Carmelite Antonio Maria Sicari is one of the most widely-read authors of spirituality in Italy. He has written more than 100 saint biographies.
He says all Christians are called to be saints, and God has prepared a way for each person to achieve this goal: their vocation.
The key to recognizing it is listening to what God is asking deep inside the heart and deciding how to respond.
FR. ANTONIO MARIA SICARI
“I cannot hear a voice, nor do I believe I am listening to a voice if I'm living in the midst of great confusion, constantly 'messaging.' With other voices speaking to me, I can't know which one is true, which is false, or which one is stupid. It is key to get away from the noise of useless voices and meaningless proposals.”
He says the second key is to surround oneself with people who help cultivate big dreams, instead of those who block this type of action.
FR. ANTONIO MARIA SICARI
“With whom do I spend my life? Who are my friends? Are they people who somehow transmit the voice of God? Are they people who help me? Or do I choose to be with people who, if God asks me for something, will tell me: 'No, that is absurd, do not listen to that?' Sometimes vocations are lost because they are made fun of, or they are discouraged from being lived out. Often it's by people who should take them seriously.”
The third tip is to strive for the type of life one is hoping to attract. This will help verify if it is truly one's call. Once striving for that, make a decision.
FR. ANTONIO MARIA SICARI
“A vocation is always formed in the right company and fidelity. Other advice is to have help, like a spiritual guide. Above all, don't jump between different vocations, whether people, situations or environments. Finally, start as soon as possible to verify the vocation.”
In the stories of the saints he has written, there is always a generous response to God's proposal.
Yet, there are also moments of crisis and doubt. Therefore, the key is to always return to the memory of those moments in which the life-changing call took place.
