How do I know if God is calling me to religious life?

This is the question most frequently asked by those who are thinking about a vocation.

Basically there are four steps in discerning a vocation. The first step is to trust your own desires. Ultimately both God and you desire the same thing, namely, your happiness. God speaks to us through our deepest desires. Our culture today does not tend to foster living that rises from our deepest desires. Secular society tends to keep us focused on the superficial and passing. How do we recognize our deepest desires? These are the desires that surface in the quiet moments of life, when we slow down and reflect on the ultimate purpose of life. Do you feel an attraction to religious life? If the answer is yes, then the first step is to trust that attraction and begin to act on it. Our deepest desires reveal the path to take, if we trust them.

The second step is to trust God. We only trust someone we know and usually it is someone we know well. The primary way to grow in trusting God is through prayer. This means praying daily and not just in times of need or crisis. As you spend more time in prayer a loving and trusting relationship will develop between God and yourself.

The third step in discernment process is to investigate the possibilities. This means writing or phoning various religious communities and gathering informational brochures. Then take time to study the spirit of different Orders to discover which match what you are looking for in religious life. After you have selected a few, make an appointment to visit monasteries or convents. You will probably meet with a Vocation or Formation director who can further assist you in the discernment process.

The fourth step is the actual decision to apply for entrance to a community and the confirmation of that decision by a formal acceptance by the Order. While you are in the process of discernment and after you have made your decision, it is a good idea to seek out someone you trust with whom you can share your discernment experience.

A religious vocation is a precious gift from God. It is nurtured by a life of prayer, reflection and service. If you think God may be calling you in this way of life take some time to evaluate your life experience and ask yourself: what is it that gives me lasting joy and peace? Imagine yourself as a religious. Finally, if you are discerning a vocation, we invite you to call or write our monastery and request the prayers of our Sisters.

  Permission for our Poor Clare Community to adopt and adapt this article was kindly given by the
Dominican Nuns of Farmington, Michigan.