Religious Life

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Religious Life

Lifestyle

We, the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, embrace gospel values and follow the inspiration of St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi. As women religious, we seek to follow the universal call to holiness by our public profession of vows. As women in a Vatican II church, we wear contemporary clothes and live in small groups or individually, usually near our ministry sites. A community medal and ring are signs of our FSPA commitment.

We center our lives in prayer. This includes meditation, contemplation, scripture reflection, liturgy of the Hours, and liturgy of the Eucharist. Shared prayer and faith are balanced with private and public prayer.

We commit ourselves to witness our love for God in service to others. We strive to bring new life, meaning, and hope to a suffering and searching humanity. We seek to bring healing with compassion and forgiveness. We do this through ministries of spirituality, education, healthcare, church ministry, social ministry, and advocacy.

Vows

In our vocation as vowed women religious we are grounded in the observance of these vows:

Poverty: Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration have vowed to live simply in the spirit of the Beatitudes. We reverence all of God's gifts and rejoice in the goodness of creation. We hold all things in common which allows us to devote our community resources to serving others.

Celibacy: Sisters also commit to living and sharing a community lifestyle within this vow. Community life frees us to cultivate and enjoy personal relationships-both within and outside the congregation.

Obedience: Members of the FSPA community find that we can accomplish great things when we are united in our efforts. Through this vow, we commit ourselves to the congregation's mission to serve God, the church and society. Listening to the voice of the Spirit in our community, ourselves and the world enables us to discern how our unique gifts foster our mission.

Discernment

How will you know if a vocation to religious life is a call for you?

Pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, for openness and courage to follow your inspirations, to be free from undue influence and fear of change. Pray for the wisdom to seek and know the way that will best enhance your own gifts and talents and use them to serve God and the church. Identify your greatest fears and what you want to hold onto most.

Look at your own history and feelings surrounding your past expectations. Gather facts. Consider the pros and cons, losses and gains in the situation. Share your findings and get feedback from a friend, advisor, or spiritual director. Ask yourself why this would be good for you, and explore good reasons for or against your choice.

As you make a decision, take care to ensure it is life-giving to you, so that it can be life-giving to the world. It may not always be the easiest choice, but there will be some confirmation in the form of God's peace. When it comes, you may feel it unmistakably or just have a quiet sense that the choice is right. The correct choice should bring you peace and should be in harmony with your gifts and personality.

Seven Discernment Guideposts

Listen to God in your life.
Know your heart's desire.
Pray for freedom and guidance.
Search out data.
Talk with someone you trust.
Make a decision.
Experience peace with that decision.