VOCATIONAL DISCERNMENT

How to discern my vocation? I only want to do what is the best for me. I really want to do God's will, only if I knew what it is? I have so many fears just thinking about vocation. My friends think I am weird, some think it is cool, and others are skeptical.

God created you in his image and likeness. You were created in all eternity in the mind of God, who formed you. This formation is a plan. Every building has a plan. Then we go about building. So also God has a plan for us. We should discover this plan. This plan will tell us what this building is going to be, what we need for it and how we should go about building it.

I am aware that you are anxious to do God's will. Nonetheless, you will find yourself often lacking the courage to make any decision. Fear seems to paralyze you. Something bothers me and I don't know what. But often I feel lonely, confused, spaced out. There are times when I just want to run and keep running. I seem to reject those that I love. I have lost some of my best friends because of my temper, anger, impatience, cutting remarks, hurting sense of humor, my selfishness, too much talking, lack of sensitivity, boasting, arrogance and so on!

Is there a way out?

YES!

The first thing that anyone says to me, "Father I just want to do the will of God." So, the process of discernemnt would be to find the will of God? However, if you cannot find the will of God, how will you do it? You see, we have a lot of hurts, painful experiences, failure, fears, etc. All these tend to make us blind or deaf. We kind of close ourselves to anything that is outside our immediate control. It is through much healing and love that we can once again open ourselves to the will of God. Remember the will of God is based on "God's ways" and not our ways. The Lord gave me this gift which has helped many. It is the process of discovering your Plan of Life. If you any questions regarding this, send me an email or write to me:

Fr. Santan Pinto SOLT
P.O. Box 536,
Bosque, NM 87006

Remember to go through your experiences with the Lord. Never do it alone. Spend as much time in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. I personally was healed from many of my past wounds.

Another aid for healing is the Rosary. Our Blessed Mother told me when I complained to her about being bored and tired when it came to praying the rosary, "My son, just say one hail Mary with much love. When you say one hail Mary with love, the angels prepare a beautiful boquet of flowers and present to me. I in turn take it to the Most Holy Trinity."

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How do you know that you are ready to discern your vocation?

• Do you love to pray, go to Mass, spend time in Adoration, go often to Confession and long to read the Word of God (the Bible)?
• The one who is caught up with the things of this world, desires worldly power and cannot avoid the occasion of sin - is not at all ready for discernment.
• If you have gone through conversion, give yourself at least a year. Keep to your prayer and attend Mass regularly.
• Look for a confessor, to whom you can go regularly.
• If you can get a spiritual director, be obedient to your director. If you cannot find a spiritual director follow the guidance given to you in confession.
• Look at the experiences of life. Consider the things others do to you. Do you recognize the lessons the Lord is teaching you?
• In your life, do you see the gifts and blessings that the Lord has placed in front of you?
• It is like a treasure hunt. God sets clues everywhere, you got to look for them. Remember his words, "Seek and you will find..."

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  If the answer is yes to the above, then you are ready to discern your vocation.

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  STEPS TO DISCERN YOUR VOCATION
  • What are the vocations that you are free to choose? Make a list of them?
  • Are you open to choose any of these vocations? Do you have serious reservations in choosing any of these vocations?
  • If you are not open to any of these vocations - stop - go back to the healing process.
  • Do you have sufficient knowledge of each of these vocations?
  • Are there certain groups, communities, religious persons you should visit before you go ahead making your decision?
  • Remember the decision must be yours.
  • During the next six months, divide these six months into sections of two weeks. For example, if you are a girl then the vocations that are open to you would be: marriage, single life and religious life (nun).

  • You would assign two weeks for marriage, two weeks for single-life and then two weeks for the religious life. Then you would repeat the same over and over again till the six months are over. During the assigned time of two weeks for marriage, you will only think of marriage. Consider the positive points as well as the negative. Look at the challenges of marraige and your reactions to them. Make notes of your findings. Take a close look at your daily temptations and trials. Talk to married people. Ask them questions that you need answers to. Read relevant information about Marriage. Pray for guidance and enlightenment from the Holy Spirit. Study what the Church teaches about the sacrament of Marriage.

  • Do the same for the other two available choices, single-life and religious-life.
  • During the entire process try to remain in the state of grace. If you sin, go and seek forgiveness in confession.
  • Now look at each vocation and place all the postive findings on one side. On the other side write down all the negative points. Look at your reactions to the challenges and see if these were positive or negative. Look at your temptations and see if they dealth with the areas you were covering in your study and understanding during the two weeks.
  • How to assign a value to my experience, feelings or findings?

  • Take each of the experience, feeling, reaction and finding. Consider if it is directed to the love of God and neighbor.
  • As I consider each aspect, did I grow in any virtue, especially faith, hope and charity?
  • Do I experience interior peace and joy at all times?
  • Now you must be in total peace and quiet. Take a day or two and make a recollection. Spend time in silence and quiet.
  • If you think you have sufficient information about each vocation and have given enough time to look into each vocation - it is time to make your decision.
  
  

  Q. What happens if I have a tie between say married life and religious life?

  A. Then you will have to go through the entire process once again, this time taking only these two vocations.

  Happy discernment!

  With my priestly blessings,
  Fr. Santan Pinto SOLT