8 steps for discernment

• "Be Quiet in order to hear the Lord's voice calling. Take time to pray and meditate in silence about your vocation, especially in front of the Blessed Sacrament.
  
• "Find a spiritual director - somebody you can be open with - who can help you to develop your relationship with God and to know yourself better.
  
• "Ask a priest, brother or sister in your parish to put you in touch with a vocation director.
  
• "Read up on religious and priestly life. Look at a good periodical on vocations and check out the ads.
  
• "Write to the communities that interest you.
  
• "Visit the ones you feel called to.
  
• "Build a relationship with the one where you have a sense of coming home. Get involved in its summer or monthly programs. Don't just talk the talk - walk the walk with them as well.
  
• Wait for the Lord. Discerning your vocation is a process. God's timing is always perfect - but seldom seems soon enough!

"Remember, if you ASK, SEEK, KNOCK, you may not find the vocation you thought you would, but by trying you'll have found out one of the most important things in life - self-knowledge."

from the Vocations website of
the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal
www.franciscanfriars.com