Vocations: Marriage, Consecrated Life & Ordained

“While all members of the family are called to live out the foundational Christian virtues, fathers and mothers have a responsibility for fostering these virtues within their children. They are responsible for nurturing the vocation of each child, showing by example how to live the married live, and taking special care if a child might be called to priesthood or consecrated life.”      – USCCB Pastoral letter  

The word discernment comes from two Latin words: ‘dis’ (apart) and ‘cenere’ (to separate).  To discern means ‘to separate apart’. Any time we choose between two or more options, we discern. If both options are attractive, the best choice might not be obvious.

Vocational discernment is an action of self-discovery, and an action of discovery of God.  Discerning your vocation is not primarily about choosing something you will do for life but about discovering who God made you to be, discovering your deepest identity.   It is more than an intellectual weighing up of options, or applying a technique to find an answer. The question of our vocation is not a problem to solve, but an adventure into who God made us to be and how we can best glorify God in this life.

Discernment is a process of becoming aware of what’s in our hearts and minds, listening to God, gaining clarity and taking the next best step toward the call. It involves asking the question: “What is it that God desires me to do with this life He has given me?”  The answer to that question always involves not only ourselves, but also takes into consideration the needs of the Church and of the World.