"I HAVE CALLED YOU BY NAME"
 
God calls each of us to live in love with him. We live that love in marriage or single life, in priestly or religious life.
 
HOW CAN YOU KNOW IF GOD IS CALLING YOU TO RELIGIOUS LIFE?
A call to religious life can start with a sense of emptiness and a need for something more in life or
an attraction to a life of deeper prayer and community.
You may know someone in religious life and feel attracted to that way of life.
 
You may feel a call but do not really want to go there!
Perhaps it is not what you had planned for your life.
You may feel unworthy of a call to religious life.
 
PRAY
The first step is to pray for guidence trusting that God will lead you wherever is best for you.
God wants your happiness and will lead you into a way of life that will make you happy.
 
TALK
It is good to tlak about the sence of call you feel.
Talk to someone you trust - a family member or friend.
If you know a priest or religious you might consider sharing your thoughts with them.
 
GET INFORMATION
Get information about religious orders.
Most religious orders have a website where you can find out about their way of life and the work they do.
As you read about the different orders in all likelihood you will feel attracted to some more than others.
This is an indication of where you might explore further.
 
TALK TO A VOCATIONS DIRECTOR
If the sense of call continues and you feel you should follow it
consider talking to a vocations director.
He will help you recognise wheather or not a particular order would be the best one for you.
 
BE PATIENT!
Above all be patient! 
Be patient with yourself!
Recognizing or discening a vocation is a gentle and gradual process
and can take quite a bit of time.