Interactive questionnaire to discern one’s vocation can be an enlightening process. Below is a structured set of questions designed to guide reflection on one’s calling to the states of life within the traditional understanding of Catholic vocations. Each question is accompanied by relevant wisdom from the Church Fathers and scripture passages for contemplation.
Questionnaire for Discerning Vocation
1. Personal Calling and Desires
Question: What personal desires or inclinations do you feel most strongly in your heart when you think about your future? Do these desires lead you toward serving others, leading a family, or a devoted life of prayer and service?
- Church Fathers’ Wisdom: St. Augustine once said, “Thou hast made us for Thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in Thee.” Consider how your deepest desires might align with the eternal calling God has planted in your heart.
- Scripture for Contemplation: Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
2. Gifts and Talents
Question: What are the gifts and talents you possess? How do these enhance your ability to serve in specific vocations like marriage, parenthood, priesthood, or religious life?
- Church Fathers’ Wisdom: St. Basil the Great taught about using one’s gifts for the common good: “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.”
- Scripture for Contemplation: 1 Peter 4:10 “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.”
3. Spiritual Attraction
Question: Which aspects of Catholic life draw you most? The sacramental and liturgical life, community life, teaching and preaching, or family and raising children in faith?
- Church Fathers’ Wisdom: St. John Chrysostom highlighted the beauty of familial relationships: “The love of husband and wife is the force that welds society together.”
- Scripture for Contemplation: Ephesians 5:25 “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”
4. Challenges and Sacrifices
Question: What challenges or sacrifices are you willing to embrace in following your vocation? Consider celibacy, obedience, financial simplicity, or the lifelong commitment to a spouse and children.
- Church Fathers’ Wisdom: St. Gregory of Nazianzus wrote about sacrifice: “The proof of love is in the works. Where love exists, it works great things. But when it ceases to act, it ceases to exist.”
- Scripture for Contemplation: Luke 14:33 “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.”
5. Community Feedback
Question: What has been the feedback from those you trust (spiritual directors, mentors, family, and friends) regarding your potential vocation?
- Church Fathers’ Wisdom: St. Jerome emphasizes the value of community and counsel: “Let us take the advice of prudent men as a divine oracle.”
- Scripture for Contemplation: Proverbs 15:22 “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.”
6. Prayer and Discernment
Question: How has your prayer life and discernment process led you to consider certain vocations? Are there any particular moments in prayer that have clarified your vocation?
- Church Fathers’ Wisdom: St. Francis of Assisi, although not a Church Father but a revered figure in Church history, taught about the importance of seeking God’s will: “What you are before God, that you are and nothing more.”
- Scripture for Contemplation: Matthew 7:7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”
This questionnaire is designed to be a starting point in the discernment journey. Reflecting on these questions while engaging with the wisdom of the Church Fathers and scripture can provide significant insights into God’s calling for your life. Additionally, it might be helpful to discuss your reflections with a trusted spiritual director or mentor who can offer further guidance.