By Therese Ivers

All religious are called to be contemplative. Any apostolate which they engage in should be exercised as a fruit of their contemplation. That being said, we have what we call contemplative religious institutes and active religious institutes. The difference is that contemplative institutes are dedicated primarily to prayer and contemplation and do not engage in apostolates except perhaps on a very limited basis. Active religious, on the other hand, are primarily contemplatives in action. They go out and engage in their apostolates fortified by their times of intense prayer and intimacy with the Lord.

If you are discerning a call to the religious life, one of the very basic questions you’ll have to ask