“God writes straight with crooked lines.” Fr. Christian Raab on Vocation.
Fr. Christian Raab
Fr. Christian Raab hails originally from Michigan City, IN. After graduating from Indiana University with a degree in history and religious studies, he taught history and theology at St. Benedict High School in Chicago, IL.
During this time, he earned an MA degree from Loyola University in pastoral studies with a concentration in religious education. He entered Saint Meinrad Archabbey in 2003, professed first vows in 2005, and solemn vows in 2008, and was ordained to the priesthood in 2009.
From 2009-2014, he lived and studied at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, where he also served as a priest-in-residence.. His primary area of research is in the area of the theology of vocations and states of life, and his dissertation concerns the ecclesial mission of religious order priests.
He has extensive experience in high school and university campus ministry and loves working with young people. In his spare time, he likes to read, play guitar, travel, and the outdoors.
A couple of weeks ago we talked to Tim Glemkowski about what not to do while you discern your vocation. Today we have a different perspective from a Benedictine monk about the ten steps to discern your vocation.
I first read Fr. Christian’s post, Ten things to know about discerning a vocation on Vocation Network. He makes ten suggestions that came out of his long and sometimes challenging journey to religious life.
So I invited him to share his journey and suggestions with us. He explains:
-How God calls us
-The freedom we have to choose
-That vocation is a gift
-Why prayer is essential
-Why we need to trust God and take that first step
I especially love his statement, ‘God can write straight with crooked lines’ and ‘vocation is a gift that runs both ways.’ He also talks about the benefit of attending a retreat and spending time in prayer. With Fr. Harry Hagan, OSB, he is the co-editor of The Tradition of Catholic Prayer (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2007). You may want to pick it up if you’re considering prayers.
Vocation is something I discuss in my own book, “Ten Reminders for the Single Christian Woman.” But for all those interested in joining the Benedictine order and way of life you may want to check out their website, https://www.saintmeinrad.org/. They also conduct retreats, with diverse themes. There’s one even for married couples, “Benedictine Spirituality as Lived in Marriage.”