«Herefore, brothers, be all the more eager to make your calland election firm, for, in doing so, you will never stumble» (2 Pt 1,10)
Vocational discernment

On 2 February, the Catholic Church celebrates the Presentation of the Lord. On the feast of the Presentation remember that Joseph and Mary presented Jesus in the temple do not claim the child as their property, but he offered a gift to the Father of heaven. In reality it was Jesus who appeared and offered to the Father. Clearly he came not to do his will but the will of the Father of heaven, had its own project to be implemented, but that of the Father.

And here is His heart, the secret of holiness for all: self-giving, offering to answer the call of the Father.

Of course, after understanding this, if you truly seek God's will you should ask: but where the Father called me? What is the mission that He has entrusted to me already from eternity, my true and only mission for which they have been created ?  How I can to serve him?  In the marriage or in the consecrated life?  And where?

Indeed, in this regard, St. Paul compares us all to a single body writes: "For as in one body we have many parts, and all the parts do not have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ and individually parts of one another. »(Rom 12, 4-5),« ... now ... God placed the parts, each one of them, in the body as he intended". (I Cor 12:18).

So if God has ordained these members in this body as he chose, giving each of these members (then at each of us) a special charisma, «Are you asked in wich part of the body have to go to graft? "

If God create you to make the hand, can you say to God:

«I want to do the eye?».

Can you, created for example to make the foot, say to God:

«I want to do the ear?».

Do not think that you end to finish out place?

 

So pay close attention!  Because if you, come, at the crossroads of your life - marriage or religious life - you wanted to do on your own, following your advice and not that of the Lord, know that doing so in both cases grave risk of failure.  You know why?  Because in case you decide to marry, while the will of God was to make you religious or religious, run the great risk of being one day next to a person who would seriously disappoint you; or whereas if you decide to make you religious or religious only to make the hero, while the will of God was quite different - because you would be able to bear it - and then won the temptations you look back over your steps back, then know that in this respect is thus written: "None who puts his hand to the plow and then looks back is fit for the kingdom of God "(Lk 9:62)

Then after that, you might say to me: "But then, in this case, what I do to understand and do the will of the Lord?”

Well, at this point you remember that so it is written: " Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion?  Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him and say, 'This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.'  (Luke 14,28-30) .

   So, not to throw away the prove of this short life (which is about as it is written) «70-80 years for the more robust, and nearly all fatigue and pain»(Ps 90.10), do not be left with nothing but kneel and ask the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind, you do find a place for you, where your main job is to put you in prayer.  And there, in silence, the inner Master will speak to your heart and silence that you will be able to hear and see the signs that God sends you, so as to satisfy your intellect and satisfy your heart.

In this regard I wish you a very concrete example, with whom I want to reduce the vocation to a "buy shoes", but only teaching assistance to seek and find the right path for you.  Suppose you have to buy a pair of shoes: What are you doing?  You images and think the shoes only seated comfortably in an armchair at home or once thought to what you could serve, you start walking towards a shop?  I suppose you put you on a journey, and once arrived at the shop, what do you do?  You just look at the shoes from the window or you enter in the store?  And once inside the shop, you buy the ones that you like on the outside, with the risk then that hurt you, or you try the shoes?  I suppose that you try the shop and then evaluate if those shoes are just what you "fit a glove."   There, like in a certain way is the search of your "vocational shoes", that is your journey: to see and information in the light of what is beginning to feel in your heart is already very important, and will then be through direct experience in a community or congregation (and the conseguent path of vocational discernment) that the Lord will give you many signs of confirmation, making you also find the joyful inner certainty that these are "the right shoes for you!
And even if you feel getting on in years or had to do more tests, do not languish but continues to seek, and the right path "in the footsteps of Christ can find!” ( cf. 1Pt 2,21 ).

In conclusion my dear brother and sister in vocational search, remember that:

The vocation is not simply found after some thought and examined the various ways but is a response that is obtained by prayer (St. Edith Stein Thoughts No 23)

So, I will recommented you not to waste this opportunity of your life, unique and unrepeatable opportunity for all eternity, because Saint Edith Stein says:

"At the end of this life, will be the biggest regret of not being dead saints."

So ... the best hope that we can do ... is to place in search of the will of the Lord if you had not done, and still do a good path of vocational discernment ...

And cries out to heaven:

Lord, what do you want me to do?