Discernment: A third sign of one's Vocation in Life

Rev. Martin Pable, OFM Cap, proposes three signs of a vocation:  a desire for the life, the right motivation for that life and fitness for the life.  In two previous blogs, we reflected upon the first two signs. In this blog, let us look at the third sign of a vocation; fitness for the life of becoming a woman/man religious or becoming a priest. Priesthood and religious life requires that a person is mentally, physically and emotionally healthy.  That means that one is able to live the priestly life or the life of a woman/man religious in a way that  builds community, not tears it down.  One needs to be comfortable, cheerful, and generous in the giving of oneself, in compromising solutions to problems and generating strong hope and a deep faith. One must have the strength, mentally and physically, to deal with the challenges and difficulties of life in ways that lead to new life. 

"The life itself," Rev. Pable states, "must suit you and you must suit the life and you aren't paying a horribly high price just to stay in. Somehow there must be a meshing of your interest and ability and competency with those of the religious life. Both must mesh."  Not everyone is cut out for religious life or the priesthood. That does not mean that they failed, are inadequate or are bad individuals anymore than a person who insists on being a musician without musical talent is a failure or a bad individual.  

What is good for you is the question you need to ask. In what do you thrive? Would it be religious life, priesthood, marriage or the single life?  Remember that God does not do violence to an individual, demanding that which is against that person's abilities, capabilities and inmost desires, Father Pable emphasizes.  If a vocation does not "fit" and you are in no way attracted to it, do not desire it, are not rightly motivated for it, nor "fit" for it, don't put it on and pretend it does!  Find the vocation that is right for you: you desire it, have the right motivations for it, and it "fits"--you are happy, comfortable and generous in the giving of yourself to meet its challenges and in dealing with the difficulties of life that are part of all vocations.