Learn
to Discern II  « Page 1 | 2 | 3 »
GOD
IS CALLING
The quest
for discovering God's call for your life should be paramount.
Nothing is more
important. There can be no doubt
that a person's earthly fulfillment and ultimate happiness
greatly depend on properly discerning God's will. And His
will is what is already the greatest joy of your heart.
Deciding upon one's specific state in life
is not the same as merely choosing a career or picking a profession.
While
they may be closely connected, discerning your God-given
vocation will greatly influence your response to the Christian
call
to holiness. God has a plan for you.
SEEKING DIVINE GUIDANCE
It
is important to remember that discovering one's vocation
is a supernatural work, and is impossible without the help
of Divine grace. This being the case, it is absolutely
necessary to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit, through
the intercession
of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, and the regular practice
of the sacraments, especially Reconciliation, to enlighten
our
minds and to touch our souls. We must be careful to fully
cooperate with the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
As we look to college and career, some questions we need
to ask ourselves are: Is God calling me to be married
and raise
a family; to be a priest or religious; a missionary or
cloistered nun or monk; a hermit or consecrated virgin?
Whatever the call, rest assured that if you are truly
open to God's will in your life, the Almighty will manifest
His desire in regards to your particular vocation. Either
your
calling will be made known in some altogether unusual
manner,
or else with extraordinary clarity as expressed in some
ordinary ways of His Providence.
TO
KNOW WITH CERTAINTY
St. Ignatius of Loyola in his Spiritual Exercises originally
proposed this simple three-step method. It has been adapted
and updated to meet the needs of young people today.
St. Ignatius was given special spiritual gifts to share
with others, including the ability to shed light on discerning
one's
vocation. In his Spiritual Exercises, Ignatius identifies
three specific situations, which he calls "times" or
circumstances favoring a good choice.
"First Time":
A Miraculous Vocation
"
The first time," says St. Ignatius, "is when God
our Lord so moves and draws the will that without doubting,
or even being able to doubt, the pious soul follows that
which is shown it."
Almighty God, does at times, speak thus directly to a soul,
or else sends an angel or a saint to convey His will in explicit
terms. Such was the case of St. Paul when he was struck to
the ground on his way to Damascus (cf. Acts 9:1-18).
At other times God's grace is so strong that a man is drawn
toward the priesthood or a woman to the consecrated life almost
irresistibly. Such cases are rare, and may be classified with
miraculous vocations and extraordinary graces.
"Second Time":
Vocation by Attraction
"
The second time," St. Ignatius says "is when
a soul receives much light and knowledge by means of the
interior
consolation it experiences, as well as through the discernment
of spirits."
It is not rare to find a young person who for a long
time-months and even years-has felt drawn the priesthood
or consecrated
life. They have felt a certain inclination or strong urge
to give themselves entirely to God. Others, on the contrary,
feel
a great repugnance at the idea of giving up all things
to follow the Divine call that has been ringing in their
ears for a long
time. Some even try to ignore any or all thoughts of a
priestly or religious vocation as though they were temptations,
yet
they fail to do so.
How are we to account for this light, inclination, or
attraction-whatever it may be called-which is almost unnatural,
haunting a
person for years?
Such movements of the soul cannot
be explained in any other way except that they are the
attractions of grace.
Surely
such thoughts, attractions or inclinations do not come:
- From
the devil-for devoting oneself to the service of
God means working against the rule of Satan;
- Nor from
human passions-which are properly integrated for a
higher purpose in the priesthood or consecrated
life;
- Nor yet from the world-for most people fail to appreciate
or understand these sublime vocations.
An objection could
be made that it originates by suggestion from some priest or religious but
the mere suggestion
of a vocation cannot, of itself, explain the persistence
of
the
thought or inclination. St. Thomas Aquinas teaches "the
resolution to enter is always from God, no matter who
may have inspired it."
This, then, is what St. Ignatius calls the "second time." Those
who experience these signs of the first or second "time" may
have what is called a "special vocation." It would
seem that Almighty God is so desirous of them in His service,
that He pursues them with His grace. He is ever at hand with
light and strength, repeating the invitation, "Come
follow Me!"
"Third Time":
Vocation Through Reason
"
The third time is an hour when the soul is calm," writes
St. Ignatius. "Then, first of all considering why man
has been created, which is to praise God our Lord and to
save his soul, and moved by the desire of sustaining this
end, one
chooses as a means thereunto a state or kind of life sanctioned
by the Church, in order to do better work in the service
of our Lord and for the salvation of one's soul. I call that
time
an hour of calm when the soul is not under the influence
of either good or evil spirits, and makes use of its natural
powers
freely and quietly."
A
Method for the “Third time”
The "election" or choice, according to the third "time," is
made as follows:
- "I must first of all," continues St. Ignatius, "place
before my eyes the end for which I have been
created, which is to praise God our Lord and
to save my
soul. I must, moreover,
be in a state of perfect indifference, and
be without any unreasonable desires, so that
I am
neither
inclined toward, nor desirous
of choosing one state of life more than another,
keeping a perfect balance and ever ready to
choose that state
which will
seem most proper to procure the glory of
God and the salvation of my soul."
- Then, St. Ignatius suggests: "I
shall ask of God our Lord to deign to move
my will, and to Himself
suggest to my
soul whatever I should do in regard to the
choice which I am engaged in making, for His
greater praise
and
glory."
- Next, ask with all sincerity to know what
state of life you should embrace, with the view of
more surely
attaining
the end for which you have been created-the glory
of God and the salvation of your soul.
- To do this in
a really practical manner, take a sheet of
paper and write the heading, "Life
in the World." Then
divide the page in two columns and write
down on one side the advantages to be
gained by
living in
this state;
on the other,
all the disadvantages, which may come
to mind.
Do the same in regards to the priesthood and/or
consecrated life. Jot down all your reasons-spiritual
and temporal-and
anything else there may be worth noting, always
keeping the same end in view-your eternal salvation
and the
glory that
you must procure for the Divine Master.
- When this
is done, draw the conclusion. Weigh each
side with its reasons very attentively, considering
and comparing
each vocation accordingly. Once you
have done
this, you will be able to see just which one
is best for you. Before coming
to a final decision, be careful not
to be led away by natural inclinations or by
passion; let cold
reason be your sole
guide.
« Page 1 | 2 | 3 »
Click
here for a printable
version of this pamphlet.
Also visit our Fisher
Residence section for more information on the Program of Priestly Discernment
& Formation.
For More Information, Contact
, Vocations Director or Father Scott, Rector. Father Joseph Marcello and Father Leonel Medeiros are Assistant Vocation Directors.
(203) 322-5331 |
