Find a job” you love and you will never have to work a day again in your life” That’s pretty good advice! And it has stood the test of time. Those words come from Confucius in 500 BC! Most people who hear it appreciate the wisdom that it contains. Rather than search for a ‘job you love’ it’s much more fruitful to discern instead your vocation in life. A vocation in life is more than just the “job you love”. A vocation is a call from God. But God’s call is not something which can be heard with our ears. And it is unlikely that there will be a bolt of lightning from on high. Instead, we discover our vocation through prayer and through a deep awareness of the presence of God in our lives, especially in ordinary daily events.  Figuring out one’s vocation in life is a tough task but it is the key to answering the question, “what will I do with my life? ” Discovering your Vocation provides tips on the process which helps one to discern a vocation. Vocation: Witness, Love, Service All Christians are called to holiness. At our baptism we are called to witness to the Gospel. We must then decide how this vocation is expressed in terms of how we use our God-given gifts and talents to serve others. This service of God and of others can be expressed in a variety of ways, e.g. teaching, nursing and it can be expressed through married life or celibate life. Words of Wisdom “If Jesus calls you, do not be afraid to respond to Him with generosity. Trust in Him and you will not be disappointed!” Pope Benedict XVI “When you wonder about the mystery of yourself, look to Christ, who gives you the meaning of life. When you wonder what it means to be a mature person, look to Christ, who is the fullness of humanity. And when you wonder about your role in the future of the world, look to Christ.” – Blessed Pope John Paul

Discovering Your Vocation “You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you.” – John 15:16 Finding your vocation is quite different to choosing a career or selecting a course at college. The process of discovering your vocation in life is called “discernment”. Discernment is faith-based decision making under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. For most people, the process of discerning their vocation takes several months and, often, years. True discernment takes place in an atmosphere of prayer over a period of time. “A soul receives much light and knowledge by means of the interior consolation it experiences, as well as through the discernment of spirits.” St. Ignatius. Always remember that throughout your period of discernment that you are seeking to understand God’s will for your life. You are trying to discover how your talents and gifts can be used to serve God and others.

Firstly, get into the habit of praying daily. Try to establish a period in the day when you can find silence. Be still and become aware of the presence of God. An ideal way to do this is to attend Mass daily. Try this discernment exercise: Having established a routine of daily prayer, imagine that you have decided to enter religious life. Imagine that this is your final decision. Live with that for a few weeks. What feelings do you experience when you do this? It often helps to write down or “journal” your emotions. This simply involves keeping a diary where you record your feelings. Now, even if, after this, you have decided that you do not want to enter religious life, do the following- imagine that you have made a decision not to enter religious life. Live with this decision for some time. What feelings do you experience now? Compare this experience with the other. Which decision gives you the greatest sense of peace? This is a useful guide to where your vocation may lie.

The Joy of Brotherhood. For us Brothers of St. Stephen, community living is a central part of our identity. We live together the vowed life of Chastity, Poverty and Obedience in a way that is life-giving for us. We pray together to Jesus our Brother, and we share our cares and joys. As members of a community we carry our gifts to others. We are enriched as the lives of others touch our own. We experience the love of God in our lives. We meet God in our community prayer, and in our personal prayer and reflection. We experience the love and care of God in the ordinary and extraordinary events of our lives. Like Edmund we trust ourselves to his providence.We want to share our search for God and our experience. The search for God is an important element in the lives of many young people. Christian Brothers are travelling on this journey, and we want to accompany others on their search for a spiritual life.. PRAYER” Gracious and Loving God, let our hearts and minds become more alive so that the light that Jesus offers us shine more brightly in and through us and that our hearts’ desires be more burning with greater love and compassion for You, for others and for the world.”

Have you discovered your vocation? Discovering Your Vocation “You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you.” – John 15:16 Finding your vocation is quite different to choosing a career or selecting a course at college. The process of discovering your vocation in life is called “discernment”. Discernment is faith-based decision making under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. For most people, the process of discerning their vocation takes several months and, often, years. True discernment takes place in an atmosphere of prayer over a period of time. “A soul receives much light and knowledge by means of the interior consolation it experiences, as well as through the discernment of spirits.” St. Ignatius. Always remember that throughout your period of discernment that you are seeking to understand God’s will for your life. You are trying to discover how your talents and gifts can be used to serve God and others. Here are some practical tips for discernment: Firstly, get into the habit of praying daily. Try to establish a period in the day when you can find silence. Be still and become aware of the presence of God. An ideal way to do this is to attend Mass daily. Try this discernment exercise: Having established a routine of daily prayer, imagine that you have decided to enter religious life. Imagine that this is your final decision. Live with that for a few weeks. What feelings do you experience when you do this? It often helps to write down or “journal” your emotions. This simply involves keeping a diary where you record your feelings. Now, even if, after this, you have decided that you do not want to enter religious life, do the following- imagine that you have made a decision not to enter religious life. Live with this decision for some time. What feelings do you experience now? Compare this experience with the other.

This is a useful guide to where your vocation may lie. Frequently Asked Questions If you’ve got a question which is not listed here, please email it to Brother Martin: bssgeneralate@yahoo.com or bsstephen@yahoo.com

The main difference is that a Priest is ordained. A brother is not a priest, therefore, celebrates the sacraments (Mass, Confession, etc.) whereas a brother’s work focuses on serving God and His people in other ways. What are vows? Vows are the sacred “promises” which a brother makes freely before God.

A Brother of St. Stephen takes three vows: celibacy, poverty and obedience. What is the vow of poverty? This is essentially a vow of living simply and generously in which the Brother vows to forego the ownership of property and money. “Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, and sell what you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Matthew 19:21 “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” Matthew 19:23

This vow means that a Brother does not marry and abstains from sexual activity. Celibacy is simply another way of loving God in a healthy, selfless way. “Some have renounced marriage for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it.” Matthew 19:12

The vow of obedience is a vow to cooperate with the other Brothers in doing what is best for the Congregation’s mission to build the kingdom of God. It is also a call to humility.

Of course! The work of a Brother is often very demanding and a Brother is encouraged to take regular holidays and rest periods.

Religious Brothers A reflection on vocation: a call to ministry. While it is true that one of us can ever fully appreciate nor understand another person’s specific vocation, it seems the call to religious brotherhood is the most misunderstood of all. The most common misconception of a brother is that he is simply one who is “a step away from priesthood”, or worse one who “didn’t quite make it to the priesthood”. Perhaps it is just an unfortunate by-product of a hierarchical church structure which causes us to rank vocations. It is also a terrible injustice to the uniqueness of each vocation – an injustice to those who have responded to the Lord’s particular call to them. Brothers can be found doing virtually every ministry which Christians perform: evangelization, catechesis, education, the works of mercy and service to those in need. Brothers are essential members of many pastoral staffs, hospital and nursing home teams, diocesan office staffs.

Brothers live and minister among us in cities, suburbs, and rural areas; many labour in foreign mission lands.Community life One of the greatest challenges to living the vocation of a religious brother is the integral commitment to life in community.

Brothers find themselves sharing a common life with a variety of men of various ages, cultures, ethnic, economic and social backgrounds. This diversity becomes one of the richest gifts which religious brothers bring to the Church and to their ministries. Religious brothers stand among us as powerful witnesses to a community life reminiscent of the early Church. Whatever class distinction and privileges may have existed prior to their entering the brotherhood, they share all things in common, each one being responsible for the needs of the rest. The question is not, then, when will the brothers finally become priests? But when will the rest of us become more like brothers.