God has His own way of nudging us toward our calling. In this installment of our Spiritan Journeys series, Fr. Uju Okeahialam, C.S.Sp. explains how sometimes if you just jump into the water and give religious life a try, you will find out one way or another if that's where the Spirit is leading you.
There is no failure in discernment.



Transcript: So what advice can I give to someone who is discerning life in the priesthood or religious life, especially with my own community the Holy Ghost Congregation, the Spiritans. 

The first thing I will tell you if you are discerning is listen to the Spirit and give it a trial. Listen to the spirit and give it a try, why do I say this? For you to be discerning is that something had touched you to say, "You know what, this may be what I'm what I'm going to do." Something must have happened in your life. Somebody has spoken to you about the way they see your life or there's one attraction of the order that has made you say "You know what, let me try this." So if you have that, give it a trial. Let It Be. Swim in it. 

Yes, I know as individuals who always have the fear of failure then we try to do the best we can not to take the wrong steps and then look back and say, "You know what, I didn't succeed." No, don't think that way because the Spirit has its own way. God has various ways of nudging us on. Somebody may have talked to you that you act like a priest. Somebody may have talked to you about the way you read, you know, proclaim the word of God in the church, or the way you will behave among your peer group. Somebody must have talked to you to say "You know what, why don't you try this" or you may have woken up one day and noticed that something is trying to pull me here. Just let it be. Give it a trial. 

If you are discerning let God have his way jumping you may at the end of the day see that this is your call and if eventually it doesn't become your call sincerely sincerely it would have made you a very very good Catholic. It would have made a very very good Christian because in the Spiritan family is not just about the professed Priests and the professed Brothers there are also many Lay Associates doing great works among the people of God, living the Spiritan charism. 

All that is important is that you are available for God to use you to proclaim the good news. For God to use you to solidify the good news. For God to use you to reach where many people are scared to reach. Because in those places are the children of God looking for someone to lift them up to hear the good things that God is doing in our life and to be able to find a path for their salvation. 

Together we will make a difference in the world. We will be the hand and the feet of Christ today to transform the world. To make the world a better place.