Steps You Can Take
Below are steps you can take to prayerfully discern your vocation.
- Get a Spiritual Director - A Spiritual Director is someone trained to help
people discern the hand of God in their lives and then act upon
the discovery of a particular vocation. This person will not make
decisions for you but will help you to make good ones for
yourself. A spiritual director may be a priest, a religious, or a
lay person. You might arrange monthly visits. Some people offer
spiritual direction as a ministry and do not expect payment; for
some it is a profession for which they charge a fee. A good
spiritual director will be a great support to you.
- Talk to a Vocation Director -
A vocation director is sometimes
called a vocation minister. Your diocesan vocation office and most religious communities have people
appointed as vocation directors. Vocation directors can provide you
with information about religious life, priesthood, brothers and
other forms of Church ministry. They can tell you about events and
programs that will help you discern. Best of all, they have the
training and skills to guide you in making a choice.
- Read Literature about Church Vocations - A vocation director of a
community can give you, lend you, or at least suggest good books.
Vision magazine has helpful articles about religious vocations as
well as ads from numerous communities. Search the Internet for
websites related to religious vocations.
- Visit Religious Communities - Most communities welcome people who are
interested in religious life. You will probably be able to stay for
a weekend or even longer. It could be that as soon as you walk into
a religious house, you'll have a sense of being at home. You'll know
you belong there. Talking with the people there will help you know
if your spirituality and charism resonates with theirs. Don't just
visit one place but several.
- Make Retreats about Vocations or Join a Discernment Group - The Cleveland Diocese has a "Where Are You Going?"
retreat in June of each year. Vocation Pilgrimages for women and
men are offered twice a year. Many religious communities
have "Come and See" weekends. (Refer to the "Special Events" link
for more details) You might think you are the only one who
is struggling with a religious vocation. On vocation retreats,
you discover you are not alone. Conversing with people who are also
in the midst of discernment is encouraging, enlightening, and
enjoyable.
- Making a Decision - When you have made a decision, you'll know it is the right one if the thought of it
brings you peace and joy. A wrong decision will give rise to
feelings of discomfort, worry, and unease. You will not be 100% sure
you have made the right decision. No one is. A word of caution: Make
sure that the peace and satisfaction you experience after a major
decision is lasting, take the time to find the Peace of Christ in
your life.
- Read the Lives of the Saints - The saints are excellent examples of men and women who gave their lives to Christ and the Church. They teach how to love God and one another. Here are just a few recommended saints: