Need A Place To Help You Sort Out Your Future?
"Houses of discernment" can help you find your way.
Is there a young person who has not wondered once and many times what the future would bring? Sometimes no one is available to help young people to answer this question, and the youth ends up in the wrong place.
That is not the case at Casa Claret in Chicago. This is a house—like others across the country—that welcomes young Hispanics with the objective of helping them to think about their future. In a positive environment the young people study and work, while being accompanied and guided in their search. They see their possibilities and gifts.
In a context of mutual help and with the presence and guidance of a missionary priest, the young people talk, reflect, and pray to see how they can see their dreams and ideals become a reality.
These are young men between 18 and 25 years old. Some of them are already finishing their studies and deciding their future. Others have just arrived and are beginning their process. Some are just finishing high school. Others have already spent some years working to support their families and are now in the process of getting their GED.
Eduardo Hernández, for instance, is 22 years old and is studying political science at the University of Illinois. Next year he will go to Paris with a scholarship to continue his studies. Casa Claret has helped him to realize his potential as a student. Besides, he has made a commitment of service to the community. He is now a catechist in his parish but thinks of taking on bigger commitments in the future. Before going to Casa Claret, he did not know that this could be his future.
The residents of Casa Claret share life, pray together, and gather periodically to evaluate the progress of the group and their own process. Casa Claret is a space open to young Hispanic men who want to continue their studies and discern how best to serve the community with their gifts.
There are similar houses of discernment throughout the country. Some, like the Eudist House for men or the one by the Dominican Sisters of Kentucky for women, are for specific religious congregations. Many others are diocesan. They usually offer a support community, space for prayer, and spiritual companionship for the journey.
Your turn:
- Do you dare to reflect and discern what God is asking of you?
- What are you doing to see the will of God for your life clearly
