Do I have a vocation to religious life?

There are four basic steps of discernment: becoming aware; gathering information; making a decision, and; looking for confirmation. Discernment is best described as a movement, or process, from one step to the next. It does not occur only through gut-level responses, such as feelings or emotions. What happens when the feelings are gone? Discernment does not happen through a systematic or logical process, whereby a clear, correct and precise answer can be guaranteed. Discernment usually does not occur in isolation. Discerning the will of God takes place within the human experience, and is always interpersonal. Discernment calls forth the necessary guidance and support from the larger community.

There is no clear-cut method to follow. We recognize the uniqueness and individuality of each person. We cannot completely determine another's level of spiritual development, nor can we know the hearts of others. There are certain guidelines, though, that have emerged in the Christian experience, and in the community's struggle to be faithful to God's call.

The place to begin in discernment is true self-knowledge. The path to self-knowledge is an exercise of both the head and the heart. This dynamic tension gives a depth and breadth to our self-understanding.

We must approach discernment with a heart opened to God's stirrings and movements. Such a heart is listening in love to all inner impulses.

The gift of God's love centers us, and therefore we can approach the process with confidence that God will guide us in our searching

Discernment is about seeing things in a new way. The life-praxis of Jesus illustrates the commitment one must be willing to embrace in order for the values of this already near God to emerge.

Discernment is a holistic process. All elements of our embodied person can play a role in our discernment, offering clues and cues.

Time is important to discernment. We must differentiate between "chronos" which is human time, and "kairos" which is God's time. We engage in discernment in God's time-"kairos"-which is the best time, the appointed time, the time that serves God's purpose.

Two underlying values in discernment are obedience and surrender. Obedience is to truly listen to the words of life, and then respond to such words. Surrender means to turn over personal expectations and desires for the greater gift that we can receive if we open our hearts to God.