YouTube héberge un film traitant de «controlled male chastity»

Breaking In The Habit s’intéresse au sujet « controlled male chastity »

Breaking In The Habit a récemment publié cette vidéo sur YouTube
focalisé sur « controlled male chastity »:

Lorsque nous avons découvert cette vidéo récemment, elle générait de l’engagement. Le nombre de Likes indiquait: 1135.

L’auteur a fourni une vidéo de 00:12:46 secondes avec le titre 10 Tips for Discerning a Vocation, accompagnée de la description suivante :« SOCIAL MEDIA
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Grâce à sa portée mondiale, YouTube permet à chacun de découvrir des vidéos captivantes traitant de multiples thématiques tout en garantissant un environnement sécurisé. C’est une plateforme idéale pour explorer des idées originales et dialoguer de manière constructive.

Les avantages de la chasteté se manifestent dans le bien-être personnel et moral. Explorer les effets de la chasteté sur le bien-être personnel et moral.

La chasteté, quand elle est appliquée de manière réfléchie, a un impact significatif sur le bien-être personnel. Cette pratique permet d’atteindre une plus grande maîtrise de soi, une clarté mentale accrue, et une paix intérieure qui découle du respect des valeurs morales. En cultivant la chasteté, on obtient une relation plus sereine avec son corps et ses désirs. La liberté obtenue par la chasteté vient de la libération des pulsions et des pressions sociales associées à la sexualité. La chasteté assure un sentiment de pureté morale, améliorant la dignité et l’estime de soi. Les effets de la chasteté sur la santé mentale sont notables. La chasteté aide les individus à développer une confiance en soi renforcée et une meilleure résilience face aux défis.

FAQ : Tout ce que vous devez savoir sur la Chasteté.

La chasteté est-elle une pratique uniquement pour les personnes consacrées ? Non, la chasteté n’est pas uniquement pour les personnes religieuses comme les prêtres ou les consacrés. Comment la chasteté se compare-t-elle à l’abstinence ? L’abstinence se limite à la promesse de ne pas avoir de relations sexuelles. La chasteté inclut parfois l’utilisation d’un accessoire comme une ceinture ou une cage, et suit une méthode de progrès comparable à celle d’un entraînement sportif. Comment la chasteté est-elle vécue au sein du mariage ? Dans le mariage, la chasteté implique souvent une collaboration et une communication entre les époux sur la pratique et les objectifs. Pourquoi la chasteté est-elle si valorisée par l’Église ? Pour l’Église, la chasteté est une vertu clé pour mener une vie conforme aux enseignements chrétiens. Quel est l’impact de la chasteté sur l’épanouissement personnel ? En pratiquant la chasteté, on développe une meilleure maîtrise de soi, une clarté mentale et une paix intérieure, ce qui favorise l’épanouissement personnel.

Mettre en pratique la chasteté chaque jour.

Les stratégies pour intégrer la chasteté dans la vie des hommes sont nombreuses. Pour saisir ses motivations et valeurs, il est crucial de commencer par une introspection. Il est recommandé d’éviter les circonstances qui pourraient éveiller des désirs incontrôlés, comme les contenus sexuels. Rejoindre un groupe de soutien ou avoir un mentor partageant les mêmes convictions peut aider à rester motivé. Dans une société saturée par la sexualité, pratiquer la chasteté peut présenter des difficultés. Les défis à surmonter comprennent la pression sociale et les tentations persistantes. Une discipline personnelle rigoureuse est essentielle pour dépasser ces obstacles. En cas de difficulté, il est important de garder le moral et de recommencer avec une volonté renouvelée. La chasteté est un voyage de patience et persévérance, pas une perfection à atteindre. Intégrer la chasteté dans sa vie permet de connaître une plus grande liberté, une meilleure maîtrise de soi, et un épanouissement spirituel profond. La chasteté, malgré son aspect parfois contraignant dans une culture qui privilégie la sexualité, permet de vivre une vie plus authentique, en accord avec ses valeurs et sa foi.

La chasteté renforce le cheminement spirituel.

La chasteté est considérée comme une pratique spirituelle importante. La sanctification est souvent associée à la pratique de la chasteté dans diverses religions. Maîtriser ses désirs sexuels facilite une plus grande concentration sur le bien-être intérieur. La pratique de la chasteté est vue comme une offrande et un respect envers Dieu. Plutôt que de la considérer comme une privation, la chasteté est vue comme un choix pour élever l’âme. Chaque tradition religieuse a sa propre approche de la chasteté. La chasteté est perçue comme une vertu indispensable pour les prêtres dans le christianisme catholique. L’islam valorise la chasteté en établissant des règles rigoureuses pour réguler la sexualité. Dans l’hindouisme et le bouddhisme, la chasteté est souvent pratiquée par les ascètes pour atteindre l’illumination. Ainsi, la chasteté dépasse les frontières religieuses, unissant les croyants dans une quête commune.

Définir la chasteté dans le contexte d’aujourd’hui. Évaluer la chasteté à travers une lentille moderne.

La chasteté se définit par la maîtrise personnelle en ce qui concerne la sexualité. Il ne s’agit pas seulement d’abstinence, mais de réguler les désirs sexuels avec une intention morale ou spirituelle. Aujourd’hui, la chasteté signifie non seulement la répression des désirs, mais aussi leur orientation vers des valeurs plus élevées comme le respect de soi et des autres. Pour l’homme d’aujourd’hui, la chasteté ne signifie pas abandonner le plaisir, mais choisir de vivre sa sexualité de manière réfléchie.

Évaluer comment la chasteté modifie les relations interpersonnelles et familiales.

La chasteté a également des effets positifs sur les relations interpersonnelles. La cage de chasteté contribue à régénérer les capacités de séduction d’un homme et à changer son comportement avec ses partenaires. Les capacités physiques et sexuelles de l’individu se manifestent de manière plus intense durant l’acte en raison de leur sollicitation réduite. La chasteté peut être pratiquée de façon discrète, sans que le secret ne soit dévoilé aux partenaires. Dans le cadre du mariage, pratiquer la chasteté peut approfondir les relations entre les époux, en favorisant un amour plus pur, éloigné du plaisir physique.

La chasteté : Une valeur à redécouvrir dans le contexte moderne.

La chasteté est une valeur souvent taboue dans le monde moderne. Pour les personnes qui intègrent la chasteté dans leur vie, elle offre une route vers une paix intérieure plus grande, des relations améliorées et une connexion spirituelle plus profonde. Dans les temps anciens, la chasteté était plus souvent reconnue et discutée.Cet articleexplore la question de la chasteté . L’article examine la chasteté sous plusieurs perspectives et fournit aux hommes les outils pour comprendre et pratiquer cette vertu dans leur vie quotidienne.

Examinez les antécédents historiques et culturels de la chasteté.

Les racines de la chasteté plongent profondément dans diverses traditions religieuses et culturelles. Le christianisme associe souvent la chasteté au vœu de continence des prêtres et religieux. Dans l’islam et au sein des Églises catholique et orthodoxe, la chasteté est valorisée comme une vertu essentielle pour les religieux et les laïcs, en particulier avant le mariage. Dans l’Antiquité, la chasteté était un moyen reconnu pour garantir l’intégrité personnelle et la pureté morale. La chasteté est une vertu qui, à travers les âges et les cultures, reste reconnue et respectée.

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#Tips #Discerning #Vocation

Retranscription des paroles de la vidéo: A vocation to the priesthood or religious life is one of the most fulfilling lives anyone could image. As a Franciscan priest, I get to hear confessions, celebrate the mass, live in community, wear some pretty amazing threads, and benefit from 800 years of tradition. I cannot imagine a better life for myself. Which makes it crazy to remember that until I was 20 I had never even considered this life, and for two years fought against it. I felt really called to marriage and didn’t want anything else in life. So how did I discern that I was called to this life, and what advice do I have for young men struggling to understand their call? Here are ten tips. Number 1, don’t get married because you fell in love with a girl, get married because you have a vocation to marriage. To the outside world, this may sound really strange. How could you ever find someone that you love and then walk away from them? The answer, of course, is that there is more to love than just romantic love. Don’t get me wrong, romantic love is wonderful. The idea of having a partner, going through life supporting and challenging one another to sainthood sounds incredible. Add in the fact that this is not just a friend but someone, let’s say what everyone is already thinking, you can have sex with… psh, and that sounds like an impossible deal to turn down. But marriage isn’t just about romantic love or sex. It’s about fidelity. Commitment. Raising children. Building a home. There is a whole life that comes along with it; responsibilities and obligations. For those feel called to this life they are burdens worth enduring, but we have to remember, it is a calling just like anything else. Marriage is a vocation. A vocation, I found, that wasn’t moving my heart. I had girlfriends, sure. I fell in love multiple times, in fact. But falling in love isn’t the same as having a vocation to marriage. Too often I see guys who are interested in priesthood or religious life get caught up because in walks the woman of their dreams and they think they have to pursue that now. But just falling in love isn’t enough. Don’t get married because of a girl, get married because you have a calling to marriage. Number two: Remember that a calling is a duty, not a dream job For most people, discernment focuses primarily on the self. What do I love? What am I good at? Where is the place where I’m going to fit the best? We look at our skills and interests, and try to match it with a career that works for us. Which, I’ll say, isn’t unimportant. It makes sense that we consider the blessings God has bestowed on us and how he wants us to share them most effectively. Absolutely. But this cannot be our only or even primary consideration. Far, far more important is what God wants and needs. Far, far more important is what the Kingdom wants and needs. A look to scripture shows any number of instances in which people were called by God who did not feel that they were up to the task: Moses wasn’t a good speaker, David was just a boy, Isaiah didn’t feel worthy, Esther was worried about the consequences. None of these people would have chosen for themselves what God had planned for them… but they said yes. Why? Because they had a sense of duty. Because they loved God enough to trust him, knowing that whatever he asked for would be for the benefit of the work of salvation and ultimately in their best interest, even if they couldn’t see it themselves. As much as you should consider your gifts and talents, trying to find a good match, sometimes life is about accepting difficult tasks, not because we want them but because it’s our responsibility. Sometimes it a matter of asking, “if not me, then who? If not now, then when?” If you love God and his Church, it might be your responsibility, above all else, to answer the call. Which, unfortunately, forces us to confront number three, which is to consider the worst parts of this life as well. Who doesn’t like the idea of celebrate mass or hearing confessions? Who wouldn’t want to live in community and be a part of an 800 year old tradition. There’s something transcendent about these things, beyond attractive. There’s a reason why these are the things we put in the brochure. But there are a lot of things we don’t put in the brochure. There are things in this life that are challenging, burdensome, even frustrating. I’m talking about paperwork and the bureaucratic nightmare that can be the Roman Catholic Church. I’m talking about the constant reminder of past abuses. I’m talking about dealing with the scrupulous, superstitious, repressed, and hypocrites that seem to be attracted to religion that require tremendous patience and care. While I think the majority of this life is wonderful, like all life choices, it comes with drawbacks. Part of my discernment was asking yourself how you would handle the less-than-desirable aspects of this life, whether or not you could find happiness in the potentially boring day-to-day of it all. Anyone can say yes to the best things. What you have to ask yourself is whether you’re willing to say yes to everything. Number four: Learn to Be a Sheep first It warms my heart to meet 12, 16, 20 year old men who say that they want to be a priest, that they want to be a Franciscan. I say, if you can know that you want to be a doctor or police officer at that age, why can’t you know that you want to be a priest at that age. This is wonderful. But that doesn’t mean that you can or even should start the process at 12, 16, or even 20. For me, and I know some vocation directors will not like me saying this, but I think that it is critically important that you learn to follow before you can lead. Go out into the world and live a little. I don’t mean “live a little.” This isn’t about sin or sowing your wild oats. It’s about being an active member of the Church before you try to lead the Church, a sheep before you are a shepherd. Frankly, I think you should have to suffer through some pretty bad homilies before you’re allowed to stand in a pulpit. You should have to live on your own in the world before you’re allowed to give people advice on how to live. There is something beneficial to seeing things from the other side of the pew. A good priest is one who remembers that they are first and foremost a baptized Christian, that they are chosen from among the people to walk with the people, not over, above, and outside them. Again, I’m not suggesting that you need to be worldly, but you do need to have some experience following before you can lead. Number five, purify your life. This tip is meant in two ways. First, if you want to hear God’s voice and have clarity in your life, you’re going to need to clean up your life a bit. As psalm 36 says, sin speaks to the sinner in the depths of his heart. John 9:31 reminds us that God does not listen to sinners. Evil things keep us from God and bring us happiness in things that do not last. Sin distracts. It clouds our judgment. The more that we give in to temptation the harder it will be to see and choose what God wants for us. But even more than that, living a pure life is a taste of what our calling is in the first place. Removing sin and living in a certain way is not simply a means to figuring out the end, it is the end in itself. The reason that we need to declutter our lives as we discern is so that we can actually practice the life we plan to live. It’s not as if we can turn away from sin for a while to get a clear message and then go back to our sin—we do this to test ourselves, to see if a life of celibate chastity, prayer, and service to others brings us fulfillment. In doing these things, we may experience liberation like no other, encouragement to continue these practices further, or we may find that they suffocate us, that we do not have these gifts. In this case, by putting on the habit of this life for even a small period of time, our call will become clearer. Practicing this life is so important to understanding it, which is why one of the most important points on this list is number six, get out of the chapel. Look, silent prayer is essential. Sitting in front of the tabernacle is what ultimately made me decide to become a friar, and so I cannot stress prayer enough. But it’s important to remember that the tabernacle I was sitting in front of was in a chapel above a soup kitchen where I had been serving the poor all summer. Discernment cannot live in the chapel alone. It cannot exist solely in the spiritual or private dimension. We go to God in the silence to make sense of what we’re seen and felt, we sit in those places to find clarity, but it will only bring us fruit if we have been out in the world enough to have something to pray about. The priesthood is an active vocation. It is one of being a pastor, of being with people, serving their needs, acting as Christ would to the world. How can you know if that’s what God is calling you to do if you remain far from his people, if you never serve the poor, if you don’t roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty? I cannot stress enough that all men in discernment must volunteer on a regular basis serving the disenfranchised. You must interact with people who are outside of the Church needing evangelization. Time has to be spent doing the things that priests do as shepherds. How could you possibly discern if you’re called to be a shepherd if you don’t spend enough time with the sheep that you begin to smell like them? Prayer can be private, as in the chapel, but it call also be active and incarnational with the people. Number seven, come and see. Related to these last two points is the importance of just getting out of your regular life and going to a seminary or religious house to meet other men with this vocation. It’s one thing to read a book or even watch a video about a vocation; it’s something completely different to spend time with someone actually living it. Remember what Jesus said to Andrew and the other follower of John the Baptist when he asked Jesus where he lived. “Come and see.” Being told about something is not the same as seeing if with your own eyes. Sometimes, you have to get out of your house, out of your comfort zone, and see with your own eyes, touch with your own hands, feel with your own heart. Don’t just look something up on a website, go to where it is and see it. Number 8: don’t do it alone. While there is something intimate about a vocation and you are ultimately the only one who has to live our your decision, it is oriented towards the community. God is calling your outside of yourself for the sake of others. For this reason, discernment cannot be a private act. It takes a community to foster a vocation. This includes, obviously, a spiritual director who can help you untangle the many questions and concerns you’re experiencing, someone who, hopefully, has gone through them before. But it also involves the wider community of the faithful. If the ultimate plan is to become a servant to the community, you’re going to need to hear from the community about what they want and need, and more specifically, what they think about you. Our friends and family are often very adept at knowing who we are, sometimes even better than we are at knowing ourselves. Ask the people closest to you. Do you see this vocation in me? Let God speak through his people and have the humility to listen. Number 9: Keep your mind and heart open. Vocations are not always straight paths, even when one is started. It’s amazing for me to think about at where I was in high school when I first discerned active Christian life, in college when I first thought about being a Franciscan, even back to when I was already a few years in formation as a Franciscan. What I see is a very windy road. At each step of the way, I could never have imagined what was ahead. I have had vocational discernment even within my Franciscan vocation, realizing years after I was ordained that God was calling me to a different expression of this life than I first considered. I came in with one vision of my life and have had any number adaptations of that vision along the way. I firmly believe that we all only have one true vocation—to be a disciple of Jesus—and that our lives unfold in many and various ways. Don’t get stuck with too rigid a mindset, cutting off what God has yet to reveal. Even if you come to accept that God has called you to be a priest, continue to seek, listen, and live out that vocation with an open mind and heart. And finally, Number 10: don’t rush the decision. Trust me when I say that I know what it’s like to be in a liminal state, between two things and not sure what to do. I suffered through the agonizing years of not being sure if I should get married or become a friar. Living in that in-between is unsettling. But you gain nothing by rushing the decision. As much as we would love to reach the end quickly, it benefits no one if we end up with the wrong decision, stuck in a vocation that is neither beneficial to us nor the kingdom of God. Take your time. Don’t put pressure on yourself that God doesn’t intend. It is important that we keep moving, and there is no need to know for sure before we make a decision, but timelines are completely artificial. We do not just need priests and religious, we need priests and religious who are ready to give their entire lives to the Gospel. If you still have fears and reservations, if there is something serious that you’re still holding back, then don’t dive into the deep end before you can swim. This won’t save anyone. Just as you should trust God enough to accept a calling with a sense of duty, trust God enough to be patient. He is working on you, and maybe he’s not done yet. Maybe there is more he wants you to see and feel before he wants you to take the leap. If you truly believe that God is in control and are willing to follow, then I tell you there is nothing that could ever come a day early or a day late. Have the patience to led him lead and everything will work out the way its supposed to. .

Déroulement de la vidéo:

0.08 A vocation to the priesthood or religious 
life is one of the most fulfilling lives  
0.08 anyone could image. As a Franciscan 
priest, I get to hear confessions,  
0.08 celebrate the mass, live in community, 
wear some pretty amazing threads,  
0.08 and benefit from 800 years of tradition. 
I cannot imagine a better life for myself.
0.08 Which makes it crazy to remember that until I was 
20 I had never even considered this life, and for  
0.08 two years fought against it. I felt really called 
to marriage and didn’t want anything else in life.
0.08 So how did I discern that 
I was called to this life,  
0.08 and what advice do I have for young men struggling 
to understand their call? Here are ten tips.
0.08 Number 1, don’t get married because 
you fell in love with a girl,  
0.08 get married because you 
have a vocation to marriage.
0.08 To the outside world, this 
may sound really strange.  
0.08 How could you ever find someone that 
you love and then walk away from them?
0.08 The answer, of course, is that there is more to 
love than just romantic love. Don’t get me wrong,  
0.08 romantic love is wonderful. The idea 
of having a partner, going through  
0.08 life supporting and challenging one another to 
sainthood sounds incredible. Add in the fact  
0.08 that this is not just a friend but someone, 
let’s say what everyone is already thinking,  
0.08 you can have sex with… psh, and that sounds 
like an impossible deal to turn down.
0.08 But marriage isn’t just about romantic love or 
sex. It’s about fidelity. Commitment. Raising  
0.08 children. Building a home. There is a whole 
life that comes along with it; responsibilities  
0.08 and obligations. For those feel called to 
this life they are burdens worth enduring,  
0.08 but we have to remember, it is a calling just 
like anything else. Marriage is a vocation.
0.08 A vocation, I found, that wasn’t moving my 
heart. I had girlfriends, sure. I fell in  
0.08 love multiple times, in fact. But falling in love 
isn’t the same as having a vocation to marriage.
0.08 Too often I see guys who are 
interested in priesthood or  
0.08 religious life get caught up because 
in walks the woman of their dreams and  
0.08 they think they have to pursue that now. 
But just falling in love isn’t enough.  
0.08 Don’t get married because of a girl, get 
married because you have a calling to marriage.
0.08 Number two: Remember that a 
calling is a duty, not a dream job
0.08 For most people, discernment focuses primarily 
on the self. What do I love? What am I good  
0.08 at? Where is the place where I’m going to fit 
the best? We look at our skills and interests,  
0.08 and try to match it with a 
career that works for us.
0.08 Which, I’ll say, isn’t unimportant. 
It makes sense that we consider the  
0.08 blessings God has bestowed on us and 
how he wants us to share them most  
0.08 effectively. Absolutely. But this cannot 
be our only or even primary consideration.
0.08 Far, far more important is 
what God wants and needs. Far,  
0.08 far more important is what 
the Kingdom wants and needs.
0.08 A look to scripture shows any 
number of instances in which  
0.08 people were called by God who did not 
feel that they were up to the task:  
0.08 Moses wasn’t a good speaker, David was 
just a boy, Isaiah didn’t feel worthy,  
0.08 Esther was worried about the consequences. None 
of these people would have chosen for themselves  
0.08 what God had planned for them… but they said 
yes. Why? Because they had a sense of duty.
0.08 Because they loved God enough to trust him,  
0.08 knowing that whatever he asked for would 
be for the benefit of the work of salvation  
0.08 and ultimately in their best interest, 
even if they couldn’t see it themselves.
0.08 As much as you should consider your gifts 
and talents, trying to find a good match,  
0.08 sometimes life is about accepting difficult tasks, 
not because we want them but because it’s our  
0.08 responsibility. Sometimes it a matter of asking, 
“if not me, then who? If not now, then when?”
0.08 If you love God and his Church, 
it might be your responsibility,  
0.08 above all else, to answer the call.
0.08 Which, unfortunately, forces 
us to confront number three,  
0.08 which is to consider the worst 
parts of this life as well.
0.08 Who doesn’t like the idea of celebrate mass or 
hearing confessions? Who wouldn’t want to live  
0.08 in community and be a part of an 800 year old 
tradition. There’s something transcendent about  
0.08 these things, beyond attractive. There’s a reason 
why these are the things we put in the brochure.
0.08 But there are a lot of things 
we don’t put in the brochure.  
0.08 There are things in this life that are 
challenging, burdensome, even frustrating.
0.08 I’m talking about paperwork and the 
bureaucratic nightmare that can be the  
0.08 Roman Catholic Church. I’m talking about 
the constant reminder of past abuses. I’m  
0.08 talking about dealing with the scrupulous, 
superstitious, repressed, and hypocrites that  
0.08 seem to be attracted to religion that 
require tremendous patience and care.
0.08 While I think the majority 
of this life is wonderful,  
0.08 like all life choices, it comes with 
drawbacks. Part of my discernment was  
0.08 asking yourself how you would handle the 
less-than-desirable aspects of this life,  
0.08 whether or not you could find happiness in 
the potentially boring day-to-day of it all.
0.08 Anyone can say yes to the 
best things. What you have  
0.08 to ask yourself is whether you’re 
willing to say yes to everything.
0.08 Number four: Learn to Be a Sheep first
0.08 It warms my heart to meet 12, 16, 20 year old men 
who say that they want to be a priest, that they  
0.08 want to be a Franciscan. I say, if you can know 
that you want to be a doctor or police officer  
0.08 at that age, why can’t you know that you want 
to be a priest at that age. This is wonderful.
0.08 But that doesn’t mean that you can or 
even should start the process at 12, 16,  
0.08 or even 20. For me, and I know some vocation 
directors will not like me saying this,  
0.08 but I think that it is critically important 
that you learn to follow before you can lead.
0.08 Go out into the world and live a little.
0.08 I don’t mean “live a little.” This 
isn’t about sin or sowing your wild  
0.08 oats. It’s about being an active member of 
the Church before you try to lead the Church,  
0.08 a sheep before you are a shepherd. Frankly, 
I think you should have to suffer through  
0.08 some pretty bad homilies before you’re allowed 
to stand in a pulpit. You should have to  
0.08 live on your own in the world before you’re 
allowed to give people advice on how to live.
0.08 There is something beneficial to seeing 
things from the other side of the pew.  
0.08 A good priest is one who remembers that they are 
first and foremost a baptized Christian, that they  
0.08 are chosen from among the people to walk with 
the people, not over, above, and outside them.
0.08 Again, I’m not suggesting that 
you need to be worldly, but you  
0.08 do need to have some experience 
following before you can lead.
0.08 Number five, purify your life.
0.08 This tip is meant in two ways. First, 
if you want to hear God’s voice and  
0.08 have clarity in your life, you’re going 
to need to clean up your life a bit.
0.08 As psalm 36 says, sin speaks to the 
sinner in the depths of his heart.  
0.08 John 9:31 reminds us that God does not listen 
to sinners. Evil things keep us from God and  
0.08 bring us happiness in things that do not last. Sin 
distracts. It clouds our judgment. The more that  
0.08 we give in to temptation the harder it will 
be to see and choose what God wants for us.
0.08 But even more than that, living 
a pure life is a taste of what  
0.08 our calling is in the first place. 
Removing sin and living in a certain  
0.08 way is not simply a means to figuring 
out the end, it is the end in itself.
0.08 The reason that we need to declutter 
our lives as we discern is so that we  
0.08 can actually practice the life we plan to 
live. It’s not as if we can turn away from  
0.08 sin for a while to get a clear message and then 
go back to our sin—we do this to test ourselves,  
0.08 to see if a life of celibate chastity, prayer, 
and service to others brings us fulfillment.
0.08 In doing these things, we may experience 
liberation like no other, encouragement  
0.08 to continue these practices further, 
or we may find that they suffocate us,  
0.08 that we do not have these gifts. In 
this case, by putting on the habit  
0.08 of this life for even a small period 
of time, our call will become clearer.
0.08 Practicing this life is so important to 
understanding it, which is why one of  
0.08 the most important points on this list 
is number six, get out of the chapel.
0.08 Look, silent prayer is essential. 
Sitting in front of the tabernacle  
0.08 is what ultimately made me decide to become a 
friar, and so I cannot stress prayer enough.  
0.08 But it’s important to remember that the 
tabernacle I was sitting in front of was  
0.08 in a chapel above a soup kitchen where 
I had been serving the poor all summer.
0.08 Discernment cannot live in the chapel alone. It 
cannot exist solely in the spiritual or private  
0.08 dimension. We go to God in the silence to 
make sense of what we’re seen and felt,  
0.08 we sit in those places to find clarity, 
but it will only bring us fruit if we  
0.08 have been out in the world enough 
to have something to pray about.
0.08 The priesthood is an active vocation. It is 
one of being a pastor, of being with people,  
0.08 serving their needs, acting as Christ 
would to the world. How can you know  
0.08 if that’s what God is calling you to 
do if you remain far from his people,  
0.08 if you never serve the poor, if you don’t 
roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty?
0.08 I cannot stress enough that all men in discernment 
must volunteer on a regular basis serving the  
0.08 disenfranchised. You must interact with people who 
are outside of the Church needing evangelization.  
0.08 Time has to be spent doing the 
things that priests do as shepherds.
0.08 How could you possibly discern if you’re 
called to be a shepherd if you don’t spend  
0.08 enough time with the sheep that you begin 
to smell like them? Prayer can be private,  
0.08 as in the chapel, but it call also be 
active and incarnational with the people.
0.08 Number seven, come and see.
0.08 Related to these last two points is the 
importance of just getting out of your  
0.08 regular life and going to a seminary or religious 
house to meet other men with this vocation.
0.08 It’s one thing to read a book or even watch a 
video about a vocation; it’s something completely  
0.08 different to spend time with someone actually 
living it. Remember what Jesus said to Andrew  
0.08 and the other follower of John the Baptist when 
he asked Jesus where he lived. “Come and see.”
0.08 Being told about something is not the same 
as seeing if with your own eyes. Sometimes,  
0.08 you have to get out of your 
house, out of your comfort zone,  
0.08 and see with your own eyes, touch with 
your own hands, feel with your own heart.
0.08 Don’t just look something up on a 
website, go to where it is and see it.
0.08 Number 8: don’t do it alone.
0.08 While there is something intimate about a 
vocation and you are ultimately the only  
0.08 one who has to live our your decision, 
it is oriented towards the community.  
0.08 God is calling your outside of 
yourself for the sake of others.
0.08 For this reason, discernment cannot be a private 
act. It takes a community to foster a vocation.
0.08 This includes, obviously, a spiritual director 
who can help you untangle the many questions and  
0.08 concerns you’re experiencing, someone who, 
hopefully, has gone through them before.
0.08 But it also involves the wider community of the 
faithful. If the ultimate plan is to become a  
0.08 servant to the community, you’re going to need to 
hear from the community about what they want and  
0.08 need, and more specifically, what they think 
about you. Our friends and family are often  
0.08 very adept at knowing who we are, sometimes 
even better than we are at knowing ourselves.
0.08 Ask the people closest to you. 
Do you see this vocation in me?  
0.08 Let God speak through his people 
and have the humility to listen.
0.08 Number 9: Keep your mind and heart open.
0.08 Vocations are not always straight paths, 
even when one is started. It’s amazing for  
0.08 me to think about at where I was in high school 
when I first discerned active Christian life,  
0.08 in college when I first thought about 
being a Franciscan, even back to when  
0.08 I was already a few years in formation as a 
Franciscan. What I see is a very windy road.
0.08 At each step of the way, I could never have 
imagined what was ahead. I have had vocational  
0.08 discernment even within my Franciscan vocation, 
realizing years after I was ordained that God  
0.08 was calling me to a different expression of this 
life than I first considered. I came in with one  
0.08 vision of my life and have had any number 
adaptations of that vision along the way.
0.08 I firmly believe that we all only have one true 
vocation—to be a disciple of Jesus—and that our  
0.08 lives unfold in many and various ways. 
Don’t get stuck with too rigid a mindset,  
0.08 cutting off what God has yet to reveal. Even if 
you come to accept that God has called you to  
0.08 be a priest, continue to seek, listen, and live 
out that vocation with an open mind and heart.
0.08 And finally, Number 10: don’t rush the decision.
0.08 Trust me when I say that I know what 
it’s like to be in a liminal state,  
0.08 between two things and not sure what to do. 
I suffered through the agonizing years of not  
0.08 being sure if I should get married or become a 
friar. Living in that in-between is unsettling.
0.08 But you gain nothing by rushing the decision. As 
much as we would love to reach the end quickly,  
0.08 it benefits no one if we end 
up with the wrong decision,  
0.08 stuck in a vocation that is neither 
beneficial to us nor the kingdom of God.
0.08 Take your time. Don’t put pressure on yourself 
that God doesn’t intend. It is important that  
0.08 we keep moving, and there is no need to 
know for sure before we make a decision,  
0.08 but timelines are completely artificial.
0.08 We do not just need priests and religious, 
we need priests and religious who are ready  
0.08 to give their entire lives to the Gospel. 
If you still have fears and reservations,  
0.08 if there is something serious 
that you’re still holding back,  
0.08 then don’t dive into the deep end before 
you can swim. This won’t save anyone.
0.08 Just as you should trust God enough to 
accept a calling with a sense of duty,  
0.08 trust God enough to be patient. He is 
working on you, and maybe he’s not done  
0.08 yet. Maybe there is more he wants you to see 
and feel before he wants you to take the leap.
0.08 If you truly believe that God is in 
control and are willing to follow,  
0.08 then I tell you there is nothing that 
could ever come a day early or a day late.  
0.08 Have the patience to led him lead and everything 
will work out the way its supposed to.
.