by Fr. Jeremy Hiers, O.S.A., Vocation Director
One of the most impactful exercises I completed when I was discerning a vocation to religious life was the spiritual autobiography I was asked to write. It was (and still is) required as part of the application process for the Augustinian Order. The exercise basically involves prayerfully writing the story of your life, beginning with your birth through the present moment, emphasizing key events that have shaped your faith.
What my spiritual autobiography taught me was just how many times God had used other people and the circumstances of my life to lead me to the Augustinians. Writing my spiritual autobiography helped me see more clearly how my journey to become an Augustinian began long before I even knew what an Augustinian was, let alone before I even became Catholic.
What follows is a small sample of what I discovered:
When I was 17 years old and a senior in high school, God used a classmate, who witnessed my lack of faith at the time, to invite me to their Baptist church. A few weeks later, I was baptized. The joy I experienced at the time led me to desire opportunities to invite others to find hope in Jesus Christ as my classmate had. Then, when I was still a practicing Protestant, God used a scholarship to a Catholic college to offer me classes in Catholic Social Teaching. This led me to become intrigued by the Catholic faith. After college, my work as an Army civilian took me on work trips into combat zones, where I encountered many young soldiers looking for hope. I found great joy sharing my faith with them and interacting with the chaplains, which further deepened my thirst for ministry and curiosity about the Catholic faith. God then used friends familiar with my situation to invite me to attend Mass where a really powerful preacher often presided. His preaching inspired me to fall more deeply in love with the Catholic faith and enter RCIA (now called OCIA). Then, as I was getting involved in ministry as a fully initiated Catholic, God used the experience of serving the homeless to further open my heart to the idea of ongoing ministry. Finally, when I began teaching CCD, God used the DRE and a mentor catechists to encourage me to consider the idea of full-time ministry and religious life.
When it came time to submit my spiritual autobiography, I had come to see how I, like Saint Augustine, had relied on others to grow in my faith and understanding of my vocation. I had also come to how God was using the idea of ministry as an Augustinian to fulfill the initial spark for ministry that had been lit at my baptism nearly 15 years prior. I have rewritten my spiritual autobiography several times since I entered the Augustinians, and each time I have received affirmation that I am right where God wants me.
Are you wondering where God is calling you? You do not have to wait to apply to a religious order to write one. A spiritual autobiography may be a great place to begin today, as it will lend insight into why you have visited this page, and it may reveal where God may be leading you next.
Not sure where to begin? All I did was begin with prayer and then start writing over the course of several days. The Holy Spirit filled in the blanks along the way.
Do you have questions about writing a spiritual autobiography? Email us at vocations@augustinian.org.
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