Discerning Religious Life
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux once estimated that about one out of three Catholics (~33%) have a vocation to the consecrated life. Yet today, less one in every twenty-thousand Catholics (~0.005%) are consecrated religious. These statistics, if even remotely accurate, help us to better understand the difficulty Catholics face today when discerning a religious vocation, that is; that many either do not hear the call of God, or hear but do not listen.

A Natural Desire for Marriage
What then, is the reason for such a disparity? First, we may observe that, in terms of discernment, marriage has an immediate "advantage" over celibacy, in that it is in accord with man's natural desires. All men and women have a deeply ingrained desire to be loved by another person and to raise a family. It is therefore easy for someone to mistakenly believe they have a vocation to marriage, when in fact they might not. This natural inclination is further exacerbated by the society in which we live, which obsesses on dating and relationships to near compulsion. The institution of marriage is often viewed as the natural next step in one's life that everyone is expected to perform. In brief, discerning a religious vocation today is nothing less than difficult. It requires one to say "no" to what is natural, tangible, and before our eyes, and "yes" to a seemingly remote ideal (it should be no surprise why the Catholic Church prays for vocations with such frequency).

"The Heart is Deceitful"
The prophet Jeremiah tells us, "The heart is deceitful above all things. Who can know it?" (Jer 17:9). It is thus how one should approach discernment, that is; to place little emphasis on feelings, and greater emphasis on reason, in view of the counsel of Holy Mother Church. Therefore, if the Church considers the married state to be a good, and the consecrated life of celibacy to be a better good (see; A Higher Calling), right reason dictates that we ought to prefer the better good by default, unless/until God reveals otherwise. Saint Ignatius exhorts us in a similar manner;

"If a person thinks of embracing a secular life, he should ask and desire more evident signs that God calls him to a secular life, than if there were question of embracing the evangelical counsels; for Our Lord Himself has evidently exhorted us to embrace His counsels."

Discernment then might be considered a test of the will, that is to say to oneself; "I love Christ enough to sacrifice what I so deeply desire; marriage. I therefore submit myself to the direction of His Church. I do not trust in my feelings. But I choose the better way, until God reveals otherwise." This is not, however, to mean that a vocation to the religious life should be forced. Rather, it is acknowledging our human predispositions and allowing the opportunity for the desires of one's heart to grow, rather than shutting the door before it ever had a chance to open. Saint Paul counsels us in the same manner; "Are you free of a wife? Then do not look for a wife. If you marry, however, you do not sin..but such people will experience affliction in their earthly life, and I would like to spare you that." - 1 Cor 7

Marriage's Ultimate Fulfillment
It is therefore necessary during one's discernment to understand that religious life is not a "giving up" of marriage. Rather, it is an elevation of marriage, beyond this world, towards its ultimate fulfillment - it is to live, here on earth, a more intimate union with heavenly reality. Instead of marrying a man - a creature - religious marry Christ Himself, wed to the Church. Instead of raising children, religious priests adopt every soul as their spiritual child. Instead of devoting one's life towards the salvation of immediate family, religious devote their lives to the salvation of the world, actualized through the rigors of daily prayer, work, and sacrifice. In this way, consecrated life is everything that marriage is, but elevated to a higher dignity and perfection. It redirects man's natural desire for marriage towards a higher and more perfect end; towards the mystical marriage between Christ and His Church. It is thus that the Church considers the consecrated life an act of supererogation, that is; for those who want to become perfect (Matt. 5:48, "be therefore perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect" ), for it is first by becoming perfect, that one is able to sanctify others to the highest degree possible.

How do I Know for Sure?
One of the greatest signs of a vocation to the religious state can be summed up with just one question: Do I desire to become a Saint? The deep desire for holiness and union with God should be the driving force behind every potential vocation to the religious state, for this is precisely why the religious state exists; to generate Saints and sanctify souls. This is not to say that one cannot become a saint in the married state, however. Certainly, it is possible that a mother or father could be raised to the altar (St. Gianna Molla, for example). Yet one cannot ignore the fact that the vast majority of Saints throughout history have been, hands down, clergy and religious. Perhaps equally important to note is that one need not have absolute certainty of a calling to the religious life in order to have a genuine vocation. If there is but the smallest seed within a soul that causes the soul to consider the consecrated life, then this is enough reason to water and cultivate this seed, to see whether is takes root or not.

"To know whether God will have a person become a religious it is not to be expected that God Himself should speak, or send an angel from heaven to signify His will. It is not necessary that ten or twelve confessors should examine whether the vocation is to be followed. But it is necessary to correspond with the first movement of the inspiration, and to cultivate it, and then not to grow weary if disgust or coldness should come on. If a person acts thus, God will not fail to make all succeed to His glory. Nor ought we to care much from what quarter the first movement comes. The Lord has many ways of calling His servants."
- St. Francis De Sales

Every Person has the Capacity to Become a Saint
Realizing that discouragement is a tool of our common adversary, we must remind ourselves that all things done for the love of God will bear fruit in the end. A soul that enters religious life can be sure that God will provide the necessary graces to fulfill its call to the highest degrees of holiness, if the soul so wills (Matt. 19:29, "every one that hath left house, brothers, sisters, father, mother, wife, children, or lands for My sake, shall receive a hundred times as much"). Indeed, the Saints tell us that every person has the capacity to become a saint. According to Saint Faustina, becoming a saint--or, giving God the greatest possible glory that we are capable of--requires nothing other than a persistent good will to do so.

"Let no soul, even the most miserable, fall prey to doubt; for, as long as one is alive, each one can become a great saint, so great is the power of God's grace. It remains only for us not to oppose God's actions."
- Diary of Saint Faustina, p.134

"On a certain occasion, I saw a person about to commit a mortal sin. I asked the Lord to send me the greatest torments so that that soul could be saved. Then I suddenly felt a terrible pain of a crown of thorns on my head. It lasted for quite a long time, but that person remained in the Lord's grace... O my Jesus, how very easy it is to become holy! All that is needed is a bit of good will. Jesus sees this little bit of good will in the soul, He hurries to give Himself to the soul, and nothing can stop Him, neither short comings or falls - absolutely nothing. Jesus is anxious to help that soul, and if it is faithful to this grace from God, it can very soon attain the highest holiness possible for a creature here on earth. God is very generous and does not deny His grace to anyone. Indeed He gives more than what we ask of Him."

"O God, how easy it is to know Your will in the convent! We religious have God's will set clearly before our eyes from morning till night, and in moments of uncertainty we have our superiors through whom God speaks. [...] My life is not drab or monotonous, but it varied like a garden of fragrant flowers, so that I don't know which flower to pick first, the lily of suffering, or the rose of love of neighbor, or the violet of humility"
- Diary, p. 138

Corresponding to Grace
This is not to say that when a person enters the religious state, that they, in an instant, become a saint. It is true that God provides the graces necessary for sanctity, but the soul must also correspond to those graces, through a life of continual vigilance and sensitivity to the promptings of grace, ongoing mortifications, prompt obedience and denial of self-will. According to the Saints, the religious state is such a sure and safe route, that it virtually obliges one to become perfect; to root out even small imperfections. One might concludes, then, that if a soul does not attain perfection in the religious state, then it has failed at fulfilling its vocation. Satan once confessed to Saint Faustina that his hordes of demons prowl through convents and monasteries in search of lukewarm souls, for which they have the greatest access. It is up to the religious, therefore, to remain ever vigilant in growing in virtue. Just as the Saints had to grow out of certain weaknesses, so too must all men. The only difference between the Saints and us, is the Saints had the will to get up after each fall, brush the "dust" off their shoulders, and press on with firm resolution for love of God. Holiness is not a wild fire that burns out as quickly as it ignited. Rather, it is a small but steady flame; unceasing in its intensity and constant in its light. According to the revelations given to Venerable Mary of Agreda, many souls allow their flame to burn out and fail to attain perfection precisely because they flee from the cross, from dying to themselves;

Our Lady to Mary of Agreda:  "I desire, then, that thou labor until all love of self die within thee, that thou suppress all the effects of the first sin until all the earthly inclinations consequent upon it are totally extinguished....for the greatest difficulty in practising virtue consists in dying to all that is pleasurable to the senses. Thou canst not be a fit instrument in the hands of the Lord, such as He desires thee to be, if thou dost not cleanse thy faculties even of the images of all creatures, so that they do not find entrance into thy desires...Be careful not to allow thyself to be matered by anything, be it ever so small; for in order to start a great conflaration the smallest spark is sufficient...

"Ponder, then, dearest, upon the small return given for the love of my Son and Lord by mortals, and how forgetful of thanks even his faithful continue to be. Assume it as thy task, as far as thy weak powers allow, to render satisfaction for this grievous offense: loving Him, thanking Him and serving Him with all thy powers, for all the other men who fail to do so. Therefore, thou must be an angel in promptitude, most fervent and punctual on all occassions; thou must die to all earthly things, eliminating and crushing all human inclinations and rising upon the wings of love to the heights of love designed for thee by the Lord....

Saint Francis De Sales: “Many enter religion without knowing why they do so. They come into a convent parlour, they see nuns with calm faces, full of cheerfulness modesty and content, and they say to themselves: ‘What a happy place this is! Let us come to it. The world frowns on us; we do not get what we want there.' Others come in order to find peace, consolation and all sorts of sweetness, saying in their minds: ‘How happy religious are! They have got safe away from all their home worries; from their parents continual ordering about and fault-finding -- let us enter religion.’
        "These reasons are worth nothing. Let us consider whether we have sufficient courage and resolution to crucify and annihilate ourselves, or rather to permit God to do so. You must understand what it is to be a religious. It is to be bound to God by the continual mortification of ourselves, and to live only for Him. Our heart is surrendered always and wholly to His Divine Majesty; our eyes, tongue, hands and all our members serve Him continually. Look well into your heart and see if you have resolution enough to die to yourself and to live only to God. Religion is nothing else than a school of renunciation and self mortification.”

The Holiness Necessary for the Priesthood
The dignity of the priest, according to the Saints, is of such an exalted state, that it surpasses all other created dignities in existence. Saint Bernardine of Sienna says; "the power of the priest is the power of the divine person, for the transubstantiation of the bread requires as much power as the creation of the world." Saint Alphonsus De Liguori quotes St. Augustine saying; "to sanctify a sinner is a greater work than to create heaven and earth". He concludes; "since the priest represents Jesus Christ, he ought to have as much purity as would entitle him to stand in the midst of the angels". The priest, if he is holy, is like a net that carries with him many souls to heaven. It is thus that our common adversary concentrates his efforts towards the ruin of the clergy above all else - for to take out a footsoldier is of no great value, but to take out the general of an army secures almost certain victory. Therefore it is absolutely necessary, says Saint Alphonsus, that anyone discerning the priesthood first gain victory over his passions and affection for sin, and demonstrate a life of virtue, before entering the sanctuary to call down, through his hands, the Creator of the universe.

"For in religion, one purifies one's self of one's vices, whilst to receive Holy Oders, it is necessary that one has already led a pure and holy life....St. Thomas gives a reason for such a regulation: it is this, that in receiving Holy Orders, one is destined to the most sublime ministry, that of serving Jesus Christ in the sacrament of the altar. Hence, the Angelic Doctor adds that the sanctity of ecclesiastics ought to surpass that of the religious... Between priests and the rest of men' says St. Ambrose, 'there should be nothing in common as to works and as to conduct. And St. Isidore of Pelusium says that between the sanctity of a priest and a good secular the difference should be as great as between heaven and earth" - Dignities and Duties of the Priesthood, St. Alphonsus De Liguori

The Saint continues; " St. Cyprian said, that all those that had the true spirit of God were, when compelled to take the order of priesthood, seized with fear and trembling, as if they saw an enormous weight placed on their shoulders, by which they were in danger of being crushed to death... Formerly there were but few priests among the monks - whose lives were so austere - and the monk who aspired to the priesthood was considered to be a proud man."

Suffice to say, this reverence and awe of the dignity of the priesthood has largely been obscured in today's society, even within the walls of seminaries. Seminary life is no longer what it used to be. In years past, if one were to visit a seminary, they might get the impression that they were visiting a monastery. Today, however, most seminaries seem to resemble that of country clubs rather than monasteries; with billards tables, bars, lounges, swimming pools, etc. Seminaries today offer little schooling in terms of prayer, recollection, and penance. It is thus, that, one may be led to weigh the potential benefit of discerning and/or preparing for the priesthood by first entering the religious state, for it is within the walls of the cloister, according to Saint Alphonsus, that a soul is likely to find an environment suited for the preparation of this great dignity.

Seven Practical Tips
The following are a few points that one might follow during the discernment process.

1. Take action. Religious communities welcome discerning guests to stay with them. Make arrangements to visit certain communities for a short period of time (perhaps 4-6 days). They will provide you with food, shelter, water, shower, bathroom - in short, everything you need. All you need to bring is yourself, changes of clothes, and toiletries.
2. Repeat #1. If a man were to approach marriage in the same way that some people approach discerning religious life, then he would remain single all his life. He might read books about relationships, or research dating on the internet, but would never actually spend time with the woman he is to court, to get to know her personality, to see whether she is to be his future wife. In much the same way, discerning religious life requires more than reading or conducting research on the internet. The more exposure one has to religious communities, the better position they will be in to make an informed decision. At the very least, a person should grant the same amount of exposure to discerning a religious vocation, as was granted to past relationships. In the mean time, by pursuing this higher calling and making visits to various communities, a soul will begin to learn invaluable lessons in prayer, penance, and community life -- for nowhere else on this earth is there a better training ground for prayer than in religious communities. The time spent visiting religious communities, if even a few days at a time, will be of great benefit to the soul not only in its discernment, but for its spiritual growth as well. Thus it is a "win-win situation", as it were.
3. Consecrate yourself to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and submit yourself to her Maternal care. Saint Louis De Montfort stated that with Mary, a soul can quickly attain the highest degrees of perfection possible. Ask Our Lady to take you by the hand on the path that brings the greatest glory to her Son. And do not be surprised when She does.
4. Avoid relationships with those of the opposite gender. At the very least, give primacy of place to time spent discerning religious life. Give the respect due to the higher calling. If God wants you to be married, then He will send the right person in due time, and you can be sure that it was His will, and not your own.
5. Frequent the Sacraments. Go to confession often, and to daily Mass if possible. Also spend an hour in Eucharistic Adoration daily, if possible. It is unimaginable how many graces God grants a soul through Eucharistic Adoration.
6. Find a competent spiritual director, if at all possible. Do not trust your feelings, but allow God to direct you under the direction of a wise and learned priest.
7. Remember that there is no commitment. Even if you were to formally enter a community as a postulant, you do not take perpetual vows until 5-8 years into religious life. The postulancy and novitiate periods are considered times of ongoing discernment, and a person is free to leave at any point if they feel God calling them elsewhere.

"To Whom Much is Given, Much will be Expected"
As a final note, it is good to recall that if God has favored a soul with many graces, much will be expected of that soul. This should in no way increase one's pride, however. On the contrary, it should humble the soul even more, for being favored in this way apart from any merit of its own (and the harsher it will be judged). Let us examine ourselves, to see whether we were granted such grace, despite our unworthiness;

• To be a member of His Church, an heir with Christ, regenerated through Baptism and continually sanctified by Our Eucharistic Lord.
• To have been born into a loving family, who provided and sacrificed for us throughout our lives.
• To have somehow avoided great risks, or walked through many valleys, without getting harmed (as if something outside of ourselves were protecting us)
• To be well-adjusted, level headed, moderate
• To already posses certain virtues, such as prudence, temperance, or fortitude.
• To desire holiness and the salvation of souls
• To have an abhorence for sin, or at least posses a continual desire to conquer one's affection for sin
• To love God to the point that our lives are defined by Him; we stand or fall by Him. To desire divine union.

Padre Pio, Secrets of a Soul, p. 51
"My soul is spurred on by the liveliest gratitude to attest that the Lord grants such grace to my soul without my meriting it. Far be it for me to consider myself superior to other souls for this reason. On the contrary, I believe that of all the people in the world, I am the one who serves the Lord least, and since the Lord gave such clarity to my soul through this grace, I acknowledge myself to be more obliged than any other soul to serve and love the Creator. For my soul, every minute of imperfection I commit is a sword of sorrow that pierces my heart."

Davide A. Bianchini, Contact