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IJCY2-Is Jesus Calling You: Discerning Your Vocation with Fr. Paul Hoesing episode 2

Is Jesus Calling? A Spiritual Guide to Discerning Your Vocational Call with Fr. Paul Hoesing – episode 2: The First Spiritual Lesson: You Must Follow Christ. “Discovering one’s vocation is not a navel-gazing, self-focused, psychological exercise. It’s not about a man figuring something out. It is not about solving a confusing puzzle.”

Questions: Where have you encountered Christ? Where do you experience his loving presence now for you? Where do you feel consciously blessed and grateful for what God has done for you?

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The Second Spiritual Lesson: Learn to desire what God desires for you. “All you need is to desire whatever God may desire for you. Remaining true to this desire opens your heart to receive what God wants for you. Then, God Himself will take care of you.”

Questions: Do you trust that God always wants what is best for you? Where do you begin to become afraid of giving God permission to lead you? When do you begin to try to manipulate God to want what you think will make you happy? When that happens, simply say over and over again inside of yourself to the Father, ‘Father, I give you permission to lead me!’ Or ‘Father, I desire your goodness to me.’ Or, ‘Father, I trust you’”

Based on “Is Jesus Calling You To Be A Catholic Priest: A helpful guide”, published by Nati onal Conference of Diocesan Vocation Director.

Fr. Paul Hoesing serves as the Vocation Director for the Archdiocese of Omaha, NE.
Check out “For Your Vocation.org”

IJCY1-Is Jesus Calling You with Fr. Paul Hoesing episode 1

Is Jesus Calling? A Spiritual Guide to Discerning Your Vocational Call with Fr. Paul Hoesing – episode 1: Introduction – Whether it’s to the priesthood, religious life, married life…discerning what our vocation is can be a challenge, but it doesn’t have to be. Fr. Hoesing discusses what discernment is, what the process is like, and what can help guide us along the way.

Is Jesus Calling? A Spiritual Guide to Discerning Your Vocational Call with Fr. Paul Hoesing - episode 1: Introduction - Whether it's to the priesthood, religious life, married life...discerning what our vocation is can be a challenge, but it doesn't have to be. Fr. Hoesing discusses what discernment is, what the process is like, and what can help guide us along the way.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:46 — 25.4MB) | Embed

Based on “Is Jesus C alling You To Be A Catholic Priest: A helpful guide”, published by Nati onal Conference of Diocesan Vocation Director.

Fr. Paul Hoesing serves as the Vocation Director for the Archdiocese of Omaha, NE.
Check out “For Your Vocation.org”

The Second Meditation – Introduction to the Devout Life: Chapter 10 by St. Francis de Sales audio mp3 edition – Discerning Hearts

Introduction to the Devout Life
By
St. Francis de Sales

read by Omar F. A. Guiterrez

Chapter 10 – The Second Meditation :

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For the pdf containing the complete text and footnotes click here

Other audio meditations from the Introduction of the Devout Life

Of the End for which we were Created.

Preparation.
1. PLACE yourself before God.
2. Ask Him to inspire your heart.

Considerations.
1. God did not bring you into the world because He had any need of you, useless as you are; but solely that He might show forth His Goodness in you, giving you His Grace and Glory. And to this end He gave you understanding that you might know Him, memory that you might think of Him, a will that you might love Him, imagination that you might realise His mercies, sight that you might behold the marvels of His works, speech that you might praise Him, and so on with all your other faculties.
2. Being created and placed in the world for this intent, all contrary actions should be shunned and rejected, as also you should avoid as idle and superfluous whatever does not promote it.
3. Consider how unhappy they are who do not think of all this,—who live as though they were created only to build and plant, to heap up riches and amuse themselves with trifles.

Affections and Resolutions.
1. Humble yourself in that hitherto you have so little thought upon all this. Alas, my God, of what was I thinking when I did not think of Thee? what did I remember when I forgot Thee? what did I love when I loved Thee not? Alas, when I ought to have been feeding on the truth, I was but filling myself with vanity, and serving the world, which was made to serve me.
2. Abhor your past life. I renounce ye, O vain thoughts and useless cogitations, frivolous and hateful memories: I renounce all worthless friendships, all unprofitable efforts, and miserably ungrateful self-indulgence, all pitiful compliances.
3. Turn to God. Thou, my God and Saviour shalt henceforth be the sole object of my thoughts; no more will I give my mind to ideas which are displeasing to Thee. All the days of my life I will dwell upon the greatness of Thy Goodness, so lovingly poured out upon me. Thou shalt be henceforth the delight of my heart, the resting-place of all my affections. From this time forth I will forsake and abhor the vain pleasures and amusements, the empty pursuits which have absorbed my time;—the unprofitable ties which have bound my heart I will loosen henceforth, and to that end I will use such and such remedies.

Conclusion.
1. Thank God, Who has made you for so gracious an end. Thou hast made me, O Lord, for Thyself, that I may eternally enjoy the immensity of Thy Glory; when shall I be worthy thereof, when shall I know how to bless Thee as I ought?
2. Offer. O Dearest Lord, I offer Thee all my affections and resolutions, with my whole heart and soul.
3. Pray. I entreat Thee, O God, that Thou wouldest accept my desires and longings, and give Thy Blessing to my soul, to enable me to fulfil them, through the Merits of Thy Dear Son’s Precious Blood shed upon the Cross for me.

OUR FATHER, etc. Gather your little spiritual bouquet.

IP#40 Fr. George Rutler – Cloud of Witnesses on Inside the Pages

Fr. George Rutler once again offers a beautiful work that is food for the thinking mind and pondering heart. A collection of stories about people, some famous some not, who’s lives “witness” to the power of the Holy Spirit to mold us into the image of Christ (in some cases, unexpected ways). Fr. Rutler is always fun to read; he uses the English language as his palette of beautiful colors in which he paints a fascinating and compelling picture of “the dead people he knew when they were alive”. Don’t miss this one.

Fr. Rutler’s book can be found here

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IP#14 Fr. Paul Hamans – Edith Stein and Companions on the Way to Auschwitz on Inside the Pages

Compelling just isn’t a big enough word to capture the work that Fr. Paul Hamans has given us in this book. “Edith Stein and Companions on the Way to Auschwitz” not only gives us a portrait of the great saint, but gives us the faces and insights into the hearts of those we call “companions”…be prepared to be both heartbroken and inspired at the same time.