Note: This article originally appeared in Callings, our Province vocations newsletter.

"How do I know what God is calling me to?" While there's no easy answer, if we do our part, God does eventually reveal His will to us.

St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, assumed that God works directly in the human soul and communicates with us through our "interior movements," including our thoughts, feelings, and desires. He observed, however, that not all of our inner movements are from God. Some are from negative sources he personifies as the "evil spirit" or the "enemy of our human nature." They can include simple procrastination, pride, fear, greed, or a giving-in to the negative values of our secular culture.

Ignatius instructs us to first get our priorities in order by keeping clearly in mind that we are above all created to praise, reverence, and serve God and God's people, thereby saving our souls. In using our God-given gifts to serve others we give praise to God and express our love of Christ. We are all called in this general way.

To find our particular calling we listen for God's voice in the interior of our hearts. To hear God we must pay attention to our inner desires, longings, and aspirations. To do this, we need to pray -- really pray. Not utter prayers by rote or pray on the go, but daily set aside quality time to become calm, put ourselves in God's presence, and listen to our hearts.

It's also very helpful to have a spiritual director to talk with about our prayer and inner movements - things we fear and resist, as well as our desires and aspirations. As with any good decision-making process we need to gather data for our vocational decision. This requires a multi-step process, similar to how we select a school. First we explore a broad range of realistic options in accordance with our grades, interests, geographic preferences, financial resources, and other factors. Next we gather information from a distance. We check out web sites, read brochures, review catalogs, and talk with people familiar with the schools to limit the field. Thus narrowing our options, we seriously explore the remaining few schools on our list -- usually by visiting their campuses to get a feel for which is the best fit.

Over and above practical considerations, determining the best fit requires that we also weigh the intangibles such as the sense of belonging we might feel while visiting. I've heard students say about their school, "I know this is where I belong," "This is the best place for me," "I love it here," "I feel very at home here," "I'm learning and growing a lot here," or "I feel very challenged here."

Similarly, determining our vocation in life involves a process of exploration and selection. Early on we might be considering any number of vocational options and lifestyles -- including married life, remaining single, joining a religious community (such as the Jesuits, Franciscans, or Benedictines), or becoming a diocesan priest. We might also consider different career options such as medicine, business, law, or teaching.

We then narrow the field by getting as much information as we can about the vocational options we're considering. As with exploring schools, we can read about the various vocational and career options on the internet, in brochures and other literature. Once we've narrowed the list, we explore the remaining options more closely. We might, for example, talk with people in the same line of work we're considering, make on-the-job-visits, or seek an internship. For those exploring the possibility of a religious or priestly vocation, a personal visit might involve checking out the religious communities we're interested in by, for example, having dinner with a Jesuit community. It can also include experiences like "Come and See Weekends," where a person spends a weekend living in a seminary community to see what itıs like from the inside. A discernment retreat is another possibility.

Eventually we get a feel for which vocational option most deeply attracts us, which one is the best fit, has a sense of belonging and rightness about it, and presents the best opportunities for using our gifts in the service of God's people.

Most people experience inner ambivalence as an integral part of this discernment process, and it must be faced. As adolescents, we experience almost infinite possibilities and options. We initiate adulthood by choosing from among these options and following one path -- necessarily to the exclusion of others.

Overcoming ambivalence can be especially difficult in considering religious life or priesthood as we address the natural human longing to have a life partner and a family. We will almost certainly feel a degree of doubt about this sacrifice and must acknowledge that making it requires a true letting-go.

When I faced this sacrifice and looked into my heart of hearts, I discovered that my deepest desire and longing was to be a Jesuit and a priest. I cannot explain it anymore than a married man can explain his love for his wife above all other women. I just knew this was how God was calling me. I somehow knew this is what I had to do to be true to myself and be genuinely happy by faithfully responding to God's call to me. And thankfully my decision has been abundantly blessed over the years by a consistent feeling of profound joy and satisfaction in my life and ministry as a Jesuit priest. This is not to say it's always easy, any more than faithfully following any vocation in life, including marriage and parenthood, is without its challenges. I truly love this way of loving and serving. It's right for me and is how God can best use me, hopefully for His glory, in service of His people. Still, the final step in making this life-decision required a leap of faith and a trust that God would remain at my side and bless my decision. Happily, God has not let me down.