Answered Prayers, New Beginnings
Independence, new experiences, and the challenge of discernment can feel overwhelming. Yet through prayer, adoration, and receiving the Eucharist, I have learned to trust that I am exactly where I need to be.
At the end of my first week as a seminarian at St. John Paul II Seminary in Washington, D.C., discouragement struck me deeply. I found myself sitting in my dorm, questioning, “What am I doing here? Am I truly meant to be a priest?” The doubt was unexpected and heavy.
Not knowing what else to do, I felt a gentle prompting to pray. I rode my bike to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, near the seminary. In the peaceful crypt church beneath the main sanctuary, I knelt and poured out my heart to God: “Why am I here? Please, just give me a sign.”
Shortly after, I noticed a woman sitting nearby. She came closer and spoke to me. When she learned I was a Catholic University of America student and a seminarian, her face brightened.
“God bless you for choosing to give your life for God. There will be times during your discernment that you will doubt yourself, but that is just the devil trying to make you quit, so never give up and remember what you’re here for.”
I was amazed. It felt as if my prayers were answered immediately. It was like having a direct line to God, listening as I spoke.
Author's Summary
Prayer and unexpected encouragement can provide clarity and strength during moments of doubt in the journey of discernment.