“Nothing done in a huge rush or impulsively is ever done really well"

Vocation is Christian life, to put it simply. Vocation is God’s call to love and serve Him in a way that draws us closer to Him in some profound way. Through our vocation, God brings Himself to our level and draws us up to His. A vocation well lived out is the picture of human holiness, and we are all called to partake in that calling. Vocation is not simply a career, or what we simply want to do in life. Our career and wants can certainly lead us to God, and we should be sure that everything we do in life points to God in some way. Vocation, contrarily, is what God wants. I like to think that God knows the best way to reach us, and our vocation serves as a means for it. We tend to think of vocation as simply consecrated religious or married, but these are merely aspects of vocation. They are like a canvas on which we must paint a picture of our lives; either for God or for ourselves. While the question of which lifestyle we are called to is a major factor in vocational discernment, they must be considered purely with the intent to serve God the way He is calling us to. Pope St. John Paul II writes in his apostolic letter, Dilecti Amici (March 31, 1985), “during youth a person puts the question, “What must I do?” not only to himself and to other people from whom he can expect an answer, especially his parents and teachers, but he puts it also to God, as his Creator and Father… He therefore asks God: “What must I do?”, what is your plan for my life? Your creative, fatherly plan? What is your will? I wish to do it.”

The biggest key to discerning vocation is prayer, especially before the Blessed Sacrament. This is an opportunity to open yourself up to God’s call, and to express your thoughts to Him. Ultimately, prayer is an opportunity to grow closer to God and to pour yourself out to Him as He pours Himself out to you. Pray for discernment, clarity in it, and for openness to His word. There is no better way to grow closer to God than to truly desire it and express that desire. Christ Himself said, “ask and it will be given” (Matthew 7:7); this is true, especially regarding our relationship with God in prayer. Look especially to Our Blessed Mother, who lived out their vocations perfectly. She is the model of virtue, the picture of complete reliance on God, and the example of an intimate earthly life with God. Praying the rosary, novenas, and even just informally praying through her intercession can have many positive effects on discernment.

This helps bring different perspectives into your discernment and also provides a sort of structure to the discernment process. Consider a couple preparing to get married; they meet with a priest and undergo marriage preparation to oversee their continued discernment and prepare them for their vocation to marriage. The same is necessary for the religious vocation.