Helpful Books for Discernment
Priests for the third MILLENNIUM
Cardinal Dolan offers a lot of practical insights in this text by drawing upon his own personal experience as a priest. He does not shy away from speaking candidly about some of the diocesan scandals he had to face as a bishop in Milwaukee.
These stories help shed light on the current challenges priests face, but they also serve as a lead in to Dolan’s extensive analysis of the nature and theology of priesthood. By the end of this book you will have learned what it takes to be a priest for the third millennium.
To Save a Thousand Souls
To Save a Thousand Souls is the definitive guide for men considering the priesthood. Using powerful and entertaining stories, this easy-to-read book explains how to carefully discover God’s call. To Save a Thousand Souls is used by hundreds of dioceses and thousands of seminarians. Many regard it as the standard “catechism for discernment,” with Bishop Robert Barron calling is a “classic of the genre."
Discernment 180
D180 is a discernment plan to help men dive deep while discerning the priesthood. It lays out a clear “rule of life” including spiritual practices and specific discernment actions. The bulk of the book contains daily readings to aid in discernment. The goal is to grow in holiness, prayerfully consider the priesthood, and peacefully accept the life God has prepared for you.
Many Are Called
In Many Are Called, Dr. Hahn encourages Catholics around the world to renew their focus on the sacred role of the Catholic priest. He examines the biblical and historical roots of the priesthood to explain the centrality of the priest in the life of the Church.
Discernment Do’s and Don’ts
Written in a clear, youthful style, Discernment Do’s and Don’ts helps teens and young adults cut through the clutter to prayerfully discern God’s will.
College chaplain, tech apostle, and parish priest Fr. George Elliott shows how to navigate seven different stages of the discernment process. At each stage, he offers one best practice (the Do’s) and one pitfall (the Don’ts).
The Priest is not his Own
In this book, Venerable Fulton Sheen gives a thorough analysis of the Old and New Testament roots of the priesthood along with a number of keen insights into the nature of priesthood.
In addition to a Scriptural outline of priesthood, Sheen also gives practical spiritual advice to priests. His chapter on making a Holy Hour is perhaps one of the best in the book. This book should be at the top of the list of any man discerning a priestly vocation.
Why Celibacy: Reclaiming the fatherhood of the priest
“The Church today demands a profound renewal of celibate priesthood and the fatherhood to which it is ordered.” Priestly celibacy, some say, is an outdated relic from another age. Others see it as a lonely way of life.
But as Fr. Carter Griffin argues in Why Celibacy?: Reclaiming the Fatherhood of the Priest, the ancient practice of celibacy, when lived well, helps a priest exercise his spiritual fatherhood joyfully and fruitfully.
D180 Men
D180 is a six-month discernment plan to help men dive deep while discerning the priesthood. It lays out a clear “rule of life” including spiritual practices and specific discernment actions. The bulk of the book contains daily readings to aid in discernment. The goal is to grow in holiness, prayerfully consider the priesthood, and peacefully accept the life God has prepared for you.
D180-Women
D180 is a six-month discernment plan to help women dive deep while discerning religious life. It lays out a clear “rule of life” including spiritual practices and specific discernment actions. The bulk of the book contains daily readings to aid in discernment. The goal is to grow in holiness, prayerfully consider religious life, and peacefully accept the life God has prepared for you.
PRAY 180
Do you want to deepen your spiritual life while interceding for vocations? Fr. Greg Gerhart has written Pray 180 as a six-month journey of prayer and spiritual growth for those committed to this critical cause. It helps readers create a spiritual plan of life, pray for vocations, and reflect daily on profound passages from scripture and the saints. The idea is to go beyond “saying prayers” and personally grow closer to Jesus through an intentional program of daily discipleship.
Pretty Good Catholic
Want to find a pretty, good Catholic? This is the book you wish you had read before you started dating! Pretty Good Catholic is the most realistic guide to the current Catholic dating scene. New author Rachel Hoover Canto tells her own amazing story while offering fresh, sharp-witted insights for both women and men. Learn how to set aside your checklist, date real people, and open your mind without lowering your standards. If you’re looking for a modern, relatable, and orthodox guide to dating—with advice that actually works—this is the book! (Spoiler alert: the author got engaged while writing! Congrats, Rachel and Enrique!)
Introduction to the Devout Life
Francis de Sales’s Introduction to the Devout Life has remained a uniquely accessible and relevant treasure of devotion for nearly four hundred years. As Bishop of Geneva in the first quarter of the sevenjteenth century, Francis de Sales saw to the spiritual needs of everyone from the poorest peasants to court ladies. The desire to be closer to God that he found in people from all levels of society led him to compile these instructions on how to live in Christ.
Discerning Religious Life
A comprehensive guide to help women discern Religious Life with clarity, confidence, and joy. Foreword by Cardinal Dolan.