“I wonder if I might be called to religious life,” a discerner wrote to me recently. “How do I even begin to find out?” It’s said that one of the hardest parts of any journey is taking the first step – especially when you don’t know what that step should be! As we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany, we can look to Matthew 2:1-12 for inspiration on how to begin. Here are eight tips for discernment from the Magi (and a bonus poem at the end):
1. Pay attention: The Magi come seeking because they saw the newborn Jesus’ star at its rising. Surely, many others had looked upon the same sky, but the Magi took notice. The starting point and sustaining principle of discernment is awareness. Pay attention to the nudges, emotions, and movements of your life as clues to where God may be calling.
2. Take risks: The Magi begin their journey uncertain of where it may lead, but they embark anyway. They come from the East to Jerusalem, a place surely out of their comfort zone. Don’t be afraid to take a first step into unfamiliar territory. In almost every Sister’s vocation story, you will hear something like, “I didn’t know for sure, but I had to check it out.”
3. Seek wisdom and information: The first thing the Magi do in Jerusalem is ask people about Jesus. Research and questioning are important for discernment. If you don’t ask, you’ll never know! Make a point to learn about religious life through online resources, Sisters you may know, and vocation ministers. Seek out a spiritual director to help you listen for God’s voice in all of it.
4. Set out: Once the Magi learn more about Jesus’ birth, they set out from Jerusalem toward Bethlehem, following the star. If learning and connecting compels you further in discernment, it’s important to go out and experience religious life. The pandemic makes this more difficult, but communities have creative ways for you to visit, pray, and serve with Sisters.
5. Spend time with Jesus: Upon arrival, the Magi prostrate themselves before Jesus. It goes without saying that a discernment process must be rooted in prayer and contemplation. As you seek, it is essential to frequently place yourself before Christ with openness and love.
6. Offer your gifts: The Magi then “open their treasures” before Jesus. As you discern through external experiences, spend time growing in self-knowledge as well. What are the unique gifts and passions God has given you, and how could those meet the world’s needs?
7. Trust God’s goodness: The Magi return to their country “by a different way” because God warns them in a dream about Herod. The road of discernment might not be easy, and it might take us places we don’t expect, but we, too, can trust that God’s guidance is always for our good.
8. Never travel alone: Finally, the Magi seek Christ together, reminding us that discernment is a communal practice. If you’re looking for peers with whom to share the journey, check out our virtual discernment group. You don’t have to walk alone. Together, we will find the Light!
Epiphany
A prayer by Margaret Maria Coon, SCN
Dare I plunge into that darkness, following a distant star?
Dare I leave my well-loved baggage; travel free on unknown paths?
Yes, I can if you go with me; if I hold a friendly hand.
Shall we risk this road together seeking for an unknown land?
A land where love will conquer hatred
A land where all can live together sharing all that’s good and true.
Come, let’s plunge into the darkness, free of baggage, trusting Love,
gathering, as fellow pilgrims, needy neighbors on our way.
Come, take my hand, and, in the darkness,
God’s love will be our guiding star.
