Does God use pain to move us in the right direction?

This article appears in the Lent feature series. View the full series.
(Pixabay / Joseph Berardi)

A listener in Malaysia has been thinking about becoming a sister for a while. Recent troubles in her life have made her wonder: Does God sometimes use pain to help us discern our vocation? "God doesn't cause pain so that someone will be forced into doing something that God wants them to do," says Franciscan Sr. Shannon Schrein. But our faith gives us "a way to consider suffering in a redemptive manner." She and Sister Maxine reflect on what challenges teach us about our lives and our choices and God.

Click here to listen to the full "Ask Sister" podcast.

GSR shares clips from our friends at A Nun's Life Ministry, which has a live prayer podcast on Monday (excluding holidays) at 4 p.m. Central Time. Check out full episodes of all their podcasts (Ask Sister, Motherhouse Road Trip, and In Good Faith) on their website.