Discernment: Role of God Talk and God Knowledge

Discernment:  As you ponder the vocation to which you feel called—religious life, priesthood, the single lifestyle or marriage—I encourage you to look at what you can do to open up the lines of communication between God and yourself. Also ask: How can I come to a greater knowledge of God and myself in order to understand what my vocation might be. Those two questions are very important.

Why open up the lines of communication between God and yourself? Every vocation is a call and behind every call is a caller. It is important to increase your communication with the Caller and to deepen your knowledge of the One who calls. In terms of religious life or priesthood, growing in your knowledge of God and further opening up the lines of communication with the Caller is as important as doing so with one’s future husband/wife. You would never consider marriage a particular person without increasingly opening lines of communication with that person and taking steps to grow in knowledge of that person. So, too, with the One who calls a person to religious life or priesthood.

So, how to you do that?  What are you already doing in communicating with God? What are you already doing that is helping you grow in your knowledge of God? Continue doing that but increase your efforts. If you are not already doing this, set aside private time with the Lord each day.   Find a space of solitude and talk to God about yourself and your day as you would with a best friend.  God wants to listen to you, delights in you, as a best friend cherishes speaking and listening to you. Tell God everything about your day, your feelings (fears,s hurts, angers, sadness, joy, happiness, excitement, etc.) your thoughts, your hopes, dreams of  each day.  Then sit in quiet, listening to God at work in the solitude. When you mind strays, return to listening, using a prayer word such as “Jesus,” “God,” “Peace,” as you continue being still in God’s presence.

To grow in knowledge of God, read the Scriptures of the day each day (your parish bulletin usually lists those), or go to the Gospels and read about Jesus on a daily basis.

Discerning a Lifestyle Right for Me

Discernment:  Are you wondering  which vocation in life is right for you? Are you  considering religious life or priesthood, marriage or the single lifestyle?

You might begin by asking yourself: why do I want to become a Sister? A priest?  A married man/woman? Why do I want to remain single.  List all the reasons that come to your mind!  Which are rational? Which make sense?  Do any of the reasons that surface indicate inappropriate rationale or motivations that need to be questioned?

Secondly, I suggest that you look at activities that bring you life, joy, excitement, passion, holiness (wholeness of mind, body and spirit)—list all of those activities.  Then ask yourself:   In which way of life—religious life, priesthood, marriage or the single lifestyle—would I most likely be able to give expression to that about which I am passionate, that which brings me deep joy?  Why do you think one way of life over another would be better for you to bring to live your passion—list the reasons. Then examine yourself:   Do you hear yourself saying: “Yes, that is right for me.” “Yes, I think I  will be able to realize my greatness (in God’s sight) in that way of life.”  “By becoming (a priest, a Sister, a married person) or by remaining single, I believe that I will become my  best self.”

Thirdly,  go into prayer, into a place of solitude,  and  share all of the above with God.  Then, stop and listen! What do you hear God saying to you in the depth of your being?   Is God agreeing with you? Or does God seem to have plans different from your own?  Write down what you hear God saying to you about what you shared with God!

Vocational Choice

In Ephesians 4: 1-4, Paul exhorts us to “lead a life worthy of your vocation.”  And in today’s first reading, Ephesians 4: 9-13, he says to us: “…we are all to come to unity in our faith and in our knowledge of the Son of God until we become the perfect person, fully mature with the fullness of Christ himself.” 

In considering one’s choice of a vocation in life—marriage, religious life, priesthood or the single life—in which do you believe you will more likely grow “fully mature with the fullness of Christ Himself”?  Would that be with a partner as in marriage, “falling in love,” giving one’s life selflessly to one another, bearing with one another’s burdens  charitably,  in “gentleness and patience,” striving  to “preserve the unity of the Spirit by the peace that binds” married couples together (cf Eph 4: 1-4).? Would it be as a single person, charitably sharing your talents and energy selflessly, in gentleness and patience through your chosen career and through parish involvement? Or would it be as a woman/man religious, building the Kingdom through the three vows of poverty, chastity and obedience and being involved in ministries of a religious community wherever  and to whomever you are sent and in living charitably, gently, patiently in community with other persons? Or would it be as a diocesan priest, living selflessly for the sake of your parishioners? 

As you read this, did you hear a little voice within you say: “Oh, no. I could never do that?”  Or did you feel the Spirit nudging you: “This is the vocation to which I am being called!” Or, “yes, that is  where I believe I will truly grow in maturity in Christ Jesus.” Or did a small voice within you say: “Yes, I need a partner throughout life to whom I give my all and who gives his/her all to me unreservedly until death do us part.”  Or did you hear: “Yes, I want to be a priest.” “Yes, I want to live in community; I want to vow poverty, chastity, and obedience.”  “Yes, I believe I can live in community with other women (if male, with other men) and grow to maturity by the demands of community living, being sent on mission, being obedient to a religious leader, living a vow of poverty and chastity.”

Pay attention to your inner voice!

Discernment

In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians and to us, Eph. 1: 9-10, Paul explains what God’s intent is; namely, that we come to understand “fully the mystery, the plan to be decreed in Christ in the fullness of time: to bring all things into one in him, in the heavens and on the earth.”  In discerning one’s vocation in life—marriage, religious life, priesthood or the single life—an individual needs to ask the question:

            In which lifestyle am I more likely to realize my oneness with the Trinity?

God is not going to tell you that in neon lights.  Quiet, internal messages, insights and hunches will point you in the direction that is right for you.  An inner, Creative Energy will steer you toward that state in life that is the likely place where you will realize your full potential as a human being: intimacy with God and a growing, deepening awareness of God’s oneness with you. 

Will you best reach that goal with a carefully chosen partner in marriage?

Will you best realize that goal as a diocesan priest or a religious-order priest, such as a Benedictine, a Jesuit, a Dominican, a Franciscan, an Augustinian, or any other men religious congregation?

Will you best realize that goal as a single person?

Will you best realize that goal as a woman religious (Dominican, Franciscan, Benedictine, Augustinian or any other woman religious congregations)?

Those questions need to be answered. Those of you considering religious life and/or priesthood, I encourage you to talk in person with persons who have consecrated their lives to the Lord and to search the web and browse the websites of diocesan priests, women/men religious, religious brothers. If considering marriage, I encourage you to talk to your parents about marriage or to any other married couple whom you also admire. I also encourage you to meditate on marriage/the sacrament of matrimony in the Catholic Catechism of the Catholic Church. If considering the single lifestyle, I encourage you to talk to persons who have chosen to remain single and whom you admire for their way in which they are living out their faith. I also encourage you to study the section on “Vocation” in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and any other section that speaks to you of deepening your baptismal call. 

 All of you contemplating which vocation God is inviting you to consider, I invite you to talk to God about this concern. God has a plan for you full of hope (Jer. 30: 11).  Ask Him to show you His plan for you, to make it clear to you which path is best for you.