The Most Frustrating Part of Discernment
The Most Frustrating Part of Discernment
If you’ve spent any time at all discerning your vocation, you know that there can be obstacles you have to overcome before you get the clarity you’re looking for. Sometimes it’s at the moment of decision itself that the dark night of discernment becomes deepest.
The vocational dark night is extremely frustrating, and can cause you a great deal of anxiety. This was certainly true of our founder, Servant of God Fr. Paul Wattson, SA, as he stood on the threshold of one of the greatest vocational decisions of his life – the decision to found a Society that would eventually become the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement.
At this critical moment in his life, there was one concern in particular that held Fr. Paul back from immediately pursuing God’s will. Perhaps you’ve experienced this one concern yourself…
The Most Frustrating Part of Discernment…
On the eve of founding what would later become the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement, Fr. Paul was plagued by the doubt that this Society was not God’s will at all, but the product of his own imagination. The anxiety became so great for him that he couldn’t sleep. He spent the entire night in prayer and searching the Scriptures for an answer.
You can probably relate to that with your own discernment. I’m sure you’ve wondered if God is really calling you to the religious life, or if you’re just imagining things. I’m sure you’ve had times where you’ve sat in front of the Blessed Sacrament, begging God to give you certainty – and feeling frustrated to the point of pulling your hair out…
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Fr. Paul’s Solution…
Take a solution from a chapter in Fr. Paul’s life. Ask for clear proof from God, then expect God to respond. The next time you’re at Mass, as the priest elevates the newly consecrated Host, pray Fr. Paul’s prayer quietly in your heart:
“Dear Lord, if a call to the religious life is a creation of my own imagination, I beg you to dismiss it utterly from my mind, but if it comes as an inspiration from you, please give me some tangible proof of it.”
Say this prayer, and then wait patiently for God’s answer. It will come.
Looking for more guidance about the discernment process? Download the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement’s 10 Tips for Discernment Ebook!
Take an 8-day mission trip this December to serve the poor through manual labor, but also to explore religious life in a non-pressured way.
©2019 Franciscan Friars of Atonement
©2019 Franciscan Friars of Atonement