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How do I know what my vocation in life is, marriage, preisthood, religious or single life?

(NB: This theme is addressed a bit more amply here.)

You asked me for some general advice about discerning a vocation, specifically a vocation to priestly or consecrated life.

I hope one day to write a book with my own reflections on the vocation, not so much a popular or devotional work, but a more academic and theological work. There are a lot of things out there that are popular, and some try to popularize theology, but since there is no systematic treatment of the entire question, for more popular works to base themselves on, I find that these more easy to read texts err grievously and to great detriment. I’ll get to this book later, but just for starters I want to collect my ideas, as I have done below, and later do a more scientific study of the arguments pertaining to vocational discernment.

This is especially urgent because of the lamentable state of religious life in our time, the lasting decline in proportion of souls and Catholics to the numbers of men in seminaries and to the number of priests, and because of the vast corruption involved by the gate keepers of seminary discernment, such as “vocational directors” or “vocational recruiters” and the like.

            The first problem is how to understand, or at least try to, what a vocation is. The two most widespread errors, in practice, that I have encountered are these:

1.      The vocation is a personality type, which can be determined by contemporary standards of psychological evaluation. There is error here because the vocation has a supernatural dimension to it.

2.      The vocation is determined exclusively by the divine will, so much so that one’s salvation depends on it, and for us it’s just some guessing game to figure out what God wants for u. There is an error here because the vocation has a human dimension to it, engaging the intellect and the will.

            There are some basic questions one needs to pose oneself when contemplating whether or not to pursue one form of life or another as a vocation. I think they are these:

1.      How will I achieve love in this life?

2.      What are the needs of the Church and the world in which I now live, and can I foresee what these needs will be in the future?

3.      What are my deepest inclinations? Here, let us be careful to consider those vocations that will fulfill the meaning of my life, not the base inclinations to the seven capital sins.

4.      Is this, realistically speaking, a possibility for me?

Start with these questions, and when we get time we can talk face to face. I can recommend the meditation upon some passages from sacred scripture that will help.

May the Holy Spirit lead you to the Father in Christ, and may Mary be your surest guard from danger along the way.

            In Christ, Fr. Paul Ward

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See also this article:

The Personal Example of the Parish Priest is What Attracts Vocations


VATICAN CITY, AUG. 30, 2004 (Zenit.org).- Each parish priest, according to his own style and method, is responsible for inspiring others to follow the vocational path, said Father Stuart Bate, a member of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate.

Father Bate, a professor of Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry at St. Augustine College of South Africa, participated in a teleconference on the topic of vocations to the priesthood organized by the Congregation for the Clergy.

Here is the text of the conference given by Father Bate.

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God continually calls people in Christ to participate in the realization of his great plan for the salvation of the world (See Ephesians 1, 1 Corinthians 15). A special call is the vocation to priestly life and service. We usually hear God's call in the example of those around us, who challenge and inspire us by the witness of their own lives. This is particularly true with priestly vocation where the example of a zealous and holy priest is the way that many young men are challenged to examine the choices for their own future.

Most find this example in their parish and so the witness of the parish priest is an essential site of God's call to others to enter priestly life and ministry. This witness can be inspired by different kinds of priestly gifts and talents. Some parish priests excel in preparing and leading prayerful and dignified celebrations of the sacraments. Some manifest God's presence in their special ministry to the sick and dying. Yet others have special gift of preaching as they mediate Gods' word to the hearts of people. Some show a special commitment to the poor and suffering of the parish. There is no one recipe but what is common in all is the example of men who have met the Lord, who know it and who live their relationship with Jesus in service to the people they have been called to lead.

Inspired by such an example, young men (and sometimes older people) begin to contemplate the value and indeed the immeasurable necessity of the life of a Priest. And in this frame of mind they are more open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit who may be gently challenging them to come and see more about this life for themselves (See John 1:39). Understanding the meaning of such promptings requires discernment. Here too the parish priest can play an important role in helping others explore the possibilities of this lifestyle. This may include encouraging them to greater involvement in the parish. Spiritual direction and other forms of mentoring are also important. The parish priest is often the first to recognise the seeds of priestly vocation in a young man. This is because he has been along this road himself in articulating his own call before entering the seminary.

Priests, however, must be careful not to project their own views and desires onto others. Their role is not to control but rather to trust God by helping such men explore their own vocation, following wherever it may lead. This implies neither the imposition of ones own will nor the mere passive provision of a spiritual space. Rather it requires an active involvement through accompaniment and encouragement of those who feel the Lord may be calling them to priestly ministry.

This task of vocational guidance is not just a task for a few specialists or those who are 'good with young people'. It is the responsibility of every parish priest. Each will do it in his own way using his own gifts and his own style. It must be true that almost all priests have inspired at least one person to follow in their footsteps. Sometimes we may have failed to nourish that inspiration. Like Peter we may think that we have had a poor catch. It is Jesus who shows us how to cast our nets to achieve a great haul.
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