Pray to Jesus about your vocation

All vocations have their origin in Christ. As you grow in your relationship with Him, don't be afraid to ask questions like: 

• Who have you created me to be, O Lord?
• How have you called me to love and serve?
• How will my heart be fulfilled?
• Who am I?

Here are some practical suggestions which are a good basis for a diligent discernment. Doing these things will not turn you into a priest or religious, but they are keys which move you toward the goal of becoming holy and more open to the grace of God at work in your life:

• Daily Mass: If you are not going every day or cannot go every day, then start small. Just go one more time than you are already going to Mass each week, and then as you get used to that add another until you find yourself frequenting daily Mass.
• Daily Rosary: If you are not currently in the habit of praying a rosary each day, just start with one decade and build up the habit from there.
• Daily Holy Hour: Many people do not have the opportunity to pray a holy hour every day, so try to just spend 10-15 minutes of quiet meditative prayer each day, and maybe have a more extended period once a week of 30-45 minutes. You can use this Praying with Scripture brochure as an aid in your prayer.
• Liturgy of the Hours: also called the Divine Office, it is considered the prayer of the Church. Five times a day priests and religious stop to pray Morning Prayer, Daytime Prayer, Evening Prayer, Night Prayer and the Office of Readings. Many lay people join in saying this form of prayer daily. If you are not familiar with it, there are apps and websites dedicated to explaining how to pray these hours. Maybe just start with Night prayer, the shortest and the most regular.
• Frequent Confession: The Sacrament of Penance is considered the sacrament of discernment, because every time you go to confession you have to compare who you are with the person God is calling you to be. If you are seriously discerning a vocation to the priesthood or religious life, it is recommended you go to confession every 2-3 weeks, or at the very least once a month.

Each of these keys to unlocking your vocation is a goal to work towards. It is helpful to talk them over with your spiritual director to help stay on track and not get discouraged. As Our Lord did after He fell when carrying the Cross, get up and keep moving!