“Spiritual But Not Religious”? What a Cop-Out!

Have you heard people say that they are “spiritual but not religious”?

Somehow, this seems like a hollow claim.

…like a cop-out of some kind – one that lacks commitment to get off your duff and put some “personal skin” in the game.

That’s because you know that there is more to life than simply giving an intellectual acknowledgment of the world of grace.

If you are a prayerful person, you want to pursue whatever it is out there that is far above you…yes, whatever God has in store for you.

Are you one of those men who feel an attraction to Jesus Christ and to all that is contained in the Catholic Church?

Do you feel that you need to play an all-encompassing role in God’s kingdom somehow?

If you are a single Catholic, do you feel that God may be calling you to a consecrated life of some kind? In other words, to give up a spouse and family, and give up a pursuit of worldly things – in order to zero in on a closer relationship with Jesus Christ … a life dedicated to promoting his Gospel in some way?

Have you thought that God may be calling you to this kind of life?

What is a calling, anyway?

Let’s look at the word vocation. Vocation comes from the Latin word vocare, or “to call.”

It is God who calls.

But how do we recognize his call?

The late Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J., a well-respected theologian, said, “The need for recognizing a vocation is so important that everything else is secondary.”

I’m sure you’ll admit - recognizing the call is important!

Fr. Hardon noted that among the features of a true vocation to the consecrated life, three especially stood out:

1.    A strong faith in the Catholic Church and her teaching, shown by a firm loyalty to the Vicar of Christ.

2.    A love of prayer, at least the capacity for developing a desire for prayer;

3.    A readiness to give oneself to a life of sacrifice in the footsteps of Jesus Christ.

If you are a single Catholic man, do you think you might have a calling from God to become a Mercedarian Friar?

Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy

The Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy, also known as the Order of Mercy, was founded in 1218 in Spain – a long time ago! The Order has friars who are both priests and brothers. They can offer the kind of guidance needed to, with God’s help, identify one’s vocation and bring it to fruition.

In the United States, these friars serve in parishes, hospitals, schools and other institutions in Ohio, Pennsylvania New York, and Florida. As part of their charism of redemptive love, they have a sincere devotion to Mary and to the Eucharist.

Single Catholic men age 18 – 40 who think they may have a Mercedarian vocation are invited to visit the website of the Mercedarian Friars USA at OrderofMercy.org. Contact Fr. Daniel Bowen, vocation director, at vocations@orderofmercy.org.

Join in the discussion with the Friars at these sites:

Facebook: MercedarianFriarsUSA

Twitter: 4thvow

Instagram: mercedarianfriarsusa

YouTube: Mercedarian Friars USA