Accompanying vocation

Following the 2018 Synod of Bishops on young people, faith and vocational discernment, vocation animation is increasingly becoming a permanent pastoral action in Christian communities. The Augustinian Recollects, in communion with the whole Church, conceive the pastoral care of vocations as a service that has the task, above all, of awakening and disturbing the hearts of young people, sowing the Word of God that calls us all, and accompanying the birth and discernment of personal vocations.

In the service of vocation promotion, we Augustinian Recollects start from the Gospel maxim of all vocation ministry: Come and see (John 1:39). Therefore, the Word of God – specifically, the reference to the biblical vocation narratives – is the main light for this ministry.

More recently, a pedagogy for vocational accompaniment and discernment has been systematized, based on the figure of St. Augustine. The saint knows how to reach the heart, because he speaks from the heart, and shares with spontaneity his way of searching for God.

Therefore, the vocational animation that we carry out in the Order starts from the fact that St. Augustine also discerned his vocation: “I was long occupied in many and diverse matters, and trying hard for many days to know myself, what I should do and what I should avoid” (Soliloquies 1,1).

In his search, he encountered many difficulties: “as for my life in this world, all was hesitation, and I had to purify my heart of the old leaven, and I even liked the way – Christ himself – but I was lazy to walk in its narrowness” (Confessions 8:1).

At the most turbulent and confusing moment of his search, when he could no longer find satisfaction in his achievements, but also could not find a way to embark on a different path, he sought help; yes, St. Augustine asked Simplicianus to accompany him. This is how he tells us: “You, Lord, inspired me then with the idea – which seemed to me excellent – to address myself to Simplicianus, who appeared to my eyes as a good servant of yours and in whom your grace shone” (Confessions 8:1).

The saint with the restless heart entrusted his worries to him, so that he could indicate to him which path would be the most appropriate in that state of mind in which he found himself, in order to walk along the path that the Lord was marking out for him (Confessions 8:2).

Thanks to accompaniment, St. Augustine found what he was looking for: “a light of assurance entered my heart, and all the darkness of my doubts was dispelled” (Confessions 8:29). Thus, after a long journey of comings and goings, he understood what his vocation was: “You so converted me to you that I no longer desired a wife, nor did I cherish any hope in this world” (Confessions 8:30). His vocation was to be a monk or servant of God.

This path of St. Augustine provides us with his pedagogy, from which we Augustinian Recollects accompany the process of vocational search and discernment.