Don't Just Discern Your Vocation.

[TheresaThoma]

I definitely think there is a difference between perpetual discernment and doing one's duty towards families or studies. 

Finishing up a degree or taking care of a family member does not make one a perpetual discerner. You start to stray into the category when you use those duties as an excuse. For example if there is someone else in your family who is able and willing to take care of the family member you are caring for but you insist on continuing instead of really discerning and entering that is a problem. 

The other category of perpetual discerners are those who are free to enter (little to no debts, no responsibility for the care of a family member, finished with studies etc) yet just sit out in no-man's land not willing to commit to a community, even just for serious discernment. 

I would say as long as you are working towards becoming free to seriously discern/enter and aren't creating excuses/roadblocks ("I have to get this master's degree" or "I'm the only one who can take care of this person", when others can) for yourself then you aren't a perpetual discerner. 

[Catherine Therese]

I really honestly think that Br. Gabriel's zeal is inspiring and he can be forgiven for his consequent naiveté. He is simply too young to have the life experience to be able to cater for all the different circumstances that we've all be discussing!

Perhaps there is value in looking at the question he's raised on a more generic level - I'd love to see an well-written article on the virtue of Prudence as treated by St. Thomas Aquinas. He breaks down Prudence into 3 acts:

1. Deliberation (thought about what to do, an application of the intellect)
2. Judgement (selecting the best means in keeping with the truth presented by the intellect)
3. Command (the resolve to make it so)

Focusing on the Command act, which is the chief act of the virtue of Prudence, would apply to the notion of perpetual discernment. The two sins against the act of command are negligence, i.e. a refusal to command; and inconstancy, i.e. a withdrawal of command

Since none of us are perfect and each of us can grow in the area of Prudence, this approach might have yielded an article that was a little more helpful to all discerners and would have bypassed the need to understand the various different circumstances in writing a piece that suggests a normative path.

Having said all of that, I tend to think its maybe not that bad a thing that he's written this article that doesn't quite treat the matter 100% appropriately... look at the conversation it has sparked, both here and on his site! As we discuss it we each learn from each other and consider different types of experiences that we had perhaps not thought of prior.

[NotreDame]

Perhaps there is value in looking at the question he's raised on a more generic level - I'd love to see an well-written article on the virtue of Prudence as treated by St. Thomas Aquinas.

 

 

As for an article... It looks like that "someone" is you ;)  You've got a great start... just keep typing!

[Catherine Therese]

As for an article... It looks like that "someone" is you ;)  You've got a great start... just keep typing!

Drafted?

[4LoveofJMJ]

Like many of you I both agree and disagree on the points he has made.

I strongly disagree on the points he made about marriage being a "lesser vocation" as many of you have above. I can not fathom how it can be a lesser vocation when you are trying to raise a God fearing Catholic family in a very anti-religion world where having morals and values are considered hateful things! It just blew my mind when he said that because I know many very holy families who have been such a great witness to myself and others.

I do agree though on his notion on stop discerning only in your head because that can only get you so far. I'm not saying that you need to up and join the closest convent or seminary, but especially for my self, just recognizing that there is only so much that you can get out of looking at a religious order's site. As Br. Gabriel said, you can read about vocational discernment until your eyes fall out.


For me I have been discerning for a number of years but have been to scared to do anything about it for fear that it might make things "

[4LoveofJMJ]

(Ugh! Stupid tablet!) -"real." Plus i was too young to do anything about it. Just thought, and thought, and thought some more! Now I do think that it is a very real possibility and that I am either called to the Sisters of Life or the Franciscan Sisters TOR. But again, because of my age I won't be able to enter for a while. So even though I do want to go on one of their retreats, I know it would not be a good idea if my vocation would be confirmed and I would have an agonizing wait until I could enter! Plus would like to have an opportunity to date as I also long for marriage. I just feel like a total flip-flopper/ perpetual discerner! >.<

[Basilisa Marie]

His flippancy disturbs me. I do think he knows many people who would be helped by such an article, a good kick in the pants to make a decision and the reassurance that contemplative life is the "highest" vocation. But this kind of article isn't good for a broad audience.  What happens when someone tries on a community but discovers that he or she isn't called to that "objectively best" vocation?  The line of argument in this article would be enough to make many people feel like total failures as Catholics, that they just aren't "good enough" for the "best" vocation, or what have you.  

 

It would have been nice if he would have included some sort of method of how to make a decision, instead of just saying "Choose!" 

[EmilyAnn]

His flippancy disturbs me. I do think he knows many people who would be helped by such an article, a good kick in the pantaloons to make a decision and the reassurance that contemplative life is the "highest" vocation. But this kind of article isn't good for a broad audience.  What happens when someone tries on a community but discovers that he or she isn't called to that "objectively best" vocation?  The line of argument in this article would be enough to make many people feel like total failures as Catholics, that they just aren't "good enough" for the "best" vocation, or what have you.  

 

It would have been nice if he would have included some sort of method of how to make a decision, instead of just saying "Choose!" 

 

I have to agree with this. As someone who was going in the contemplative direction, it was articles and people like this that just made me feel like there was something wrong with me because I wasn't called to the "best" vocation. I was trying so hard to be called to the "best" vocation because I felt like not being made me - just as you said - a failure as a Catholic. 

 

I get what he was going for, but the execution of it fell short. 

[inperpetuity]

Great Article, thanks.  Personally, I have no problem accepting the fact that I am not the blessed Virgin Mary, whom I love dearly btw, lol! It's true that God loves us and wants us to be with Him forever no matter what vocation we happen to choose for whatever reason and that is the cause of our joy.  I don't think the Church's teaching that religious life is a more perfect life than marriage is meant to personally insult anyone or marriage in general.  It's just a fact and if one would read the church's explanation of it, it's really quite beautiful.  I've read it in many places but couldn't begin to tell you where!  I think Br. is right, sometimes we take ourselves way too seriously. :)