Discerning a Vocation: God's Gift for Me

Discernment and decisiion making can seem a very lonely place. The consolation is that others have been in the same place with the same or very similiar questions. What seems a lonely place is actually a well troden path. In discerning a vocation the best place to start is with the firm belief in a God of Love. God wants the best for us, we are his creation and God desires that we flourish and grow. If I believe this, then all is possible and all is gift.

The next step is knowing your heart. This takes prayer and honesty. Some questions can help in this. What do I want from life? What are my hopes and dreams? What are my gifts and talents? In knowing who we are and what we want, somehow the path becomes clearer.

I also think that talking to those who know us well is an important step. Sometimes just saying possibilities out loud to loved ones might elicit a sense of purpose and direction. Another option is to speak to those who live the life that seems to be stirriing something within you. If a religious vocation is attractive to you and seems to enter your thought and prayer with some persistence, then contact and speak to a religious. (See the contacts page to arrange a meeting with our Vocations Co-Ordinator)

Above all pray! Prayer and listening are the tools of discernment. When a direction for your life comes and fills you with a sense of peace, trust it and have the confidence to move forward. It is the Church that calls, and together with the Church you will grow into the gift that God has for you.

Carmelite wisdom

"The one who walks in love neither disturbs others nor tires himself."

Saint John of the Cross, Carmelite Friar