September 2008

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A Vocation Journey: discovering Franciscans

September 15, 2008 in Discernment, Franciscan, Franciscanism, Gregorian Chant, On Calling and Vocation, St Paul's, Uncategorized, vocation by brnathan | 7 comments

St Pauls Anglican Cathedral, London, UK

St Pauls Anglican Cathedral, London, UK

Are you under 40?
Want to serve those who are poor … to pray … and live in community …
Thought about Religious Life?

Why not try
Exlploring francsican life

In the previous post A Vocation Journey: meeting St Francis I wrote about how my dear friend Wendy had taken me to visit the Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona, AZ. I also wrote about how that place felt like a ‘place of presence’ and that I was particularly taken by a small figurine in the garden of a man holding birds in his hands.

As Wendy pointed out in a previous comment neither of us realized the magic that was occurring that day. It wasn’t until I continued my journey to the UK that the ‘next step in a journey of a thousand miles’ would reveal the next kairos moment in my vocation journey. Read the rest of this entry »

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A Vocation Journey: meeting St Francis

September 12, 2008 in Discernment, On Calling and Vocation, vocation by brnathan | 9 comments

The Chapel of the Holy Cross, Sedona, AZ

The Chapel of the Holy Cross: Sedona, AZ.

According to the ancient Chinese proverb, A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.

In a previous post, A Vocation Journey: the road to Damascus, I wrote of how my Christian journey had gone from one of faith, to no faith, to a re-discovered faith. I recalled how I was challenged to re-think my attitude toward Christianity. Indeed a kairos moment between myself and a colleague led to my returning to Church and being renewed in my faith in a way that would be yet unrecognised.

In this post I want to pick up from that kairos moment to another which would set in motion a series of seemingly unrelated events that would eventuate in my move to religious life in the Society of St Francis.

But as the ancient proverb states, a journey of thousand miles must begin with one step, so I don’t want to jump too far ahead but begin with what became the first step; however unknowingly. Read the rest of this entry »

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A Vocation Journey: the road to Damascus

September 2, 2008 in Discernment, On Calling and Vocation, vocation by brnathan | 2 comments

The Conversion of St Paul

The Conversion of St Paul

This year has been one of discovering and re-discovering vocation. I’ve never been one for maintaining a journal, often attempts to do so end in many uncompleted pages in mostly empty books. However, in a year of discovering and re-discovering vocation one can see in hindsight how such a practice has great value; being able to look back at the moments of insight that shaped the direction one’s life took.

Although I cannot capture again, in the same way, those signficant moments that have brought me to where I am today I have decided to at least try and recall those moments which have become a significant part of my ‘vocation journey’. Read the rest of this entry »