Discerning a Vocation
Discernment
How do you go about discovering God's will? Supposing that you suspect that God may be calling you to religious life, how do you go about getting more clarity? How do you find out?
Process
The process of working out where you are called is called "discernment." The word discernment comes from the Latin -- to distinguish, to sift out, and to separate what may be from God. Discernment is a process of listening to the inner movements and learning to sift out what is from God and what is not from God.
Signs
Signs pointing to a particular ministry or vocation may be evident when you reflect on the following questions:
- What is most life-giving for me right now?
- Where is my deepest desire?
- What are my gifts, personal qualities? Where am I best suited to serve?
- What are my commitments?
- What do I hear God saying?
- If I were on my deathbed, which choice would I wish I'd have made?
- What motives are driving me to choose one ministry over another?
Adapted from Vocations Anonymous: A handbook for adults discerning priesthood and religious life. Sister Kathy Bryant, RSC @1996, 1997 and Discern: Mission and Ministry a program developed by Sister Kathy Bryant, RSC |