Discernment

An invitation to a Discernment Retreat
My brother, it is good to keep in mind that you and God want the same thing - your happiness. It makes sense to make a decision about your life that will bring gladness not only to yourself, but also to others, and joy to Christ as well! Each lifestyle - as a monk or otherwise - is a way to live out Christ's invitation to be happy by growth in self-giving.
Paul Wilkes recalls pondering matters of discernment, when from some whim he pulled a book off his shelf, a novel he had written. Wilkes opened to a passage, which describes an earnest, but conflicted man who had spent months in prayer and fasting at his hermitage near a monastery, seeking to discern whether to travel the monastic way. After so many women in his life, he has met a woman, THE woman. To him, she is vibrant, wonderful. Now all his careful discernment is being tossed to the winds. In this section, he talks of "seeking God's Face." But the woman tells him instead to look into her face.
In agony, he says, "I'm searching for God's will. I want to do what God has planned for me."

The woman puts her hands on his cheeks and looks deeply into his frightened eyes.
“God wants what you want," she answers.

And so it is with you, my brother. Christ wants what you want. If there is anything I can do to help clarify what that desire is, I will be very happy to meet with you when you come.

Vocation retreats, free of charge, are open to single, Catholic men.
The dates for these retreats in 2011 are:

If these dates are not convenient, other times can be arranged.
May Christ continue to bless and guide you, and --- God willing - may we meet before too long!

The Cistercian Vocation.
If you are interested in the monastic life and would like to know about the procedure for discerning a monastic vocation, contact Brother Michael (Vocation Director) by phone 678-964-2018, e-mail michael@trappist.net or write to:

Brother Michael, Vocation Director
Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Monastery
2625 Hwy. 212 S.W.
Conyers, GA 30094-4044

For more reading, see Conferences
Is the Cistercian Monastic Life for you? See VIDEO