Jill Martin of St. Mary Parish in Westphalia has been responding to God’s call to participate in her parish’s intercessory prayer group since attending a discernment workshop a little over two years ago. In discovering her own call and vocation, she prays for others to realize their own.

Called to pray

“They had it advertised in the bulletin that they had an intercessory prayer group, and that’s something I’ve always been drawn to is praying for others. I didn’t join right away. I joined after I went to a ‘Called and Gifted’ workshop. It helps you to identify what your charisms might be, and intercessory prayer is something that came up for me.

“We get an email every month with the intentions of the parish. It has been really nice to pray with a group of people who are all praying for the same thing, vocations being one of them. It’s really important to discern where God is calling you.

“My whole life I thought I was called to religious life, and now I’m married with kids, so it just took a lot of discernment – and I want to encourage other people on that same path.

Discerning one’s vocation

“I look at all vocations (priesthood, religious life, consecrated life, married life, single life) as being dependent upon each other. We all serve a unique purpose within the Church, and committed men and women are needed in each vocation.

“Every month when I get that prayer list in my email, vocations is on there, and it's very important so we can have the right people in the right vocation serving God and his people the way he has gifted them to.”