The Call Is For A Special Purpose

… Listen for this call
… Pay attention to one’s underlying motivations, values, feelings and thoughts

The Special Gift of the One Called Must be Revealed to the Person

… Identify your gifts and talents
… Allow unrecognized gifts to come forth in yourself.  Allow others to identify your gifts
… Listen
 

The Presence of a Caller Is Heard As Something Outside the Person

… Listen to the inner self and learn to recognize (discern) movements that rise from the           Holy Spirit
… Quiet the voice of our world and our mind in order to hear God’s voice
 

Acceptance of a Vocation Leads to a Life of Sacrifice, Faith, and Often Darkness.  One Cannot Predict What Answering a Call Might Mean

… Exercise faith in order to accept the unknown
… Accepting a vocation means making a commitment to its fulfillment

thoughts from James VanOosting, expanded by Lois Byrne, PBVM

 

FOSTER AN ENVIRONMENT FOR VOCATIONAL DISCERNMENT

Cultivate A Regular Prayer Life

Engage in regular spiritual direction
 begin to articulate movements of consolation and desolation in
your personal faith journey

Plan for sufficient lesisure for
prayer
play
relationships

Expand your education
Workshops
Talks
Classes
Read

Explore your talents
volunteer
Design
Plan
Create

Stretch
attend a retreat
a mission trip
travel