Five signs religious life might be right for you

Article from the Vision Vocation Network, by Sister Colleen Therese Smith, A.S.C.J.

5. Joy: The irrefutable sign

The Jesuit priest and scientist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin reminds us, “Joy is the most infallible sign of the presence of God.” The surest signpost of all is a tangible joy that bubbles up and overflows in all aspects of life. As you open yourself to God’s will and say your own fiat—like Mary’s “let it be done” to the angel Gabriel—a palpable joy will soon emanate.

Jesus’ own prayer for his disciples was that his “joy might be in them and that joy might be full!” (John 15:11). God wants nothing less than fullness of joy for you; therefore, the clearest sign of all is a deep sense of joy that cannot be contained. One young woman wrote to me, “Even my coworkers notice that I smile every time I talk about the Apostles!” Joy is clearly the most vivid of God’s signs!