The process of discernment can be an exciting but challenging time. The best “resource” for following the Lord more closely is the Lord Himself. Nothing can replace time spent with Our Lord in Eucharistic adoration, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, confession, praying the rosary or reading sacred scripture. This is the place to begin during any time of seeking or questioning what the Lord’s will is for your life because these are the places we most easily hear His voice.
​As an additional help to a regular prayer and sacramental life, we offer the following suggestions for resources that some may find useful for understanding religious life and the spiritual life more fully and helping with some of the practical decisions one must make along the way. Some offer practical advice; others are more for general understanding and reflection. If one is helpful and another is not, it is ok to set something down and move on. The important thing is to learn, more and more, how to hear and listen to the voice of the Lord. ​

General Spiritual Reading

  • This Tremendous Lover by Eugene Boylan, O.C.R.– This is a spiritual classic about God’s pursuit of the soul by renowned confessor, spiritual director, retreat master and abbot Dom Eugene Boylan.
  • The Reed of God by Caryll Houselander – Written in the midst of World War Two, this book is by a British author who shares beautiful and meditative insights into Our Lady’s humanity, docility and motherhood of Christ
  • Abba, Father by Fr. Bonaventure Perquin, O.P. – This is a collection of homilies in which Fr. Perquin illustrates how God, as father leads His people to Himself – both as a people and each of us individually.
  • Prudence: Choose Confidently, Live Boldly by Fr. Gregory Pine – In this work, Fr. Gregory Pine explores the virtue of prudence clearly explaining what it is and what it is not and how this key virtue helps us to make confident and virtuous decisions in matters of daily life and in the spiritual life. This is great for general questions about decision-making and virtue, but is especially applicable to questions of vocation and discernment. 
  • Any works by Fr. Jacques Phillippe – Fr. Jacques Phillippe’s works are widely known and respected and offer much spiritual food for though in small selections. Three of his best-known works include Time for God, Interior Freedom and In the School of the Holy Spirit. Any works by him are excellent for spiritual reading.
  • Any works by Archbishop Luis Martinez – a great spiritual writer and Bishop with extensive writings that are excellent for meditation and prayerful reading. If you are looking for a place to begin with his writings good options are When God is Silent, The Sanctifier or Only Jesus.

Religious Life in General

  • And You are Christ’s: The Charism of Virginity and the Celibate Life by Fr. Thomas Dubay – This is a careful and thoughtful examination of the gift of the celibate charism and the call to a life of virginity for the sake of the Kingdom.
  • The Meaning of Vocation in the words of John Paul II – this is a collection of excerpts from Pope St. John Paul II’s speeches and writings during his papacy about vocation. The excerpts are brief and wonderful food for thought and prayer on vocation and God’s plan for one’s life.
  • The Foundations of Religious Life: Revisiting the Vision by CMSWR- This collection of articles looks at how the historical form of religious life for women’s communities (wearing the habit, living in community, etc…) is both in keeping with the goals of the Second Vatican Council and continues to attract young women to this countercultural way of life.
  • Perfectae Caritatis – This is the decree on the adaptation and renewal of religious life issued by His Holiness Pope Paul VI in 1965 and provides a beautiful window into what is essential to religious life and what renewal looks like within those essentials. It can be found free on the Vatican website: Perfectae caritatis (vatican.va)
  • Fraternal Life in Community – This document was issued by the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life and beautifully describes the importance and theological realities of living the religious life in common, seeking the Lord with “one mind and one heart” as the first apostles did. It can be found free on the Vatican website: FRATERNAL LIFE IN COMMUNITY (vatican.va)

Dominican History and Spirituality

  • St. Dominic: The Grace of the Word by Guy Bedoulle, O.P. – A readable but comprehensive historical and theological biography of St. Dominic and how he embodied the role of Christ as Preacher.
  • The New Wine of Dominican Spirituality: A Drink Called Happiness by Fr. Paul Murray, O.P. – In this book, Fr. Paul Murray gives a comprehensive look at Dominican Spirituality – which is not limited only to scholars, but was shared by people as different in time and place as St. Martin de Porres, Bl. Jordan of Saxony, and St. Albert the Great.
  • St. Dominic’s Way of Life: A Path to Knowing and Loving God by Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, O.P. and Fr. Jacob Bertrand Janczyk, O.P. – This a very recent addition to the collection of works on St. Dominic and is an excellent look at St. Dominic himself and how his spirituality and way of life provides a model of anyone trying to live a faithful Christian life.
  • Catherine of Siena: Spiritual Development in Her Life and Teaching by Fr. Thomas McDermott, O.P. – This is a systematic introduction to the thought and spirituality of the great Dominican mystic.
  • Sanctuaries of Compassion:  The Idea of Care in the Dominican Tradition by Bro. Ignatius Perkins, O.P., PhD, RN - In this article, Brother Ignatius relates the care for the sick to the preaching ministry of the Dominican Order.

Other Media

While the resources available on YouTube and other places are too numerous to list here, there are many good videos and podcasts intended to help Catholics who are discerning any major decision, particularly a religious vocation. A few speakers and resources that may be helpful to look up include:
  • Stacey Sumereau – She has a website, youtube channel (her own, and she has done some videos of Ascension Presents) and podcast (Called and Caffeinated) and focuses especially on discernment.
  • Fr. Mike Schmitz – His name is familiar to most people because of his many excellent talks, participation in many Catholic conferences, his podcasts and his videos with Ascension presents. He covers a wide variety of topics but has quite a few videos specifically on discernment and decision making.
  • Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P. – A Dominican friar from the Province of St. Joseph (Eastern Province) and one of the hosts of the popular Godsplaining podcast, Fr. Gregory has some great talks on the virtue of prudence, as well as on decision making and discernment. Here is a link to an episode of Godsplaining where he and Fr. Jacob Bertrand address “Messing Up the Will of God”.
  • CMSWR.org – particularly for those who are just beginning to investigate religious communities and discernment, this Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious provides many good resources and access to information on communities that are faithful to the teachings of the Church and show the diversity of charisms that the Holy Spirit has blessed the Church with. They have monthly mailing list with vocation events for different communities as well as social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) with information about different communities and events. While it can be overwhelming to look at lists of community names, the CMSWR may be a good place to begin one’s search into different Orders and communities.