I Am ONLY Baptized

It’s hard to have a vocation that doesn’t have a name or a form. It’s hard to be a “regular” person after aspiring to the “higher calling” of religious life. It can even feel like…a demotion in the Church.

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Still Searching

Tears rise in my eyes, and simply hang there. I’ve been through so much. The questions within me no longer seem to be darkened by “I thought I would be farther by now.” They seem…well…normal. They are: “What am I doing? What should I do next? Where am I going?” Not only that, but “who are my friends? Who should I call? With whom do I belong?” These are big, and hard questions.

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Am I a Necessary Member?

As a middle-aged, lay, single, woman, I am an outsider in Catholic communities. It could be easy for me to say to myself, “I do not belong to the body.” And, let’s be honest, there are people in the church who have said “I do not need you” (vs 21) through their words, actions or both. But this is a lie. How do we know? Paul states, “But as it is, God placed the parts, each one of them, in the body as he intended.”

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The Story of a Rosary

by Emma In celebration of my clothing as a religious, some high school friends of mine gave me a rosary that they handmade together. The lavender- and blush-colored beads were linked together with little pieces of wire twisted in meandering loops. In their own words...

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Autobiography of an Athlete

by Emma    "Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it."(1 Corinthians 9:24) Reading these words made me wonder, what does it take to win a race? What does it take to not only cross...

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Monastery in My Heart – A Poem

By Mary Rose Kreger, republished from her shared blog Monastery in My Heart. Eight years ago, I was a young novice, Sr. Mary Inez. I spent 19 months in the convent before realizing I was called to a married vocation. Today I am a happy wife and mom, but re-entering...

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Shedding the Habit

By Jamie, reposted from her blog Bloom Where You're Planted. I sat in my first job interview after leaving the convent. I remember clearly being asked, “What’s your five year plan?” by the financial lead of the organization. I mean this was a typical job interview...

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Failure and a Life Well-Lived

By Theodosia Burress Prior to religious life, I didn’t have much interest in fantasy books besides The Chronicles of Narnia series and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Since returning to lay life, (as a result of recommendations), I’ve read many books in this genre....

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