<P> Vocational discernment is the process in which men or women in the Catholic Church discern, or recognize, their vocation in the Church . The four vocations are the married life, single life, religious life, and ordained life . Vocational discernment is often spoken about only in relation to priestly or religious vocations . It has been argued that this common restriction of the term is a mistake, and even decreases religious vocations, because it discourages people who don't immediately feel called to the clerical state or consecrated life from engaging in vocational discernment . </P> <P> Each diocese or religious institute usually has its own guidelines and advice for men or women discerning religious vocations . Many dioceses and religious institutes encourage men and women with potential vocations to spend time, usually anywhere from six months to a year, praying and asking God to enlighten them . Those who feel they might be called to a religious vocation are encouraged to seek a spiritual director to help them along the way . After the set time, many institutes have a formal discernment process which the candidate will engage in, before entering the institute as a novice, or the seminary . Candidates should be advised that some traditions hold that a person can feel the judgements of others, and so a perceived vocation may merely be the judgement of one's parish that one ought to be a priest . </P>

What does vocation mean in the catholic church
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