Vocations Online

Online Discernment 
for Young Adults

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Scripture

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Reflection Questions

Journaling

Send comments and questions to:

Father Burke Masters
402 S. Independence Blvd.
Romeoville , IL 60446
815/834-4004

 

Topic 8: Living in Community

(You might want to print this page so that you can work on these activities and prepare your journal entry off-line. Then when you are ready to send your journal entry, return to this page and continue.)

God calls everyone to community. We know this not only from the yearnings of our hearts, but also from the Bible and from Christian tradition.

wake up one day and say, "I’ve got it all figured out, I know who I am to be for the rest of my life." The responses we make to these questions will change as we change. Our understanding of who we are will deepen and grow as we prayerfully consider these questions.

Some Scripture Passages to Consider:

Three scripture passages are listed below. Spend two days praying with each passage. Each day take at least ten minutes in a quiet place, read the passage, and simply ask, "What is the most important message God is giving me today through this passage?"

  1. Psalm 139
  2. Luke 1:26-56
  3. Philippians 3:10-14

Some Activities to Try:

  1. Ask two friends and two members of your family to name three positive qualities and gifts that they see in you.
  2. Look at the list of items below. In the first column rank each item from 1 - 5 (1= very important; 2 = somewhat important; 3 =a little important; 4 = not sure; 5 = not important) based on how you live your life right now. In the second column rank each item using the same 1 - 5 scale based on how you wish you lived your life. When finished, compare your responses from the right column and the left.
My Friends My Friends
Praying Daily Praying Daily
Living Simply Living Simply
Exercise / Sports Exercise / Sports
My Family My Family
Having a Good Reputation Having a Good Reputation
My Faith My Faith
Watching TV Watching TV
Being Smart Being Smart
Helping the Needy and Poor Helping the Needy and Poor
Looking Good Looking Good
Being Rich Being Rich
My Computer My Computer

Some Questions to Reflect On:

  1. What do you like most about yourself?
  2. List the names of two people who love you. List the names of two people you feel you love. How do people express their love to you? How do you express your love to others?
  3. If you had an entire day of free time and could do anything you wanted, what would that day be like?


"Getting Started" Journal Entry

We suggest that you work on the journal questions off-line in a word processing program. Then you can cut-and-paste your responses into the appropriate areas.

Your name:
 
City, State:

Your e-mail address:

Your Age:

Choosing a Discernment Companion: The following vocation directors have volunteered their efforts to help young people discern via the internet. You can select one person from this list to connect with via email to be a discernment companion.

Father Burke Masters

Father John is a diocesan priest and serves the Joliet Diocese (Illinois) as vocation director. He was ordained in 1989. Before entering the seminary he earned a B.S. degree in Mathematics and Computers. He enjoys working with the spiritual lives of young people, especially through retreats.

Brother Guy Jelinek, OSB

Brother Guy is a Benedictine Monk of St. Procopius Abbey, in Lisle, Illinois. He has taught high school biology at Benet Academy and lives in the dorms of Benedictine University.

Sister Carmen Marie Grango

Sister Deborah Suddarth

Sr. Antoinette Cedrone

OR Scroll Here to find the Vocation Director you would like to work with: :

To help your companion get to know you a little better, please describe your family. How many are in your family? Who do you currently live with? What are some of the important things you learned from your family?

Your companion will also want to know a little about your relationship with God and your faith. How do you like to pray? Were you raised in the Catholic faith? How do you try to share your faith with other people?

 
Human relationships are also important to us. Please tell your companion a little about what you look for in friendship. Are you good at making new friends? What good things or talents do you think your friends see in you? Do you consider yourself better at working with a group or dealing with people one-on-one?

 

What thoughts or feelings from the Scripture passages, activities or reflection questions would you life to share with your companion? Do you have any questions you would like to ask?

Clicking on the "Send Journal Entry" button will send your journal entry to the discernment companion you selected on this form. You should hear back from your companion within a day or two.

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