Discernment

• Do you love being with your friends and having a great time, but feel like there must be more?
• Do you want to make a difference with your one wild, creative life?
• Do you sometimes feel drawn to a deeper relationship with God?
• Is there a certain restlessness in your spirit that you want to channel into something more meaningful?

Discernment is a process that over time gives us clarity about the path we might follow. Discernment is from Latin, 'discernere', to sift, to distinguish, to separate.  It is to engage in an inner process of calling on the Holy Spirit to lead or give direction on a matter. 

Discernment flows naturally from our spirit.  There are methods and means that the Spirit of God works through us to help us discern.  In all matters, the Spirit is at work nudging us, leading us.  We sift and sort what is of God and what is not.  Discernment isn't usually a sudden zap from beyond, but something that emerges after prayer, listening to our own inner life.  We pay attention to our feelings and questions, our inclinations and ideas.
 
How do I know what God wants me to do with my life?  Probably the best answer to the question is:  You don't!  As we come to know God, we learn to notice our inner movements and impulses, the different inner tugs and pulls, the movements toward love or selfishness, taking a risk or getting stuck in fear. 
 
These come to our awareness mostly through our feelings such as joy, fear, peace, restlessness, wonder. Prayer in its many expressions and manifestations is the key to this awareness.

Gather information, ask questions, talk to people. You might even think about finding a spiritual director to help you sort out your questions and feelings. Above all, God wants you to be happy and free.  Religious life may be a creative, loving option for your life.  God invites us to taste life to the fullest, enjoy it, and find out the truth about who we are.

The first step is up to you.  Make a commitment to prayer.  Listen for God's input.  Pay attention to insights that surround you.

Believe it or not?!

• God may be inviting you to a deeper way of living out your Christian life.
• God may be inviting you to explore the possibility of a vocation to Religious Life
• God may be inviting you to check out the Daughters of Charity.

Please take a moment to take a vocation survey. Click here to get started.