Discernment

Here are some reflections on discernment from the website of the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecelia Congregation (the Nashville Dominicans).

It is safe to say they know what they are talking about: in August of this year (as pictured below), the sisters welcomed over a dozen postulants, eleven others took first vows, and six others took final vows.

"Discernment often begins with the question, 'How do I know what God wants me to do with my life?' The answer lies in growing closer to Christ, listening to Him and thus being open to discovering His unique call to each of us.
"As we open ourselves to this discovery, Christ extends an invitation. We can choose to spend our time ignoring it, or we can freely respond with love.

"Fear is very often the first emotion experienced in the process we call 'discernment.' That is because we spend so much time planning our own lives, with the idea that we are in ultimate control of our future.

"But vocation means that Someone is calling you, and that your future will have to include an answer to that call. When Christ calls and we find ourselves saying 'Who? Me?', we may also have a long list of concerns and objections, such as: 'But I’m not good enough!' and 'What if …I make a mistake?' Instead of turning (inward on) ourselves, we need to turn the questions into a conversation, directing them to God Himself – asking them honestly in silence and prayer and seeking to listen to Him.

"If one is called to the religious life, God’s grace transforms fear into conviction, and we begin the first steps to finding and accepting His will. It is there that we find peace and joy that nothing else can match."

www.nashvilledominican.org