Anatomy of a Come and See Weekend

CLEVELAND - July 15, 2014 - PRLog -- Could a weekend retreat make an impact on your life? Many religious orders offer discernment retreats and Come and See weekends which provide excellent opportunities for young women to experience the sacraments and draw closer to God. Discernment retreats are for those who are more serious about pursuing a religious vocation, while Come and See weekends are casual opportunities to visit the Sisters and learn more about their life. What exactly does one of these Come and See weekends entail?

Anatomy of a Come and See Weekend

1. A Means to provide vocational clarity. Many young women find a Come and See very helpful in drawing closer to God and discerning their vocation in life. Whether this comes from spending silent time in front of the Blessed Sacrament or hearing advice from a sister, young women can find a sense of direction for their life, and an openness to God's call... which leads to true happiness.

2. Based on Jesus' words. John 1:37-41 reads: "The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned, and saw them following, and said to them, 'What do you seek?' And they said to him, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), 'where are you staying?' He said to them, 'Come and see.' They came and saw where he was staying; and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. One of the two who heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his brother Simon, and said to him, 'We have found the Messiah.'"

3. A Weekend of growth. The weekend will offer many opportunities to learn about religious life. There will be lectures from the sisters, time for prayer, discussion, a chance to "shadow the sisters" and experience their daily life and community living, as well as time for recreation.

4. Meet other young women on the same journey. Maybe you've never had sisters or close Catholic friends to share your faith journey with. Be encouraged and energized on a Come and See weekend by meeting other young Catholics who are passionate about their faith, and are open to the possibility of giving everything to Christ through a religious vocation!

5. Go home feeling refreshed. As our Holy Father Pope Francis said in his address to consecrated religious: "I want to say one word to you and this word is joy. Wherever consecrated people are, there is always joy!" Experience the joy and peace of a religious community and the sisters who live there. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, return home to seek the will of God in your life!

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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. 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, http://mercedariansisters.org/, for more information and be sure to like our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/mercedarians,

Yours in Christ,

Sr. Jeanette Marie, HMSS
Vocation Director