Discerning a Religious Vocation

How does one know if they have a vocation? Well, there are lots of things that we can do to better understand God's will for us. The following are some of the basics. This comes from the Archdiocese of New Orleans:

Perhaps you’ve had some deeply personal experience of God. Perhaps you’ve served in the Church and found the experience to be fulfilling. Perhaps you’ve observed a priest or religious who appears genuinely happy in their vocation. You’ve begun to wonder, “Is it possible that God is calling ME to a religious vocation?” How exactly does one “know?”

A vocation is a calling from God. It's highly unlikely that you will ever see any skywriting from God that says, "Be a priest," "Be a sister," or "Be a brother." No! God typically works in quiet and tugs gently at our heart.

Knowing if you have a religious vocation comes from discernment, a process of prayer and probing that gradually uncovers the deepest desires planted by God in a person's heart. The process of discernment varies by individual, but there are several common elements to all discernment:

PRAYER. You have to pray faithfully to discern a religious calling. That means setting aside time each day to sit quietly with God and let the Lord slowly reveal the plan for your life. Attending Mass frequently and attending retreats and days of prayer really help.

EXPLORATION. You have to ask questions, probe, investigate. Tell a priest, sister, or brother that you think you might have a religious vocation. Ask them how they discerned God’s call in their life and if their vocation is fulfilling. Call the Vocation Office and learn about opportunities to visit seminaries, convents, and houses of formation. Attend vocation retreat weekends and join a vocation discernment group. Be proactive as you explore the possibility of a vocation.

GUIDANCE. You will need guidance as you discern a vocation. You will need someone to assess the movement of the Holy Spirit in your life. Ask a priest, sister, or brother to be a spiritual guide. Meet regularly and let the Spirit speak to you through your spiritual guide.

If you do these three things faithfully -- PRAY, EXPLORE and SEEK GUIDANCE -- one day you will "know" in your heart if you are called to a religious vocation.

When the tug at your heart just won't go away, you need to ACT. Contact the Vocation Office at the diocese or religious community. And remember: entering religious formation doesn't mean you will become a priest or religious, but only that you want a much more focused time for discernment.

If you think God may be calling you to work for the salvation of the young and poor please click here.