"How to Discern the Elements of Your Personal Vocation

Discernment has always been one of my obsesssions. I'm so obsessed with it that I have never actually learned to do it well. Anyway, Fr. Peter Ryan, S.J. has written an excellent article on discernment for the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars Quarterly.

Personal vocation is God’s call to each person to live the unique life of good deeds that God has prepared for him or her. Personal vocation cannot be reduced to vocation as one’s state in life, but rather includes it and is relevant for every free choice one makes. This article is about how to discern the elements of one’s personal vocation. However, before we discuss that directly, we must carefully consider certain matters that are logically prior to the process of discernment—points to bear in mind that help put one in a position to discern properly.... (more. You have to scroll down to get to the article.)