Is God Calling you?

Blessed Summer!

 

“To you, young people, I say: if you hear the Lord’s call, do not reject it!” 

 Blessed John Paul II

Dear young people,

In every age, the Lord God calls men and women to give of themselves to a life of dedicated service for the sake of His kingdom.  Today more than ever, he turns to you saying “Deny your very self, take up your cross, and Follow Me.” Matthew 16:24

This gentle and challenging invitation is for all of us to follow in the footstep of the great disciples, who gave their lives for the sake of the gospel.

Today the voice of God resounds ever clearer when we can encounter him in prayer, “Without prayer there is no experience of God.”  I encourage any one discerning a call to the priesthood or religious life to begin and practice the following:

• Personal Prayer
• Daily Mass
• Eucharistic Adoration
• Marian Devotion - pray the Rosary and ask Our Lady to intercede always for you.
• Get a spiritual director - a priest or religious to guide you in this process
• Spend time in reading spiritual text
• By the way, I suggest that you read TO WHOM SHALL WE GO? Lessons from the Apostles Peter by Cardinal Timothy M Dolan - this book is easy to read, it will take you 3 days to finish but has lessons of a life time.
• Another must read is TO SAVE A THOUSAND SOULS: A Guide for Discerning a Vocation to Diocesan Priesthood by Fr. Brett A Brannen.  This book I believe will help answer all the questions you have.
• Talk to your parish priest about your discernment and I am sure that he will help you out.
• Remember to call your vocation office, there are people ready to help you and yes you can also talk to your Bishop - he will be delighted to hear from you.
• Remember that you will hear the voice of God to the extent that you are in constant communication with him, so it boils down to Pray, pray and pray and "Be not afraid"
• "DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU" and you will be FINE.