Catholic Life · Vocations

How Do I Know If I Have a Vocation?

Everyone Has a Vocation

The word vocation comes from the Latin vocare, “to call.” In everyday Catholic speech, “having a vocation” usually means being called to be a priest, a monk or a nun. But that is too narrow.

Every Christian has a vocation. The first and most important is the universal call to holiness: every baptised person is called to become a saint (Lumen Gentium 40). Within that, each person is called to a particular way of life in which to grow in love and serve others. The Church recognises several:

marriage;
priesthood and the diaconate;
consecrated life: religious sisters, brothers, monks, nuns, consecrated virgins and members of secular institutes;
and, for some, a single life given to God and others in the world (see Is the Single Life a Vocation?).

So the question is not “Do I have a vocation?” but “What is my vocation?”

God Does Not Play Hide and Seek

Many young people approach discernment with anxiety, as though God has hidden a single correct answer and they must find it or ruin their lives. That is not how the Church understands it.

God is a loving Father. He wants you to find your path, and He gives the grace to recognise it. Discernment is not a test you might fail. It is a conversation with Someone who loves you.

At the same time, it does take time, honesty and prayer.

Signs That May Point to a Call

There is no single sign, but spiritual writers and vocation directors look for a combination of things.

A persistent attraction. Not a passing enthusiasm after a good retreat, but a desire that keeps returning over months or years, even when you try to set it aside.

Peace when you consider it. Thinking about the possibility brings a deep sense of rightness, even if it is mixed with fear.

Gifts and qualities that fit. A priest needs to be able to preach, care for people and live celibately; a contemplative nun needs to be able to live in silence and community. Do your natural gifts suit the life?

Health and freedom. You need the physical and psychological health for the life, and freedom from obligations such as debts or dependants that would prevent it.

Confirmation by others. Have people who know you well, especially a priest or spiritual director, ever suggested it? Others often see a vocation before we do.

A love for the Church and for prayer. A vocation to priesthood or religious life usually grows from a real love of Christ, the sacraments and prayer.

No one has all of these perfectly. But if several are present, it is worth exploring.

Fear Is Normal

Almost everyone who discerns a call to priesthood or religious life feels afraid: of giving up marriage and children, of losing independence, of disappointing family, of making a mistake. Fear does not mean it is not your vocation. Moses, Jeremiah and Mary herself were troubled when God called them.

St John Paul II’s often-repeated words, at the start of his pontificate in 1978, apply here: “Do not be afraid! Open wide the doors to Christ!”

Practical Steps

1. Pray

Discernment begins and ends in prayer. Develop a regular habit of personal prayer, if you have not already. Spend time before the Blessed Sacrament. Ask God honestly: “What do you want me to do with my life?” Then listen.

2. Live your faith now

The best preparation for any vocation is to live your current life well: go to Mass and Confession regularly, serve others, be faithful in your studies or work. God tends to speak to those who are already listening.

3. Find a spiritual director

A wise director can help you see what is happening in your heart, and avoid mistakes. (See How Do I Find a Spiritual Director?)

4. Talk to a vocations director

Every diocese has a vocations director, usually a priest, whose job is to help people discerning priesthood. Religious orders have similar people. Talking to one does not commit you to anything. It is simply a conversation.

5. Come and see

When Andrew and another disciple asked Jesus where He was staying, He replied, “Come and see” (John 1:39). Many seminaries and religious communities run discernment weekends or come-and-see visits. Spending a few days in a seminary, monastery or convent is one of the best ways to discover whether the life suits you.

6. Learn about different paths

Religious life is very varied. Contemplative nuns, teaching brothers, missionary priests, Benedictine monks and Franciscan friars live very differently. (See What Is the Difference Between a Priest, a Monk, a Friar and a Nun?) If you feel drawn to consecrated life, explore several communities.

What If I’m Called to Marriage?

Most people are called to marriage, and it is a true and beautiful vocation, a sacrament and a path to holiness. Discerning marriage also takes prayer: not only whether to marry, but whom. Many of the same steps apply. Ask God to guide you, look for a spouse who shares your faith, and seek wise counsel.

The Process Takes Time

Entering a seminary or religious community is not the end of discernment but the next stage of it. Seminaries and religious communities have years of formation, with several stages before final commitment. People can and do leave during formation, with no shame, when it becomes clear that it is not their path. The Church wants you to be sure, and so does God.

Trust

Pope Benedict XVI said at his inauguration in 2005 that Christ “takes nothing away, and He gives you everything.” Whatever your vocation turns out to be, it will be the path on which you become most fully yourself, and most fully happy.