S JESUS CALLING YOU TO BE A SERVANT? By Rev. Thomas J. Richter

First Lesson: You must encounter Christ One experiences the beauty of God’s call in a moment of grace which could be defined as “falling in love.”… It is only when a young man has had a personal experience of Christ that he can truly understand the Lord’s will and consequently his own vocation. - Pope Benedict XVI World Youth Day in Cologne Discovering one’s vocation is not a navel-gazing, self-focused, psychological exercise. It’s not about figuring something out, It is not about solving a confusing puzzle. It is about meeting a person: the person of Christ. Then, Christ reveals His chosen vocation to the man. So, where do you encounter Christ? You encounter Him in the sacraments and in silent prayer. “ Discovering one’s vocation is not a navel-gazing, self-focused, psychological exercise. It’s not about figuring something out, It is not about solving a confusing puzzle.”

Second Lesson: Learn to desire what God desires for you Seeking God’s will must include the desire to do it. The first step is to want to be faithful to the Lord. Trust in the goodness of the Father. This is the needed fundamental disposition for anyone who wants to know his/her vocation. “All you need is to desire whatever God may desire for you. Remaining true to this desire opens your heart to receive what God wants for you. Then, God himself will take care of you.”

Third Lesson: Trust God You can’t receive your vocation until you trust in God. (Mt. 14:22-33) The classroom of dependence is the place where God wants you to receive His help, where He wants you to experience Him taking care of you, where He wants you to let Him do something for you. And He will, if you trust Him in that place. How does your heart trust when you enter this classroom of dependence? What is the choice you make? “ When the thought of your vocation comes to your mind, dwelling on it over it over trying to control it or trying to get rid of it, then you will be choosing not to trust.”

Fourth Lesson: It takes time Coming to know what God wants for us takes time. It is a process. Following God is not about a one-time experience. God’s will becomes known to us over a period of time. It is easy for a man to get focused on the question, “Am I supposed to be a priest or sister? Yes or no?” This usually causes one to feel pressure and anxiety to figure out this “problem.” One needs a listening heart and patience to know and do God’s will. The Father simply wants you to trust Him enough to take the next step, not the 10th or 20th step. “The Father simply wants you to trust Him enough to take the next step, not the 10th or the 20th step. He wants you to focus on going from A to B, not on going from A to Z. When you take that step, Jesus will reveal the next one.”

Fifth Lesson: Your peace is found in Jesus The first desire of the risen Christ for His followers was for them to have peace. “ Peace be with you.” (John 20:19) Christ’s presence is enjoyable; it gives us peace, stillness, clarity and gratitude.

Sixth Lesson: Your fear is from the Spirit against Christ God does not reveal Himself through fear, pressure or confusion. This is where the spirit against Christ reveals himself. (Luke 1:26-30)

Seventh Lesson: God’s will is found in your will when you are in Christ The thoughts, feelings and desires one has within the experience of peace and stillness in the presence of Christ are God’s thoughts, feelings and desires. In order to know God’s will, one simply needs to pay attention to one’s thoughts, feelings and desires when one is experiencing the peace, stillness, clarity and gratitude found in Christ’s presence. “God’s will, His desire for you is not out there somewhere! It is found in your own desire when you are in Christ! That is the will of God for you!”

Eighth Lesson: The will of the spirit against Christ is revealed in fear As the seventh lesson stated, God does not reveal Himself by fear or through fear. God reveals His desires to us and draws us by a peaceful presence. The spirit against God, not God, reveals his desires in fear. He leads us by a fear flowing from a false belief, a lie. “God does not scare a man into the priesthood, nor does He scare a man into a marriage. God does not scare a man into celibacy, nor does He scare him from celibacy. God does not scare anyone into anything.” “The spirit against Christ drives a man by a fear of something false, while the spirit of Christ draws a man by a peaceful presence to something that is true.”

Ninth Lesson: You must stand firm in faith in what you have received from God This lesson is about choosing to follow the spirit of God or choosing to follow the spirit against God. The need to stand firm in faith in what you have received in your heart from God. “This is the essential choice. If one does not make this choice, his spiritual life will be the experience of a ping pong ball, bouncing back and forth, believing one desire one day and the opposite one the next He will be a confused man.

Tenth Lesson: Jesus speaks to you through the Church Every vocation must be confirmed by the Catholic Church. Christ speaks to each individual human heart, but he also speaks most authoritatively to the heart of his bride, the Church.