How are Catholics taught to determine what their vocation is?

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TaylorDonBarret said:
Because the Religious Life is the highest and most perfect life, which presents the most sure path to heaven with the least temptations and the most graces and Spiritual support, Catholics have an obligation to first discern whether they have a calling there, to be a Monk, Friar, Sister, or Nun. This is discerned through prayer, frequent Mass, daily Rosary, a Spiritual director, and also by researching and visiting the different orders (Franciscan, Dominican, etc).
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Interesting. I don’t know that I ever heard this. The most sure path? Least temptation? Most graces & spiritual support?

I would think someone called to the married life who decides to become a consecrated religious is going to have a hard time following that path, will be tempted beyond measure, & will miss out on the graces & spiritual support they need.

Likewise, someone called to the priesthood will have a rough go at married life.

Just thinking out loud.
 
Denial of self, fervent prayer, agonizing soul searching, spiritual direction and patience.
 
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Well actually it would seem when you are in the vocation God choose . it would be the same. As any career
 
My diocese has 2 vocation camps every year; one for girls and one for boys. The boys’ camp is staffed by our seminarians. The girls’ camp has women counselors and bring in women religious to help. The games very very physical (and fun), daily Mass and adoration, Confessions Thursday night and the legendary GIANT slip and slide!!! Both groups heard about vocations to religious, married, and single life. The girls even heard from a consecrated virgin. This was my first year as a counselor and had as much fun as the girls did!!!
 
I am a 24 year old woman, and have been discerning Religious Life for some months. I became a Catholic aged 13, and first discerned a vocation 4-5 years ago, but felt God was calling me to study and work first. I’m currently in the process of completing my second bachelors degree (I’m from the UK), after which I will work for a year, then enter a Religious Order.

Sadly, my diocese has never promoted Vocations or arranged events for those discerning. Our Vocations Director is only for those considering the priesthood, and when I first discerned a religious calling some years ago, my emails and phone calls went unanswered. I believe this is tragically common, as friends in other dioceses have expressed similar experiences. My home parish is thriving with young people, but has not seen a parishioner enter Religious life for over 60 years, because very few have been educated on how to properly discern God’s Will for them.

My advice for those discerning is to Pray, first and foremost. Attend Mass (more than once a week of possibly), and go to Adoration. This can also be aided by speaking with a spiritual director. My current period of discernment has been undertaken privately, but over the next 3-4 years will likely seek guidance and counsel from others.

God Bless,
DiscerningCatholic94
 
My diocese is similar. The Vocations Director is only interested in the diocesan priesthood. If an individual is interested in becoming a brother, religious priest, friar, monk, canon, consecrated virgin, hermit, or religious sister then they are on their own. My parish posts pictures of the diocesan priest vocations from our parish. They are also not interested in other vocations.
 
It is saddening to hear similar situations in other dioceses, although we are quite fortunate in the UK to have a dedicated National Office for Vocation (http://www.ukvocation.org/). Their website is very informative if a little outdated (for instance, they neglect to mention the Order I am currently discerning), but they recently released a smartphone app called ‘God’s Call’, in a drive to encourage young people discerning a vocation to religious life. I’m not sure if a similar arrangement exists in the US?

Otherwise, enquirers are really at the mercy of their diocese, especially considering the theological stance of their bishop can impact the advocacy (or neglect) of some Orders. A friend of mine, who is a sincerely Holy and reverent young man with a love for the Traditional Latin Mass, was recently rejected for the priesthood by his (notoriously liberal) local bishop, who concluded my friend’s liturgical preference to be ‘deeply concerning and more divisive than inclusive’. The said friend is now intending to join the ICKSP next year, and his diocese has missed out on a remarkable future priest (despite the Diocese having not experienced any ordinations for nearly a decade).

At a time of such division and unjust exclusion, we must pray that more young people pursue a vocation in Religious Life. In so doing, please pray for me, as I’m discerning joining an Order in 3-4 years.

God Bless,
DiscerningCatholic94
 
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We had two young men in our diocese that, when meeting with the bishop individually, was asked, “Will you be willing to say the Latin Mass when you are a priest?” They answered yes and were told there was no room for them in this diocese because it is too divisive. I thought those days were gone, but I guess I was wrong. Sounds like our diocese isn’t the only one weeding out good candidates.
 
Talking about my life’s true vocation gets me irritated. I usually respond like this:

 
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Those men should answer: “I am willing to say the Mass in any language and rite my bishop or any other superior asks me to.”
 
The question was put to them, “Will you EVER say the EF.” No man would ask to study for the diocese who intended to say only the EF. That would be ludicrous. Our bishop wants no further spread of the EF in this diocese and has made that crystal clear.
 
Ann_Stanton said:
The Vocations Director is only interested in the diocesan priesthood.
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That seems to be the case in our diocese. My daughter never talked to anyone in the diocese about her vocation. However, our pastor attempted to talk to the Vocations Director about her vocation, and he was given the cold shoulder. He wasn’t very happy about that.

By the way, she heard she has been accepted to religious life this week and will be entering September 12. Please pray for her!
 
I am so happy for you and your daughter. I will be praying for her. Catholics wonder why there are not more religious vocations, but they do not realize that it is a hard road to discern without help. How did your daughter find the community that she will be entering?
 
Ann_Stanton said:
Catholics wonder why there are not more religious vocations, but they do not realize that it is a hard road to discern without help.
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This. If I could like this 100 times, I would. I remember being so confused and even distressed when I first started to think I might be called to religious life. I’m still confused much of the time, but at least I managed to find (entirely on my own) a spiritual director who could help me start taking the first few steps to determine where I’m called so I didn’t feel so lost.
 
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My daughter is one of those exceptions who has known that she had a vocation from very young. It’s actually a funny story how she “found” her vocation at age 7. We were at a monk’s clothing. My daughter was standing near him, and a man said to the monk, “I think this little girl has something to say to you.” She didn’t know what to say, so she blurted, “I want to be a nun,” and from that moment, she wanted to be a nun. She never wavered in all those years. She knew what she wanted in a community and was able to narrow it down to just 2 monasteries, one of which was a foundation of the other. She chose the older one.

I actually think a lot of the hard road has been caused by the mantra, “Listen to the still, small voice.” Religious life is an invitation to all even though not all have the grace to live it. Do you have the (mostly) right motive, are you of good health, are you free of impediments (without debts, marriage vows, dependents, etc.) ? These things would indicate a call. Here’s an article that quotes St. Thomas Aquinas (go to Thomas!) on the question. Think Long or Decide Quickly
 
There is hard work being done in those monasteries, so no, it is not all sunshine and roses. Yes, I could see the heart for service and sacrifice, but I think the Church considers this part of “right motive”.
 
If only if it were so orderly!

To the OP:
The truth is, I was never taught how to discern a vocation, not formally anyway.

I felt an attraction to a particular Order and way of life that just seemed beautiful to me, and a desire to live my faith differently than I already was. As I dug into it, Marriage felt less attractive to me, more Orders peaked my interest, so I researched them, met with them, went on retreats with them. Even filled out that online quiz/ survey at Vision Vocation Network to help me. I talked to my pastor. And also to my diocesan priestly vocations director, but that just didn’t feel right, so I crossed that off my list. I was still confused, and a vocation director from one of the Orders I was looking into helped me find spiritual director.

It was the spiritual director that “taught” me how to discern my vocation. Or more accurately, she helped me over several years to sort through what I had been feeling internally to figure out where my heart was, and where where God is calling me.

It turned out the Order that initially peaked my interest, that originally attracted me to religious life, had remained (and remains) the strongest pull for me. So after a couple years I applied, was accepted, and started formation. Discernment is still, and will likely always be, ongoing. Nobody is ever certain they’re doing the right thing, although sometimes hindsight is clearer and you know you did the right. Will I discern priesthood or lay brother? I don’t know. Could I discern that i’m Not called to religious life at all, but to marriage? Sure. To a different order? Maybe. And until final vows, these are the questions i’ll ask myself and pray about everyday, and continue to bring to my spiritual director. If I don’t bring them to my spiritual director, she’ll bring them up herself and make me check in about it. For now, I still think and feel that i’m going in the right direction, where Godcwants me.
 
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