Jesus himself went away into solitude; he went away to pray to his Father in heaven. He set the example which we should follow.

The photograph above is of Mount of Temptation where Jesus went into the desert and fasted for forty days and forty nights. It is good to go into the desert for a while, to be quiet and allow that quiet voice of the Lord to enter into your soul.

Augustinian Prayer for Discernment of Vocations

God of my life,
I give you thanks and praise that I have life,
and that my life is filled with touches of your love.

You have given me a heart that wants to be happy,
and You have placed in me a desire to make a difference.

Quiet the fears and distractions of my heart long enough
for me to listen to the movement of Your Spirit,
to hear your gentle invitation.

Reveal to me the choices that will make me happy.
Help me to discover my identity.

Let me understand how best to use the gifts
You have so lovingly lavished upon me
in preparation for our journey together.

And give me the courage to choose You
as You have chosen me.

Lord, let me know myself and let me know You.
In this is my happiness. Amen

Sometimes it’s hard to clearly understand what it is we are being called to do. For this reason discernment is crucial before we make any major decisions, or for that matter before we make minor ones. Seeking quiet time with the Lord is what we should all try to do, in order to hear the Lord when he speaks to us, to allow the spirit to move in its own mysterious way. And so we go away on retreat into the desert, or into the mountains, or to the seaside, away from the business of our world.

click on image to more on vocations

Answering the Call

As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.” (Matthew 4:18-22)

May God bless you and help you as you discern your call to ‘follow him’ as the early disciples did.

If you feel you have answered the call you may wish to explore or talk further.

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