From the Director
If you are reading this column, you may very well be giving some thought to a Church vocation – becoming a priest, sister, brother or deacon in the Church. To be considering such a life, and wondering if Jesus is calling you, is to begin a process of discernment.
The reason we go through a process of discernment is to ensure that, considering how important a life-choice is, we learn whether God is truly inviting us to accept this great gift and mystery.
St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order, is known for having drawn up principles for a “discernment of spirits.” While the Lord may at times call someone strongly and insistently, most men and women will say that He proposes a vocation to us gently, working gradually through the events in our lives, and bringing people into contact with us who, knowingly or unknowingly, nudge us toward serious pondering of a vocation.
We shouldn’t presume that our interior movements – our feelings, thoughts, and desires – to be all from God, because many of them come from ourselves, from the world around us, or even from the devil. Our task is to distinguish which thoughts, feelings, and desires come from God, and which do not.
A discernment group is intended to assist young men and women to sort through all that is moving through their mind and heart. The group uses the principles laid down by St. Ignatius, and other spiritual giants, to come to an answer to our questions. Our topics vary monthly.
Our Shreveport discernment group meets on the third Sunday of the month from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Fairview House, 1000 Fairview Street in Shreveport, very near the Catholic Center. I invite you to come and join us for a brief presentation, discussion, and reflection on a possible vocation, all in the informal atmosphere of shared interest and camaraderie. Attending our discernment group sessions, with an optional meal out afterwards, will help you understand how God is working in your life, and whether He is indeed calling you. One thing is clear – Jesus Christ continues to call men and women to priesthood, sisterhood, and brotherhood. He may be calling you.
If you would like to have any questions answered or would like to come to our sessions, please contact me at 868-4441 or drichter@dioshpt.org.
Fr. David Richter, Director of Church Vocations
2008 Diocese of Shreveport