Keys to Discovering God’s Will
Have you felt that God could be calling you to be a priest or brother? No matter what your vocation, the process of discovering it is half of the battle. Done right, this process lays a firm foundation for your living out of this vocation, be it to marriage, dedicated single life, or priesthood and religious life.
What is a vocation?
Our vocation is our call from God to share in His mission in the world, and it is given to us for our salvation and to cooperate in the salvation of others. We receive our vocation at the moment of our Baptism, then we spend the next several decades of our life trying to discover what that call may be, asking questions like:
Vocation, the secret within us
Since our vocation is given to us at Baptism, we can look at it as God placing this “secret” of who He wants us to be in our hearts. All too often we get caught up in the idea that “I just need to find the answer” and forget that sometimes the adventure is just as important as the discovery. This why we often speak of discovering our vocation rather than choosing it.
Why would God keep this a secret from us? We know our Lord loves us and does not play games with us, so why would He not tell us immediately who we are and what vocation He has called us to live?
It must be that the process of discovering our vocation is itself beneficial to us and to our ability to live the vocation most fully.
Searching for the hidden call can be beneficial
How do we unlock this secret of God’s particular call?
Here are some practical suggestions which are a good basis for a diligent discernment. Doing these things will not turn you into a priest or religious, but they are keys which move you toward the goal of becoming holy and more open to the grace of God at work in your life:
Each of these keys to unlocking your vocation is a goal to work towards. It is helpful to talk them over with your spiritual director to help stay on track and not get discouraged. As Our Lord did after He fell when carrying the Cross, get up and keep moving!
Office for Vocations
207 N. Washington St.
Delphi, IN 46923
(765) 477-0070 | vocations@dol-in.org