God's Call

Step #1: Lectio / Read

Click the link below or open your Bible to the passage and read through the reading at least once, paying attention to what is happening in the text.

Romans 11:29-36

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​Step #2: Meditatio / Meditate

Use the following meditation to help you reflect more deeply on the Scripture (you may want to read the passage again).

As we celebrate this week as National Vocation Awareness Week, I was reflecting on some of the thoughts that I had when discerning the call to the priesthood. Often those thoughts can be indicators as to where God was leading me.

I distinctly remember having this one come up quite often: “Maybe this feeling of being called will just go away.” It is also the thought of many who feel the draw towards religious life. Fear of the unknown can lead to a questioning of the call that the Lord places on our hearts. But as the first reading says today: “The gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.” This phrase ought to encourage us- not instill fear in us. Why? Because if God calls us to a certain vocation, then He will also give us the gifts in order to fulfill that vocation well and most perfectly.

It is important to remember that even the call of God is a gift! And if we spend so much time considering the best gift to give to someone we love, how much more will God give to us the best gift for each of us. He has made us and He knows us better than we know ourselves, so it is actually pride that causes us to think that I know what is better for my life than the God who created me and wants my eternal happiness.

So whether we are discerning God’s will for our lives or whether we are living out our vocation and searching how the Lord desires us to go deeper, it can be really helpful to not only ask Him what He wants with your life, but also to keep check of your thoughts, feelings, and emotions. What am I drawn to? Why does this thought cause me fear when I think about it? A common phrase that gave me courage when I thought that I couldn’t possibly be a priest even if God called me was this: God doesn’t call the qualified- He qualifies the called. Let God gift you with the call to your vocation.

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Step #3: Oratio / Pray

These questions are to be used to talk to God; have a conversation with the Lord about these questions and what is going on in your heart as you pray today.

What does God want for me?

What am I drawn to? ​Where do I find joy? What causes me fear? 

Where is God leading me?

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Step #4: Contemplatio / Contemplate

In this step, you listen. Stop talking, let God speak to your heart. You may repeat one of these short phrases to focus your mind on the Lord.

"God doesn’t call the qualified- He qualifies the called."

“The gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.”

​"The call of God is a gift."

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Step #5: Actio / Act

In light of today's reading and your time spent in prayer with the Lord, what concrete action or actions will you take to let this encounter with the Lord bear fruit in you today?

Pray with your vocation today. Ask God to help you understand it and know it as a beautiful gift! 

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Smartphone Lock Screen

The following image is here for you to save and use as a background or lock screen on your smartphone or device to help you carry today's Lectio Divina with you the rest of the day.

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Today's prayer was prepared by Fr. Sean Grismer, priest of the Diocese of Rockford.