Coming Down the Mountain as the Journey Continues 

by Sr. June Fitzgerald, OP

Last week, we welcomed a dozen women for our Zoom and See Discernment retreat: Listen to Your Heart. We prayed together, learned how to go deeper into discerning God's call, met other women on the same quest, listened to sisters in formation sharing their vocation stories, laughed, cried, wondered, and each woman was individually blessed as the weekend ended.  As we ended our time together, the next big question was “now what?”  What am I to do now as I return home from this life-changing experience?  How can I continue the momentum of what I experienced?  These questions brought me back to my own journey and experience after a discernment retreat and what I’ve learned over the years about how to “come down the mountain and continue the journey.”  Here are a few things I’ve learned along the way, and what I shared with the women. 

First of all, we need to look to our foremothers and forefathers in faith.  How did they listen to God and follow God’s will and direction for their lives?  We need to look no further than our Blessed Mother and her FIAT to God, as recorded in Luke 1:26-38, when she was invited to become the mother of God incarnate, Jesus Christ. She did not immediately get up and go.  No, she pondered what she heard in her heart and asked questions of the messenger so she could understand what was being asked of her.  Like Mary, we too, are encouraged to ask questions as we discern.  For example, when I was discerning, several people mentioned to me that they saw some qualities in me that made them think I’d be a good religious.  So, I asked them, “What do you see in me?”  Their answer helped me to see myself as others did and opened me to consider the Call from God I was already feeling in my heart. 

So, I ask you, what questions do you have for God in your life at this time?  

Later, my spiritual director encouraged me to pray with other call stories such as that of Samuel in 1 Samuel 3:1-10.  In this story, we see a young boy who is not familiar with God speaking to or calling people.  It was the wise Eli who realized that God was calling Samuel and advised him how to respond.  He counseled, “When you hear your name, answer, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’”  Just so, my spiritual director advised me to listen to the voice of God within and to reflect on what I was hearing--to take time to listen, journal, wonder, and explore this invitation. 

So, I encouraged the women in discernment to find a spiritual director to guide them as they grow in their relationship with God.  Also, to ask themselves:  What do you hear when you hear God’s call?  What call stories touch your heart? Pray with them using Lectio Divina and afterwards, to journal their reflections.    

I also encouraged the women to share their call with others who know them well.  We need only look to Mary, the Mother of God, having received the call to become the mother of Jesus, respond by sharing her joy with Elizabeth, and in embracing this next step in her life, her joy resounded in the heart of Elizabeth and caused John to leap in Elizabeth’s womb.  Nothing was ever the same again for Mary after she accepted how she was being called to live a life of faith and trust in God.  It is the same with us as we listen to and follow the call. 

You may wonder, how else can you take your experiences and allow God to transform your heart and spirit so that God can direct your next steps.  Here are a few practical things you can do as you seek to answer the question, “Now what?” 

• Set aside some time to reflect on your experience, whether participating in a pilgrimage, a retreat, a mission trip, or a prayer experience.  Recall the details, the high points, the low points, who you were with, and any words from God or others that have stayed with you.  Take time to journal what you recall and what emerges for you as you reflect on your experience. 
  
• Take your reflections to prayer.  Sit before God and ask God to help you see and hear what is next, or how you are called to share your experiences with others, or how you are to live out your life in service to others or the world.  
  
• Speak to a trusted friend, spiritual guide, or vocation director to get their perspective on your experience and your prayerful reflections.    
  
• Pray, pray, and pray some more. 
  
• Respond.  Take the first step, even if it is a small step, a step of faith, a step of exploring possibilities, steps that bring you closer to the life God desires for you. Remember, a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. 

Perhaps you are feeling that God is inviting you to explore religious life.  If so, consider attending one of our free Discernment events such as our Discernment Prayer Group, Emmaus Discernment Group, the Dominican Sisters Service Week, June 17 – 21, in Chicago, IL, or our next Come & See Discernment Retreat, September 12 – 14, 2025 in Columbus, Ohio.  For more information, click the hyperlink embedded in the program title above, or contact me, Sr. June Fitzgerald, OP at june.fitzgerald@oppeace.org or call or text 570-336-3991.