Editor's Note   It’s not up to us By Darcy L. Fargo

November 4, 2026

My mother asked my son, Jake, if he ever thought about being a priest.

My mom recounted the conversation with me later.

“Nanny, that’s not something you choose for yourself,” she remembered Jake answering.

While I’d be very excited to have my son become a priest, I’m even more excited by his answer.

Jake understands that discerning his vocation isn’t about what he wants, it’s about what God wants of him.
“It’s not something you choose for yourself.”

In our modern, secular society, it doesn’t seem like many people are excitedly choosing to go into seminaries, religious communities, consecrated life, the diaconate or sacramental marriage.

While we all hope and pray for more people to respond to God’s call, we’re grateful for those who discern their vocations and follow God, whether it be as priests, consecrated virgins, consecrated religious, married couples or in holy single life.

Discerning and following God’s call isn’t easy. Every vocation has challenges. And following God certainly doesn’t mean that life will be always easy or always happy, but there’s a joy and peace that go beyond happiness that can be found in being who God calls us to be.

I’ve interviewed countless priests, seminarians, deacons, consecrated religious and holy married couples. While they’ve recounted countless challenges and struggles in their lives, I’ve never heard one person say, “I regret going where God called me.”

Let’s continue to pray for those who have answered God’s call and for those still discerning God’s call. Let’s pray for the openness to hear Christ’s urgings in our lives as we consider and live our vocations.

Because it’s not something you choose for yourself.