Discerning and Preparing for Religious Life, by Rachael Marie Collins 1 X COPY ONLY

Discerning and Preparing for Religious Life. A guide for women. Drawing on the wisdom of Teresa of Avila, Thérèse of Lisieux, Zélie Martin, Elizabeth of the Trinity and others, young women are guided through discerning and responding to a call to religious life. It can take a long time to discern a call to religious life. Part of the problem is that we haven’t been told how to discern. Discernment is really a period of preparation for and training in the religious life. It is also a period of courtship. This booklet, written as a series of letters to a young woman starting the discernment process, draws on the wisdom of women who embodied the “feminine genius” (John Paul II) – Teresa of Avila, Thérèse of Lisieux, Zélie Martin, Elizabeth of the Trinity and others. It provides a lucid overview of the spiritual life and discernment process, drawing on the rich spiritual tradition of the Church.