The Question and the Call

As spring approaches and school graduations appear in the horizon, many young people are beginning to look to the future. Or perhaps a budding career has not blossomed, or a tragedy in life has brought priorities into question. “What’s next?” you might be asking yourself. Even more importantly, you might be asking that same question of God.

“Lord, what should I do with my life?”  When a thousand possible paths seem to present themselves, Pope Francis provides great insight into the discernment of a vocation. In his message for the 2018 World Day of Vocations, he says:

“The Lord’s call—let it be said at the outset—is not as clear-cut as any of those things we can hear, see or touch in our daily experience. God comes silently and discreetly, without imposing on our freedom. Thus it can happen that his voice is drowned out by the many worries and concerns that fill our minds and hearts.

We need, then, to learn how to listen carefully to his word and the story of his life, but also to be attentive to the details of our own daily lives, in order to learn how to view things with the eyes of faith, and to keep ourselves open to the surprises of the Spirit.”

Listening and perceiving God’s quiet voice in prayer and in daily events, then, is the first step to following God’s will!