Listening to the call and responding to our specific Vocation in life is a source of great joy and peace. After all, it brings us closer to God and the authentic me. The process of listening is called ‘discernment’ – we discern the voice of the Holy Spirit in our lives, pointing us in the direction we are to go. Discernment is a process between the individual and God alone. We have guides to aid us in our discernment but they do not concretely say ‘This is your Vocation’.
Your Vocation is unique to you… You may find you are being called to be a priest, or to be married this is our core Vocation … a state of life to which we are being called. When we embrace this core Vocation other paths unfold … Vocations within Vocations. For a priest that may lead to becoming a bishop, for others it may mean becoming doctors, teachers, refuse collectors or some other occupation. They are all Vocations through which God asks us to take up the Christian mission and evangelise.
Don’t expect a burning bush… It is not always easy to discern your Vocation. There will be pointers throughout life and there will also be counter signs. When the prophet Elijah listened for the LORD, he encountered a great earthquake and fire but the LORD wasn’t to be found in these. Then came a “still, small voice” (1 Kings 19:11-13). We need the help of the Church to discern what God is asking of us, so a Spiritual Director is essential. A good Spiritual Director will help to discern authentic signs.
Lord I am not worthy… As we come close to God and what he asks of us in our life, we generally feel a sense of unworthiness. Just remember, even the great apostle, Peter had the same feelings.
