catholic discernment

In this episode Renee and Maureen bring on special guest and good friend, Rory Neary, to talk about what to do once you have discerned your vocation. Rory walks you through her religious life discernment process and answers some questions you may have about what it takes to be a sister/nun. We also touch on what to do if you have discerned marriage and share helpful tips on planning the path after formal discernment!

Just because you desire something deeply doesn’t mean it’s God’s plans for you. Sometimes our desires and God’s will are different. Our desires are not predictors of the future and they’re not the voice of God. We are supposed to tend to our desires and discern what is being revealed through them, but letting them dictate your path in life is not wise. Especially when it comes to romantic relationships, we tend to favor the decisions that would give us our desire. If the person you desire keeps coming up in prayer, it’s because you keep bringing him or her up. Don’t fool yourself. At the heart of this desire is probably a good longing for marriage and a family. Acknowledging the desire for what it is will help you make a more clear-headed decision regarding it. You may also have a desire to pursue a certain career path. If you want to sing, for example, do you want to spend every day singing and live the life of a singer? When you acknowledge the realistic lifestyle your dream job would entail, it often brings sobriety to your desire. If the desire still does not subside, don’t automatically assume it’s because it must be your destiny. Examine your past, your conscience, and the things that have influenced you. Examine the things that may have brought about this desire. This examination will teach you valuable things about yourself. Our desire for goodness and holiness is a good thing. We have these desires so we can learn more about what’s deepest in our hearts. So next time one of your recurring desires come back, go deeper and ask yourself, “What does this desire really reveal about me? What do I really want at the very core of it?” Bring it to prayer and God will reveal something very profound, as he has often been known to do.

This episode had one topic and one topic only: Vocations. Choosing to follow Christ is the most important decision we will ever make; discerning and living our vocation is the second. Whether you have been married, a priest, or a religious for many years or are single and discerning your vocation, this is the episode for you.  In the first segment, I share what I learned from a recent talk I heard from the Vocations Director of the Austin Diocese. He brought a great pamphlet for those discerning vocations that I share from to start off the show. It tackles many of the common objections to living the priesthood or religious life with a little comedy along the way. In the second segment, I am joined by Dean Ouellette "The Married Catholic Guy." He shares about how his faith took him from the brink of divorce twice to having a happy and loving marriage. He now shares his story and encouragement with other married couples to prevent and help heal broken marriages.. For more from Dean, check out his website. In the final segment, I tackle the big question for those discerning their vocation: "How do I know what God wants me to do and how do I prepare for my vocation." By sharing the story of my discernment process and with the help of those who commented on my social media feeds answering "What are the qualities of a good spouse or priest/religious?" I hope to help you along and put you at peace in your discernment. Subscribe/Rate Never miss out on the craziness of each episode by subscribing to our channel here (https://www.youtube.com/c/ForteCatholic?sub_confirmation=1) Help other people find the show and #MakeCatholicismFunAgain by sharing this video on your social media. Thanks! Follow Forte Catholic: 🎉Twitter: @taylorschroll(https://twitter.com/TaylorSchroll) & @fortecatholic(https://twitter.com/ForteCatholic) 🎉Instagram: @taylorschroll(https://www.instagram.com/taylorschroll/) 💖Twitch: Twitch.tv/fortecat Forte Catholic Podcast: 🎵 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forte-catholic-podcast-making-catholicism-fun-again/id1162464998?mt=2 🎵 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1ZiCiNAg9c9vaAuKdKuX2C?si=9uAB6FuDSpejZNOIve3xjQ 🎵 Fireside: https://fortecatholic.fireside.fm Donate Forte Catholic is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Support the work with a tax-deductible donation here. Thanks! https://www.fortecatholic.com/donate Music by Taylor Schroll Logos designed by James Longoria Produced by Taylor Schroll Edited by Nate Bentz