Who am I called to be?

How can I know? How do I listen?
How does He speak to me?

A new perspective
We are used to thinking about careers, about what line of work to go into, or what would be our dream job. Though deciding on a career is often difficult, at least its discernment seems straightforward. We simply ask ourselves a number of questions: What are my talents? What do I enjoy doing? What line of work will give enough money to support a family? And maybe even: How can I best be of service to others?

When we think about our vocation in the Church, we have to set aside this way of thinking, because our vocation is not something we can decide on our own. Instead we must discover our call in the personal encounter with God, Whom we meet in the Church and every aspect of our lives. Think of Peter the fisherman. He never could have found within himself the vocation of apostle - only Jesus - could make this possible.

Listening with your whole heart
The God who made us invites each of us to bring our lives to completion in Him through our life's vocation. Every vocation, then, is intensely personal. To discern this call requires everything of us. It involves above all a deep, prayerful, and attentive listening to the will of God.

Discernment within the Church
Our lives as Christians take place within community: our parish community, our diocese, the whole Church, the communion of saints - all of which are nourished by the most intimate communion of the Holy Trinity. Vocation discernment, then, naturally involves the community. We must ask ourselves "What are the needs of the Church and how can I respond to them?"

Some members of our communities, including many friends, parents, and teachers, may not understand the inherent value of Christian vocations and might dissuade us from considering vocations within the Church, instead encouraging us to seek worldly success. However, today more than ever we as Christians must be counter-cultural: our call as Christians is not to achieve success in the stock market or the business world - though these are not necessarily incompatible with the Christian vocation; rather, our call is to bear witness to Jesus Christ and God's saving love for humankind.

The Church's challenge today
Today, if you love the Church you should seriously consider becoming a priest, because the faithful need the sacraments and therefore need men to become priests. If you love the Church you should seriously consider becoming a sister or brother, because the faithful and the world desperately need you as leaven to heal and comfort, teach and serve. If you love the Church, you should seriously consider becoming a contemplative nun or monk, because above all else the Church and the world need your prayers and intercessions.

Receiving God's gift to us
God gives first, and it is only in our giving to others that we properly receive God's gift to us. Look at your own life and the talents God has given you. Think about what a great grace it would be to give yourself to the life of the Church. Reflect on your deepest and best desires: see if God has planted within you the great desire for priesthood or religious life.

Steps to take
How do you discern God's will for you? By sharing in the life of the Church: going to Mass often, praying, living a life of virtue, and seeking out a spiritual director. Ponder the mysteries of the faith, talk to men and women living out different vocations in the Church, and find Christ by helping those in need.

Finally, try to understand your life in its totality, try to grasp it as a whole. Ask yourself: does becoming a priest, sister, or brother make my life a meaningful whole? Has God been leading me to this next step through the twists and turns of my life? Will becoming a priest, sister, or brother bring me great joy?

Remember: God provides
In all this, take heart. You are not alone - there are many just like you who are discerning God's will and many who want to help you through this process. We can have courage, too, in the fact that God does not ask of us more than we are able to give, though grace can enable us to give far more than we ever dreamt possible. Indeed, such is the great mystery and glory of the Christian life.