Discerning a Priestly Vocation

Some Thoughts from Pope John Paul II

You wish to become priests, or at least you wish to discover if you are really called. And so the question is a serious one ... (Rome, Italy, Oct. 13, 1979.)

[God's] calling is a declaration of love. Your response is commitment, friendship, and love manifested in the gift of your own life as a definitive following and as a permanent sharing in his mission and in his consecration. To make up your mind is to love him with all your soul and all of your heart in such a way that this love becomes the standard and motive of all your actions. From this moment on, live the Eucharist fully; be persons for whom the Holy Mass, Communion, and Eucharistic adoration are the center and summit of their whole life. Offer Christ your heart in meditation and personal prayer which is the foundation of the spiritual life. (Valencia, Spain, Nov. 8, 1982.)


How Do We Begin to Discern a Vocation?

• PRAY to know God's will and to be given the strength of conviction to do God's will.
• ASK questions about the priesthood and seek the advice of a priest you trust. Ask family and friends what they think and challenge them to give reasons for their answers.
• SPEAK to the vocations director.
• BE OPEN to the promptings of the heart for this is where the Holy Spirit dwells.