What It Takes

Over the years, we have identified some skills and traits that are helpful to religious life. These include:

• strong self-esteem,
• flexibility,
• effective communication skills,
• an ability to compromise,
• willingness to address conflict,
• tolerance of differences and imperfections,
• positive self-care,
• and a heart for forgiveness and gratitude.

These skills will stand a person in good stead in any walk of life, and they are particularly important to foster and strengthen community living that is at the heart of religious life. For all of us, personal growth is a lifetime project. Along with our efforts to grow in spirituality and in apostolic generosity, we also seek to grow as well-rounded, mature human beings. We seek to grow into all that God intended for us to be.

As you ponder your vocation, ask yourself if you have these skills and traits and if your desire growth in them. This may help you to understand your capacity to live in a community with others in religious life, or in any other community.