God has blessed you with the gift of free will. Why? Because you can’t force love. God allows you to choose and He’s hoping you will grow to love Him fiercely with not just your heart, but with your life and the way you choose to live it.

You have a say in how your life plays out…but God would like to see you have a life that is filled with meaning and purpose, joy, and love – a life that only He can guide you to what is good and fulfilling for you. Because God has placed your deepest desires within you, only He can fulfill them.

In Catholic theology, we believe that our cooperation is essential for salvation. It is of course 100% God’s grace, but He still gives you the freedom to resist and reject that grace or to embrace and let it permeate your life. The same is true with your vocation. God has a plan for each one of us, but He gives us the freedom to accept it or not. Ultimately, He’s the one who knows what’s best for us and the world, but even once we know God’s will, we have to choose to do it.

God certainly has a purpose for your desires which can be manifested in a variety of different ways that go beyond your current vision - just look at what God did with the desires of the people of the Bible and the saints! God knows how your purpose can be best fulfilled, so you must connect with Him to discover how to best manifest His love through a vocation – both the little ones (through a career, civic duty, or helping a particular charity, for example) and the big ones (sacramental marriage, religious life, or priesthood).

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Do you remember the biblical story of Jonah and the whale from childhood? God called Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh to bring attention to their sinful ways - to repent and transform their lives to have that same joy and fulfillment God wants for you. Jonah’s message to deliver was important, as the choices and behaviors of the people of Nineveh were leading to what would be their demise. Jonah had no desire to go, knowing how difficult and dangerous it would be for him, and he was angry with God for offering these notorious enemies a chance at repentance. Jonah quickly came to realize that his ways are not God’s ways and that a true calling never goes away. It follows you until you answer it…. because it’s wrapped up in your purpose. Fighting that call, Jonah ended up in the belly of a whale for 3 days…. all to find himself, after all, spit up on the shores of Nineveh!

When we are called and meant to do something with our lives, it will eventually manifest – doors will open, opportunities will present themselves, or we may be spit up on the shores of where we need to be! Unfortunately, some of us choose to learn the hard way, like Jonah. Don’t run. Trust and depend on God’s grace.

Three important tips:

1. Be open to how God will work through you, even though it may look different than what you imagine. It will lead to a joy and peace like no other option will bring. It requires trust – something that’s not so easy when you can’t see the big picture. (Reach out to your favorite saint and ask for their intercession as you strive to put your complete trust in God.
2. Remain focused on the process, not the outcome. Don’t be so concerned with the end result as with the desire and your openness to how God will work through you. God will reveal the rest in His time.
3. Work on trusting God. Bring your desires to God and ask Him to work through them for His will. And pay attention to how you’re led by the Holy Spirit.

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Are you ready?

Prayer is all about communication between you and God – including both talking and listening. One wonderful thing about being Catholic is that there are so many different ways to pray and communicate with God! Here are some to give a try…

There are 4 basic forms of prayer:

• Blessing and Adoration (praising God)
• Petition (asking for what you need, including forgiveness)
• Intercession (asking for what others need)
• Thanksgiving (gratitude for what God has given and done)

And many different ways to pray:

…and more. The list just goes on.

If you’re having difficulty communicating with God – remember to both talk and listen – and try a different way of praying!

Learn more about Catholic ways of praying here with descriptions and steps on how to pray.

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Ignatius of Loyola grew up in Spain, having a strong desire for fame and becoming a knight. He joined the army at 17 years of age and his leadership skills earned his way to becoming a “servant of the court” under the leadership of the duke. However, his life drastically changed after his right leg was shattered in battle by a cannonball, putting an end to his dreams and military career.

During his recovery, his caretakers provided him with the limited reading they had – a Bible and a book on the lives of the saints. Thus was the beginning of his conversion and openness to how God would work through his desires for good. Ignatius of Loyola began to study, and using his military experience, was able to put it to use in founding a religious Order with its own Rule and Constitutions.

God certainly had a different manifestation for Ignatius’ desires! How will God work through yours?

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Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati was from a well-to-do family. His parents were not religious and didn’t understand Pier Giorgio’s attraction and devotion to his faith. His parents had problems in their marriage, and he had a difficult relationship with his father who wanted his son to have a worldly and successful life.

Pier Giorgio was humble and always chose to ride in the lowest class and to give away his belongings to the poor. He stood in solidarity with those who had nothing through his own sacrifices, by eating with them and by spending time with them. He went to Mass every day, knowing that the day would unfold with God using him in the ways he was needed that day.

Pier Giorgio wasn’t a great student. He loved sports – especially hiking and climbing, running, canoeing, fencing, horseback riding, and skiing. He found “verso l’alto” – going to the top – was where he could feel closest to God.

Pier surrounded himself with a tight-knit group of friends who shared adventures, as well as going to Mass together and praying. One important commitment each made to the group was to pray for each other. It was a friendship that was something more – they never felt alone and shared the presence of Jesus among them.

Pier Giorgio was a completely normal and ordinary guy…but because he chose to keep God at the center of his every day, extraordinary things happened. He lived his life for others – even in the final moments of his own life. When he was dying of sickness, he sent word for medicine to be sent to a family in need. At his funeral, to the surprise of his family, 4,000-5,000 of the poor and needy gathered outside the church in gratitude for the life he lived and shared.

God certainly used Pier Giorgio’s ordinary life to serve the poor and to lead others to Him! How will God use your life?

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Blessed Carlo Acutis was born in 1991 to a wealthy Italian family and grew up in Milan, attracted to computers and the tech world. His family was not religious, though his babysitter had a profound impact on the growth of his faith, following his grandmother’s death. Thus began Carlo’s interest and commitment to the practice of his faith through daily Mass, regular confessions, and a strong devotion to the Eucharist, including praying before the tabernacle before Mass.

Because of this deepening relationship with the Lord, Carlo became aware of the sufferings and needs around him. He responded by volunteering to work with the homeless and he would stand up to bullies who would pick on disabled students at school. He loved movies and video games, and he created a website that cataloged and shared the stories of the known miracles of the Eucharist to inspire the faith of website visitors.

During his short lifetime, Carlo impacted the Catholic Church and the faith of many. After contracting leukemia, he gave his suffering purpose and used it as a prayer intention for others. Carlo died at the young age of 15.

God certainly used Carlo’s desires and love of technology to share the Good News of the Gospel! How will God use your desires and skills?

Let’s Discover it Together!