Pursuing a religious vocation takes an act of faith

“At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known” (1 Cor. 13:12).

Even a cursory look at Scripture would show that clarity is not meant for us on this side of heaven. Rather, God chooses to interact with us through faith, without which it is impossible to please him (cf. Heb. 11:6). And so, when dealing with matters of God, and for the purpose of our present topic, when dealing with one’s vocation from God, it can only be grasped through faith.

Yet when it comes to setting off on one’s vocation, the coveted “brass ring” that so many people want from God is clarity, or a certain kind of indisputable knowledge: clear visions of the man laying prostrate on the cathedral floor; a woman receiving the habit as she makes her first vows. And if God just gives me that clarity of vision, then I will say yes.

If only. Can God work this way? Sure, he is free to do so. But ask yourself: does he normally work this way? When God called Abraham to leave his homeland behind and set out for Canaan, I don’t think clarity was part of that experience. The same for when he is commanded to offer his son, Isaac, as a holocaust to God. There is a reason why we call Abraham our “father in faith,” and it’s not clarity (cf. Gal. 3:7). Abraham did not have clarity before he set off for Canaan or Moriah, but he stepped out in faith regardless, and then he was rewarded for that faith. So rather than looking for clarity first and then saying yes, I think the Lord is inviting us first to say yes and take that courageous step in faith, and then we will have greater understanding.

Paul says that “at present we see indistinctly.” The Greek word he uses is ainigma, meaning riddle or obscure (from which we get our English word enigma). This isn’t to say that God’s will is a mystery to be solved. No, people can discern with a sort of sense-knowledge that they are called to the religious life. But because we are dealing with a supernatural vocation from God, by necessity it is going to require an act of faith on our end to follow him.

God is pleased when we step out in faith in pursuit of the state in life he has prepared for us. When men and women courageously come forward to give themselves to formation to the religious life, but in so doing come to know that it is not God’s will for them, I am confident that he will generously reward them for their years of prayer and devotion because they acted in faith.

So, discern, yes, but make a decision! The late Father Bob Bedard of the Companions of the Cross once said: “Since discernment has become fashionable, no one has made a decision since.” Ever since I heard that, it’s been buried in my mind and become a favorite of mine to pass on to the seminarians. The point is that yes, we must discern God’s will and where he is calling us, but eventually that discernment must reach a decision point in faith, like Abraham. For you men and women who think that the Lord might be calling you to a closer discipleship in religious life, I must be frank with you: don’t wait any longer and take that first step in faith. And the Lord who sees that you are trying to follow him in faith will generously reward you.

Father Pavlak is director of vocations for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. He can be reached at stpaulpriest@10000vocations.org.