Topic:  Should I become a nun?

Source of this posting: Moderator response

Date originally posted: July 23, 2004

Moderator who originally posted this source: Kathy Martyn

Question:  Although I've been a Catholic all my life, I never really gave much thought to people going to hell. This summer, however, a friend of mine said something to make me realize that there could be so many more people in hell than I had originally thought. It has become difficult for me to think about anything else, have fun with friends, and even love God. Feeling guilty about people going to hell has also led me to think that maybe I ought to become a nun, in order to pray for people's salvation constantly throughout the day. I really don't want to become a nun - I have a difficult time praying, I don't really like reading religious books, and often times I find it hard to pay attention at weekly Mass, because it all gets so repetitive. Also, praying for people all day means I will have to think about people going to hell all day, and it is practically impossible for me to love God when I think about that. I always wanted to get married and have a family and a job, but now I worry that doing things that I want to do would be selfish, and that I (and people I don't pray for) will go to hell if I don't become a nun. Does all this guilt mean that I need to become a nun, or am I just making things out to be worse than they really are?

Answer: 

Thank you for your question! I am not sure exactly what your friend said to you to make you think that there could be more people in hell than you originally thought. And, I am not sure how many people you originally thought were in hell. The truth of the matter is we, being the human beings we are, have no clue who or how many people are in hell.

To quote from our FAQ library to a similiar question...

"Is it possible that people go to hell? Yes, absolutely.

Do we human beings make choices that rightly and justly deserve hell? Yes, absolutely.

Do we know whether the justice, mercy, compassion, truth, and love of God actually allow people to go to hell? No, we don't know.

Moreover, we CAN'T know. Our finite selves are just not capable of knowing what the infinite God does."

However, I can, with confidence, tell you that God DOES NOT want you to be something you are not truly called to be. Why deprive yourself of rejoicing in God's infinite love for you? Do you think that is what God really wants for us; to make choices for the wrong reasons? First, and foremost, be true to yourself. Pray and receive God's grace through the Eucharist. Listen to God. Be the woman God calls you to be; not the woman you think you should become out of guilt. Through prayer and grace you will find your answers! God will let you know if your calling is the religious life.

Take care and keep praying!