Fr. Thomas M. Pastorius
April 12, 2014
Spiritual Ponderings
Exploring Vocations

As we continue our look at what Catholic mean about vocations this month, let us look at the three stages of a vocation. The first stage of a vocation is what we might call the discerning or searching stage. This stage is important because it is at this stage that we ask ourselves “What does God want me to do with my life?” or “What did God create me to do?” It is here that we realize that our lives are not our own. Just as Jesus laid down his life in service of the Father’s will, we are called by God to lay down our lives in the service of God’s kingdom. As Catholics we know that if we do things are way, we will only end up in trouble and so discovering God’s will for my life, is not always easy, but is worth it for it will lead us to true happiness.

The second stage of a vocation is called the probation stage. For a young couple who are feeling called to marriage they began to explore the possibility of marriage. The question that they must ask themselves is “Am I willing to change into the person that the other person wants me to be and I am willing to tolerate the imperfections in the other person.” Am I willing to tolerate the fact that he talks with his mouthful or that she does not empty the dishwasher. In the seminary and religious life a person enters into formation (a program that includes, academic, spiritual, emotional, and physical training to help shape the person into the person the Church needs him or her to be.

The final stage of a vocation is called the oblation part and this is where the person commits him or herself to living out one’s vocation to the best of his or her ability. Like jumping out of a plain they are all in.

The following Discernment Tips are from Vocation.Com.
Discernment 101
Have you felt a certain stirring in your heart that you know you must investigate further? Has someone told you, "Have you ever thought about being a priest" or "Have you ever thought about being a nun"? You want to put God first in your life and find out what his plan is for you but you don't know where to begin. The below outline will help you to take the first step in discerning God's will and give you some additional insight into your true vocation.

First, look at Christ's love and see what that stirs in your heart. When you stop and think about his sacrifice, are there times you want to follow him, to be totally his and give yourself to him without reserve, and to put everything you have into bringing him to others?

Second, take a good look at all he has given you: the gift of life, the gift of faith, your health, the opportunities you have had, possibly your conversion. See if there are some things that might point in the direction of a vocation, like the difference between the way you look on life to the way your friends do…

Third, get some advice from a good priest in Confession. Go over your life with him and be frank about the good and bad you see there, and ask him if he believes anything in your past might be a definitive obstacle to your having a vocation. If he doesn't, it is one more reason to look more closely at the vocation.

Fourth, visit a seminary or community that attracts you and see what God stirs in your heart while you are there. That would also be a good time to have an in-depth talk with the vocation director, similar to the one you had in Confession. See if based upon what you tell him he recommends that you take a further step. If both he and your confessor encourage you to follow up on it, these as well as the interior attraction you feel would be the main signs pointing toward a vocation.

Fifth, some advice regarding your feelings: they are fickle, they change on the shortest notice with or without warning. One day they can be so positive that you find it impossible to doubt a thing, and the next they can be so negative that you can see nothing for sure. Your response to a vocation can't ride on that roller-coaster; it has to be on the level of your will and not your feelings. This means basing it on reasons and motives that are more solid and lasting, more based on reality (supernatural reality-grace, God's love, god's fidelity, the needs of souls…) Christ's love was not based on feelings, even though positive feelings can help to begin the journey. But the journey has to bring us to the level of love, of total surrender out of love. That is what a priestly or consecrated vocation is about.

Parallel to taking these steps, you will need to develop and follow a program of spiritual growth. It will be a great help to have a spiritual director for this. Our spiritual progress depends upon God's grace, and any program we set for ourselves is simply a plan based on our self-knowledge to remove any obstacles to God's grace and put in place those actions that can help it bear fruit. Some points to include are:

1. Daily personal prayer (A daily "quiet time" or meditation time, rosary or a part of the rosary, evening examination of conscience, etc. Be realistic, don't overload but do include these elements.)
2. Increased attendance at Mass and reception of the Eucharist (Communion) and of the sacrament of Confession
3. Attention to your duties (study, family, work, etc.),
4. Involvement in evangelization Some examples: helping start a discussion group, a prayer group or a Bible study, helping in a youth group, doing door-to-door evangelization ( www.ytm.org might give you some ideas) helping in pro-life work, etc.
5. A key virtue or two that you need to work on, depending on what you realize is your weak point. (For example: patience, responsibility, charity, self-control etc.) Choose just one! We all need to work on all the virtues, but choosing one actually helps us to work on all of them, almost without realizing it.
6. A healthy social life; avoiding of course friendships or atmospheres that go against Christian values.

The true key to discerning through all this is of course listening to Christ and telling him that you trust him totally and simply want to do whatever he asks of you. Insist on this in your prayer. Tell him often that you love him. Strive to bring him to others more and more each day. Little by little things will begin to get clearer, and you will be preparing yourself in this way for whatever he has in mind for you.