Understanding Your Vocation

Discernment is the process of prayerfully seeking God’s will for your life. Every Catholic is called to grow in holiness and to listen to how God is guiding them. Discernment is not simply deciding what you want to do. It is learning to recognize how God is leading you and responding with faith and trust.

The first step of discernment is prayer and connecting with your priest for spiritual guidance and direction. Prayer opens your heart to God, and a priest or spiritual director can help you reflect on what the Holy Spirit may be doing in your life.

Through discernment, Catholics may come to understand the vocation God is calling them to. This may include discerning a call to:

• Marriage
• The Priesthood
• Religious Life as a brother or sister in a religious community
• The Permanent Diaconate
• Dedicated Single Life in service to God and the Church

Each of these vocations is a path to holiness and a way of serving God and others.

Discernment also continues throughout life. Even after entering a vocation, Catholics continue seeking how God is calling them to live their vocation more faithfully through prayer, the sacraments, and service.

If you feel a desire to understand where God may be leading you, begin with prayer, remain close to the sacraments, and seek guidance from your priest as you listen for God’s direction in your life.