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Any advice for a teen who wants to be a consecrated virgin or nun?
“I’m 15 years old and was raised Catholic and love the Church. I was wondering is there was any advise on my desire to be either a consecrated virgin or nun. I always think about God and vocations throughout the day and love to pick up books about saints. I really want to be very close to God but I’m afraid I’m doing it out of selfish reasons or that God wants me to be free to experience more things. I have a while to think about it and I know that some way in my life I will be religious. I was just hoping for your advice. Thank you!”
- Lauren
Hi Lauren, I’m glad you wrote. It’s not unusual to have those desires and attractions at your age. It’s a good sign that God is calling you into a deeper relationship with Godself and wanting you to get to know God more.
No matter why or how we are drawn to something or whatever our reasons are, God can still make sense of things and lead us to that which is good. I encourage you to keep praying and chatting with God and participating in Mass. And when you read about the saints, pay particular attention to the things that really catch your imagination — is it the way a saint prayed, or ministered, or lived in community? Spend extra time with those sections that attract you.
At the same time that you are praying with and pondering these things, remain true to your vocation as a student and to expanding your horizons by learning! Everything you are doing now is going to help you as you move into your life’s calling.
If you are interested in becoming a nun or consecrated virgin, find ways to get to know what those lifestyles are like. There are many ways to live either way of life. You’ll find a discernment guide that is helpful for discerning any vocation, as well as information specifically on becoming a Catholic sister or nun in our article How to Become a Catholic Nun.
Also, hang out here at A Nun’s Life to get to know nuns and learn about them. Also check out our list of Blogs by Catholic Nuns to get to know other sisters and nuns who have a blog. Community life, and understanding oneself as part of community and as serving a common good, is essential to this vocation so it is imperative that you get to know individual sisters as well as get a feel for how they live community and if and how you can see yourself in that way of community.
For more on consecrated virginity, check out www.consecratedvirgins.org, the website of the US Association of Consecrated Virgins. The website has a lot of information on what a consecrated virgin is, the process to become one, and more. Also here are a couple of our blog posts on consecrated virginity.
And Lauren, if you’d like to hang out with other people discerning their calling, visit our Vocation Forum.
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I used to really feel called to be a nun but then I realized that I really loved someone and couldn’t ignore it forever. I know it sounds selfish to put my own desires before God’s and I’m having a seriously hard time with it. I found a pamphlet for Carmel the other day and I’m seriously unsure so please pray for me!
Maria, Love is never not of God. God calls us in many ways and uses our all of our attractions. Really loving someone is itself a gift from God, not simply “my own desire”. God is in those desires! I encourage you to think through what it is about religious life that attracts you. God may be calling you to get to know God better, to make service more of your life, to pray in deeper ways … all these are things we can do in any vocation that God calls us, be it a relationship, marriage, teaching, being compassionate, joining a religious community … whatever! I will be sure to keep you in my prayers, Maria.