Vowed to God
Vocations
“We all have a vocation. We need to believe that God has placed us in this life to fill a special need that no one else can accomplish.” ~St. Francis de Sales
Open your heart
God is Calling.
God is calling men to be generous and to sacrifice their lives in return for the plenitude of gifts He has given them. The Religious Life is a calling that is rewarded by the promise of Heaven if lived out faithfully: “And every one that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and shall possess life everlasting (Matt. 19:29).” Young single men, ages 18-28, who are willing to give themselves to God, are eligible to discern their vocation with the Brothers MICM, Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. “Come and see” the active life of prayer and work that the Brothers live.
Discerning Vocation
Steps to Final Vows
First Step
Postulancy
Postulancy is six months of serious discernment, during which he lives in the Brothers’ daily schedule. During this time, he becomes familiar with their practices of prayer and reading, as well as the Brothers’ work. This experience also allows the community to assess his suitability for the life of a Brother.
Second Step
Novitiate
The Novitiate is a two-year period during which the young man “puts on the new man,” taking a new name in religion, and the habit of the Brothers, a simple Roman Cassock. This is a time of study and formation as a Brother, marked by increased prayer and a continued removal from the things of the world.
Third Step
First Vows
After the Novitiate period, if both the Brother and the community agree that he should continue, a ceremony takes place. During the First Profession of Vows ceremony, the Novice makes the three vows of Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience, and he promises to support the doctrinal mission of St. Benedict Center.
Vowed to God
Final Profession of Vows
The Final Profession of Vows is the last step in completing one discernment journey as a Brother, Slave of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
After three years of First Vows, the Brother publicly pronounces his Final Vows during a High Mass, signing them at the altar. In return, he receives Christ’s tremendous promise through the priest’s words: “I, on the part of God, if you keep these vows, promise you eternal life.”
Speak Lord your servant heareth
Prayer for Guidance in Choosing
a State in Life
I am in the greatest need of your help, O loving Mother of Perpetual Succor! I know that I must serve your Jesus in this world; all that I have, all that I am, truly comes from Him – the powers of my body as well as the faculties of my soul. I must always employ them in His service if I am to gain Heaven.
O loving Mother, in which state of life does God wish me to serve Him? I do not know, but Mother, you know. I therefore come to you. Oh, enlighten my understanding that I may know the holy Will of God. Unfortunate would it be for me were I myself to decide my path through life without seeking to fulfill the Will of God. No, I will not choose any way of life merely for earthly advantages. Rightly does God leave the fate of my soul in my own hands, but I have the power to bring it to eternal ruin.
I will in all earnestness seek the adorable Will of my God; you, O Mary, will help me. I must ask myself the questions: “What should I like to have done when I at last lie on my death-bed? What would I like to offer to my Jesus when I go into eternity? Should I like to have lived for Him in the married state or as a religious?” What reply must I give to these questions? My Mother, tell me! Guide me now that I may know the Will of God. Enlighten my confessor that he may make clear to me the holy Will of God. When I shall know what God wills for me do you give me the strength, O Mother, to carry out His Holy Will, to make any sacrifices demanded of me and to fight courageously against all obstacles.
O dear Mother, you must not refuse me the grace that I have now asked of you. If you hear me, I may confidently face my future in this world and in the next. I may hope to love and to praise you eternally in Heaven with Jesus, you Divine Son. Amen.
Saint Alphonsus’
Practical means of
Discerning & Preserving One’s Vocation
- Daily Prayer & Meditation
- Frequent reception of the sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion
- Fostering a love for retirement and quiet
- Mortification of the senses
- Devotion to Mary, especially through the recitation of the Holy Rosary
Recommended reading
for discernment
Advantages of the Religious State >>
by St. Alphonsus Liguori
Counsels Concerning Religious Vocations >> by St. Alphonsus Liguori
Practice of the Vows >>
by Fr. Louis Colin
Vocations >>
Fr. William Doyle
Come and See
Vocation Inquiries
“Arm yourself with prayer rather than a sword; wear humility rather than fine clothes.” – Saint Dominic
Young men, ages 16+ are welcome to “Come and See” the monastery and life of the Brothers MICM.
Young Catholic men, ages 18–30, with a high school diploma and drivers license are eligible for serious discernment. Contact our Vocation Director, Brother Anthony Marie, MICM, to “Come and See.”