here are some possible signs:

• I want to give myself totally to God.
• As often as monks and nuns are questioned on why they joined a contemplative Order, total giving of oneself to God is expressed as the primary reason. This seems indispensable.
• There are many things I could do with my life to help others, but this seems right for me.
• We all want to give our best to whatever we do. Once we recognize our gifts, we usually set out to use our gifts and to develop our potential for the service and enjoyment of other people.
• For a person experiencing a contemplative call, no gift or potential (contemplatives are enriched with many) seems sufficient in the measure the person desires to serve their brothers and sisters. Accompanying the total gift to God is the yearning to give everything for all people everywhere.
• I feel drawn to a simple life where there are other people who have the same Christian values.

Among the other favors which we have received and do daily receive from our Benefactor, the Father of Mercies, for which we ought to return the more thanks to that glorious Father, outstanding is our vocation, for which all the more, by way of its being more perfect and greater, do we owe the greatest thanks to Him.

St. Clare

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