What is discernment?

Discerning the Priesthood

How do I discern?

Discerning a call from God has many aspects to it, both individually and with others. Prayer is the key that opens one up to hearing God’s call in your life and trusting Him to guide you in answering that call; Attending Holy Mass, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the Rosary, Lectio Divina (prayerful reading of Scripture), Daily Meditative Prayer all help discern that call, particularly those passages of scripture where God calls someone to a specific vocation; Moses, Jeremiah, St. Joseph, Our Lady, St Peter. Situating yourself in such a Biblical passage can be a powerful prayer of discernment.

Speaking with a priest about discerning a potential vocation may seem daunting at first, but enquiring is not a commitment, and any priest will be delighted to help with questions, guidance, and suggestions as to how to discern further. He might offer spiritual direction Himself or point towards other people who offer spiritual direction. 

Speaking with the diocesan seminarians also helps in seeing that while God calls individually, He uses some familiar ways to do it, which may help in reassuring you of your own calling.

What are the steps for discernment?

Personal Relationship with Christ

Often a priest will tell you that they felt the deep presence of Jesus in their lives from a young age. This is all based on a knowledge of the Lord through prayer, attending Mass and Adoration. A personal relationship with the Lord for the priest sees him wanting to know Christ more and more and to bring others to know him too.

Regularly Receive the Sacraments of Eucharist & Penance

In the gospel of St Luke,  we see the prodigal son return home to his father’s love. Having been forgiven,  he is treated to a banquet in his honour; he is restored. So it is for the candidate for Priesthood or the priest. In Confession,  we meet the mercy of God when we confess our sins. In the Eucharist, the sacrificial banquet of Christ, we are nourished in the Lord’s presence and are restored by his love. The priest is nothing apart from Christ,  whom he is conformed to  in the Blessed Eucharist and he is forgiven by in the Sacrament of Penance.

Pray for Guidance

At the heart of every vocational call is the voice of the Lord inviting one to follow Him in a particular and unique calling. Everything that we do in response can be a prayer and a way of deepening our trust in the Lord. If you feel nervous, anxious or scared about what a call can mean for you, this can be an occasion to pray for a more trusting faith. If you are impatient or impetuous to get going, you could pray with the help of St James or John who were on fire for the Lord, but needed more time to discover His way is not always our way. You could pray through and with Our Lady, when you sense the Lord in your life, and ask that you could have her understanding and courage to say “May it be done unto me”. Even now, you could simply pray for the Holy Spirit to enlighten the path that He wishes you to go, and give you every help in saying yes to the Lord’s will. 

Pray before the Blessed Sacrament

A friendship or any relationship for that matter requires time spent with a person where we listen to them; where we grow in knowledge of them; and where we communicate honestly with them. Similarly, a candidate discerning a vocation to the priesthood needs to spend time in the presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. During adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, we can listen to the Lord speaking to our hearts, listening to him as he guides our authentic desires. In turn we speak to the Lord about our fears, our aspirations, and plans for the future.  

Ask the Blessed Mother

In the gospel of St John we hear about the Wedding at Cana. The reception has run out of wine. The Mother of Jesus tells the servants at the wedding to take the water to her Son. She instructs them, “ Do whatever he tells you”. Mary always leads us to the Lord. At Knock we see her hands open in prayer towards the altar with the Lamb. Mary always turns to her Son. She is our Mother too. St John was given to her and she to him. Like the young apostle at the foot of the cross, the priest is a son of Mary. When the aspirant turns to her in prayer, she will lead him to her Son and point out the altar, the Lamb and the cross. The Blessed Mother will guide every vocation with her words Do whatever he tells  you.Every young man considering a call to Priesthood cannot separate the Woman ofNazareth from the Son. Turning to Mary will transform the water of doubt and fear for a vocation, into the wine of a fruitful yes to Christ. 

Speak to a Priest for Advice

Any priest will only be too delighted to be asked for advice on discerning a vocation. They know themselves how daunting discerning a vocation can be, and the many questions that arise in realizing the Lord may be calling you to Priesthood. It could simply be an after Mass casual conversation to making an appointment for a meeting. The initial step is the most daunting, but enquiring is just that; it’s not a commitment, and will always be a welcome conversation. 

Look to Jesus (for all decision making)

When making decisions about our future in terms of careers, relationships, and commitments in life we often can feel overwhelmed or fearful that we will make the wrong decision or miss out on better options. Life offers so many paths and experiences. Looking to Jesus before making any decision can bring order to our thoughts, help us tune into our authentic desires and give us peace of mind in following God’s plan for our lives.    

Get Involved in Your Parish

A parish is the cell structure that makes up the body of a diocese. Normally a diocesan priest is assigned to a parish, either as a parish priest or curate. Here funerals, weddings, baptisms, Conformation, First Holy Communion, the liturgical seasons of the Church year and the Sunday Mass from week to week occur. The candidate for the Priesthood is always better for having involvement in their local parish. They will observe up close the life of the priest and how the ministry is lived from day to day. When you spend time helping out in your parish, you will hear words of advice from your priest or learn something that will be of great assistance to you on the   road to ordination

Contact the Vocations Director

The Vocations Director (Fr Tony Gonoude) is only too delighted to hear from someone who wants to know more about discerning a vocation to priesthood. He can offer advice, guidance and vocational accompaniment, and ongoing support to those who make that decision to study for the Priesthood.

Email Fr Gonoude →