November 2006

May the Lord give you His peace! Sorry for the delay, not having internet in the friary - we have had major problems with the computer I use to maintain our web site (and this eLetter). Technology! This month will need to be shorter due to limited time...

Br. Sebastian writes: "Discernment can be filled with a lot of excitement, joy, anticipation, frustration, confusion, etc. More than anything else, it should be a prayerful experience of growth in knowledge of God and self. Discernment of a vocation has one thing at the center - an ever-deepening, personal relationship with Jesus. This is what it's all about - everything else is detail. For those who are still discerning what vocation the Lord may be calling them to (priesthood, religious life, marriage or single life) the most important thing that should happen between now and then is... to simply grow in a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ; to sin less; to love Him more; to hear His voice clearer; to become more in tune with the Holy Spirit. Therefore, when the moment of decision arrives, a clearer and more confident commitment can be made."

 

Discernment at the bird's-eye-view seeks to discover my Vocation (capital V). What does the Lord want me to be? Where does the Lord want me to do it? When does the Lord want me to do it? Discernment at the worm's-eye-view seeks to discover my vocation at the present moment (lower v). What does the Lord want me to do in this time before I commit to my Vocation?

When I first started to pray about my Vocation, it seemed that I was looking at a very blurry picture through binoculars. As time passed, the Lord was working in my heart, the picture started to get clearer. I tried to focus on school and the formation I was experiencing. When the time came to commit, the picture was clear enough to see what the Lord was inviting me to. I had the grace to make the leap-of-faith and join the friars. Timing is everything!

We are praying for you and your discernment everyday, especially on Wednesdays. Let us set our hands to the plow in the Lord's vineyard and not look back! "The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor" (1 Cor 3:8).