Upcoming Retreats Can Be Key for Religious Discernment

CLEVELAND - June 17, 2014 - PRLog -- How does a Catholic hear God's call in the world? There are many distractions in discovering one's vocational calling, but this simple acronym can help us remember four steps of discernment and "HEAR" God's calling!

HEAR:

Have a Conversation with God - Set aside time every day for prayer. Talk to God, and listen for his response.

Eucharistic Adoration - Pray in front of Jesus, present in the Blessed Sacrament.

Ask a Sister - Talk to a religious sister about their experience and advice concerning religious life.

Retreat - Attend a discernment retreat to see firsthand the joys, challenges, and way of life of religious sisters.

Often, people wonder if our community has a place in the world today.

Our raison d'etre is to love and adore Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament as well as to make reparation for the offenses He receives in this sacrament. But we also want people to fall in love and be full of gratitude for such a magnificent gift God has given us - staying with us in this sacrament, where he truly is God-with-us, the Emmanuel!

Our apostolate springs from this desire to spread the love for the Blessed Sacrament. Thus, our main apostolate is the education of children and youth. We strive to give a quality education, but above all we desire to form Eucharistic souls. Jesus said in Luke 12:49, "I have come to set the world on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing." We want to help Jesus set the world on fire, a Eucharistic Fire!

Of course, we have a place in the world today! Pope emeritus Benedict XVI triggered the "Reform of the reform" asking us to live our Liturgies, to recover a dignified celebration of the Eucharist.  It fits our spirituality wonderfully! Also, His Holiness St. John Paul II, Benedict XVI and now Pope Francis have always encouraged religious involved in education to continue with that ministry,  and not to abandon it since in this secularized society, a Catholic education is needed more than in the past.

Our community has three wishes for our upcoming retreats:

     a) That young ladies first of all hear Jesus' call to belong solely to Him.

     b) That we give these young ladies the tools to discern if they are called to Religious Life.

     c) We want to expose these girls to the beauty of our Eucharistic-Marian spirituality and if it is God's will for them, to join the lives of over 600 sisters that already strive to set the world on fire.

Do you want to learn more about what life is like as a Mercedarian Sister? Women 18 - 35 can sign up for one of our upcoming retreats.

Come and See Retreats, Cleveland, OH
September 12-14, 2014
November 14-16, 2014
March 6-8, 2015
April 24-26, 2015

Discernment Retreat, Baton Rouge, LA
October 10-12, 2014

Visit our website to register, or learn more!

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If you think you may be called to become a Mercedarian Sister of the Blessed Sacrament, take our simple Test Your Call survey at http://mercedariansisters.org/Formation/TestYourCall.aspx.I'll write a personal response.

Be sure to visit our website, http://mercedariansisters.org/, and like our Facebook page,https://www.facebook.com/mercedarians, for more updates and news!

Sr. Jeanette Marie, HMSS
Vocations Director