Discernment for Men
Discernment for Women
Discernment for Parents
You have a calling!
God is calling you and your vocation is uniquely designed for you.
Do you want to know your vocation? Here are some tips:
Receive the Sacraments. The soul is the window through which we can see God aThe soul is the window through which we can see God and hear his voice. If the window is dirty because of sin, it must be cleaned through Confession, so we can be in union with God. When you receive Communion, ask Jesus to show you your vocation.nd hear his voice. If the window is dirty because of sin, it must be cleaned through Confession, so we can be in union with God. When you receive Communion, ask Jesus to show you your vocation.
Learn about vocations such as; the priesthood, religious life, marriage, and consecrated single life. Read the good material on these vocations and talk with someone you respect already living that vocation faithfully. The more you come to know and appreciate the many ways you are asked to serve others in your life, the better you will see what you are called to do.
Trust in the Lord to lead you. Wherever He calls you to go, He will give you what you need to fulfill that vocation.
A call requires action on your part: talk to a priest, contact the vocations director, visit a seminary, befriend a seminarian. To get married you have to date; to become a priest you have to discern in a seminary.
A vocation is ultimately about love. It is a life of love in a concrete, particular form that comes from God. Each vocation begins with His love for us. This love involves first His total gift of Himself to you, and then in response your total gift of self to Him. Are you ready to give yourself to Jesus?
Before making a choice in your vocation you must take a moment to seriously assess your relationship with the Lord. A solid Christian life requires prayer, hard work, generosity, and sacrifice. These are the keys to hearing God’s call more clearly, and we call this active process Discernment.
Everyone is called to be holy.
“Christ calls us to be holy, to be conformed more closely to His image and likeness. Growth in holiness is a continuous development, nurtured by the Sacraments, personal prayer, and spiritual reading. In the words of Pope John Paul II, “The call to holiness is a universal call, valid for all human beings without distinction of age, profession, race or language. Just as all are redeemed, so all are called. The vocation to holiness means putting into practice, in one’s own daily life, the example and teachings of Jesus Christ.”’ USCCB