God Calling: Vocation Vibes

Episode 33 - Discerning in Hope

UNSOLVED PUZZLES? WE REALLY DON’T LIKE THEM. Especially in vocational discernment. As we struggle to figure out our calling, discouragement can set in. That can eventually turn to despair, and despair is painful. The pain can be so heavy that discerners may actually temper their desire for the good that their hearts so greatly long for.
In this Jubilee Year when we are called to be pilgrims of hope, Catholic speaker Rita Taylor highlights the role of hope in vocational discernment. She walks us through the difference between the fleeting emotion of hope and the supernatural virtue of hope gifted to us by God at our baptism. In tapping into the grace of infused hope, those seeking their path in life can journey with solid hope and great confidence to the discovery of the Lord’s call upon their hearts.
“Stir up the gift of God which is within you.” 2 Tim. 1:6
Please consider liking, sharing, following, and leaving a comment about our podcast so that it may reach and help the many women and men out there who are seeking their calling in life. For comments or questions--or to inquire about the availability of spiritual accompaniment as you discern-- contact us at lspusapodcast@gmail.com
 

Episode 32 - Divine Providence: Seeking Bread for God's Poor

A YOUNG BUSINESSWOMAN FROM THE PHILIPPINES WORKING HER WAY UP THE CORPORATE LADDER IN HONG KONG DISCOVERS HER VOCATION TO LIVE IN GREAT SIMPLICITY AND TRUE FREEDOM AS A LITTLE SISTER OF THE POOR. Sr. Marie Cecilia finds joy in being “the begging Sister” in service of the elderly who are in need and relates some of the many spiritual and material blessings that flow from this particular aspect of the Little Sisters’ apostolate. Sr. Carolyn comments on how the younger Little Sisters—having come from the abundance that society offers—seem to be intuitively drawn to simplicity of life. Like their senior Sisters, they embrace the begging with humble joy--and they carry it out so well!
St. Joseph is introduced as the patron and provider of the Little Sisters of the Poor, the mediary through whom God blesses their confidence in His Divine Providence.
Questions? Comments? lspusapodcast@gmail.com

Episode 31 - Quiet, Please! Grace at Work

JESUS IS NOT A MATADOR: “My will is over here…no, it’s over here.” He does not trick us! In the peace and quiet of time spent with him, he reveals to us how much he loves us, and through the deepening relationship that we share with him he reveals his awesome plan for our lives.
Emily Savage of Fiat Ministries speaks of the graces that she sees at work during the quiet stillness of the retreats that Fiat organizes for discerning young women. Sr. Bernadette Rose of the Little Sisters of the Poor, who is among the many different religious Sisters who have helped with the retreats, speaks to the power of witness—so clearly evidenced when the young women encounter religious Sisters and are deeply inspired as they discover the radiant beauty of the vocation of a bride of Christ.
Questions or comments? Need someone to journey with you in your discernment? Contact us at lspusapodcast@gmail.com.

Episode 30 - Sisters and SEEKers 2025

One is in the first year of her college faith journey and the other is approaching the culmination of hers as she prepares to graduate later this semester. Blood sisters Anna and Emily share with religious Sisters Maria Catherine and Carolyn—and with all of our viewers and listeners--some of the powerful graces experienced in their own lives and in those of 20,000 other college students attending the recent SEEK conference in Washington, DC and Salt Lake City.

Episode 29 - What Do Sisters Do for Fun?

“AND WHY WAS I NOT CHOSEN TALK ABOUT A MORE MYSTICAL OR PENTITENTIAL TOPIC?" quips Mother Margaret Charles, who never fails to put a smile on our faces. Listen as she and Sr. Maria Lourdes, her companion in the Lord’s joy, answer the question, “What do Sisters do for fun?” and reveal the simple secrets about why religious women (and men!) are so incredibly joyful.
Please consider liking/sharing/following our podcast so that it may reach more discerning young men and women and lead them to discover and embrace the fullness of the Lord’s joy.
Reach out to us at lspusapodcast@gmail.com.

Episode 28 - My Prolife Vocation: Sr. Constance's Story

Sister Constance--having heard Pope John Paul II quote the Gospel passage “I came that they might have life and have it to the full” during World Youth Day celebrations in Denver many years ago--relates how “the crowds of hundreds of thousands of people disappeared, and he was speaking to me.” She tells the story of her vocation and encourages discerners to pause and consider whether these words might be an invitation to them as well to experience the joy of a vocation dedicated to “seeing to it” that life may flourish.
Please consider Liking/Sharing/Following our podcast, for the sake of vocations and of the Kingdom! You can reach out to us at lspusapodcast@gmail.com.

Episode 27 - But What About My Family? Sr. Patrice's Story

IT'S A COMMON CONCERN OF TODAY'S DISCERNERS—and certainly a valid one: If I enter religious formation, what happens to my relationships with my family? Sr. Patrice answers that question from the lived experience of having left formation for the sake of treasured family relationships, only to find that those same God-given relationships would find their fullest flourishing when she actually followed her call. Here is Sr. Patrice's story...

Episode 26 - Vocation Discerners and the Jubilee Year: Special Graces and Opportunities

VOCATION DISCERNERS: GOD WANTS YOU TO FLOURISH AND TO FIND YOUR GREATEST HAPPINESS…and there’s no better time than the Jubilee Year to discern your path to that reality. The year 2025 will be replete with special graces and opportunities for spiritual deepening and active discernment. In this episode Sr. Debbie, SS.C.M. and Sr. Carolyn, l.s.p. discuss practical tips and considerations for taking it to the next level. Did you know there’s a mighty army of prayer warriors and spiritual guides available to walk with you? And what to do if you feel that the community you’ve discerned with is the opposite of who you are? Or are you tempted to think you’ve missed your calling entirely? God continues to call, and now is the acceptable time to respond!
#discernment #vocation #JubileeYear #indulgences #consecration #calling #service #mission #faith #prayer #Sisters #Brothers #priest #nun #fulfillment #humanflourishing #youngadult

Episode #25 - Religious Sister: Midwife for Souls

RELIGIOUS SISTERHOOD, BY ITS VERY NATURE, is spiritual motherhood. So, too--in various ways in each of the many charisms and apostolates of today’s religious Sisters--does it encompass the sacred privilege of mothering God’s people to eternal life.
Sr. Loretto, an Irish Little Sister of the Poor who has served for many years in the United States, speaks of the holy task of assisting the elderly poor during the final stage of their earthly journey and ushering them home to the Father’s arms. Time touches eternity in our very presence…How awesome is that?
Thank you in advance for Listening – Liking – Sharing – Following!
 

Episode #24 - Women and Men Entering Religious Life: The CARA Report

Sr. Thu T. Do, LHC, Ph.D., a research associate at CARA (Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate), highlights the many hopeful and encouraging findings that emerge from the study “Women and Men Entering Religious Life: The Entrance Class of 2023,” of which she is a coauthor. She also shares implications for vocation directors, campus ministers, and all who serve young women and men, as well as for those in the larger Catholic community who desire to nurture and support vocations. Sr. Thu concludes with some very practical advice for young men and women themselves--for those who are discerning their vocation and for all who have yet to begin discerning their calling in life.
We Little Sisters of the Poor welcome your questions and comments online or at podcast@lsp-usa.org, and we encourage you to like, share, and follow our podcast, for the sake of vocations and of the Kingdom.