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Decoding Formation: a basic introduction
By Sister Julie | October 30, 2006
My good friend is preparing for her final vows so I’ve been thinking a lot about my own journey to final vows.
The basic elements of the journey of professing vows in religious life are not totally unlike those of the journey of professing vows for marriage. When a couple gets married they usually get engaged first. Engagement is a period of time when the couple publically pledges their commitment to one another, prepares for marriage, and continues to get to know one another more deeply. In religious life, the “engagement” period is known as formation.
Formation is a time when a person pledges their commitment to a particular religious community (that is, they are not still “dating” other communities or people, though they are free to leave should they choose to), prepares to become a religious within that particular community’s tradition, and continues to get to know the members of the community and herself or himself as well. Each religious community may have its own particular nuances to the formation process, however, the basis for the formation process is discernment and the pattern for formation is similar.
Discernment is the grounding of all major life choices, though often we may not be conscious of the fact that we are discerning. In general the term discernment refers to the process of “separating or distinguishing between” or “coming to know or recognize” (Merriam-Webster). In this context, the word discernment is used more specifically to refer to becoming aware of, learning more about, and embracing one’s life calling. Basically, as the Catholic Web site Disciples Now points out, discernment is nothing more than a “fancy word that means figuring out what God is telling us.” Discernment can refer to a particular stage — e.g., discerning a call to religious life — and it can also refer to a mode of being in the world — e.g., to be a discerning person.
A person who is considering becoming a religious (a nun, sister, brother, or monk) is in a discernment mode, that is, figuring out what God is calling them to in terms of making a life commitment. The whole process of formation is one of discernment as a person enters more deeply in relationship with and conversation with God. While discernment to enter religious life may technically come to an “end” when one professes final vows (you pretty much have a good idea of how to answer the question “is God calling me to religious life?”), discernment continues for the rest of one’s life as a person deepens their appreciation of that call or encounters new dimensions of that call or discerns “little” calls within the big call.
So that’s formation and discernment in a nutshell. In future posts I will unpack this a little more and write about the general stages of formation. For next installment of this series, Decoding Formation: who me??.
Questions, comments, queries? Comment or send me an email.
Topics: NUN 101, discernment, formation, vocations |
October 30th, 2006 at 2:09 pm
I am entering a community, short of any huge epiphany to the contrary, next year, so I am going to find your little “series” quite interesting. Thanks.
May 2nd, 2007 at 6:35 am
[…] Decoding Formation: a basic introduction […]
September 3rd, 2007 at 3:47 pm
hi sister i love you stages of formation would you mind if i used them on my blogg here in the uk i am seeking my vocation and have set up a blogg for others like me
September 11th, 2007 at 5:54 am
Of course, Margaret! May God bless you in your vocation journey and with your blog. I’m sure it will be a blessing to many. Sister Julie
April 11th, 2008 at 8:24 am
do you need any qualifications if so what are they
April 11th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
Yes, there are qualifications such as you must be a single, Catholic woman in order to become a nun. You cannot have any dependents nor can you have debt. I’d encourage you to ge to know nuns and see how they live, their prayer, ministry, and community life. Talk to the vocation director about where you are in your life and what it would be like to be a nun. She’ll let you know what the requirements are as well as help you with discernment. Blessings to you, Amey.
April 12th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
Hi Sister. I am a catholic teen trying to explain the requirements of becoming a nun to my non-Catholic Boyfriend. What should I tell him?
April 21st, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Hi Megan, In order to become a Catholic nun, a woman must be Catholic, single, and have no dependents. She should attend Mass regularly, be a prayerful person, and desire to serve God and others.