Whether you are in a time of transition, starting over, or have been on the same path for decades, you might often wonder: “Is this where I’m really meant to be?”
In his debut book, “The Path of Discernment: Hearing God’s Call,” Matt Kresich challenges the reader to look at the heart of discernment. Kresich is a native of the Diocese of Gary and is a parishioner at the Cathedral of the Holy Angels in Gary.
The book was inspired by his experience working in ministry along with moments in his own discernment. Kresich realized there were great resources for people who were interested in the priesthood or discerning religious life, but felt there was still something lacking when it came to the topic of discernment as a regular practice.
“It's good that we have resources for religious vocations, but there’s not a whole lot of resources for, ‘What does it mean to be the best engineer, to be the best school teacher, to be the best construction worker?’” he said.
This awareness that there was a lack of resources when it came to a wider understanding of discernment is what inspired Kresich to contemplate writing a book. Particularly as he was working in youth and young adult ministry, he felt the need for resources for young people who were not considering working in the church, religious life or the priesthood, but who still wanted to know where God is calling them in their life.
“I wanted to create a tool that not only encourages them, but also challenges them to see ‘How is God calling you in unique ways?’” he said.
Kresich is an international speaker, retreat leader, and works full-time for the Archdiocese of Chicago. He is currently a student in the Doctor of Ministry program at the Catholic Theological Union and adjunct faculty member at the University of St. Mary of the Lake.
Kresich wrote the book for readers of all ages. While the book is primarily for people going through a big transition such as entering college or graduating from college and discerning their career, it is also for those who are comfortably working in the same profession for 30 years.
“Deep down, we all have that nagging feeling that is asking, ‘Is this really where I'm supposed to be?’” he said.
Discerning isn't just about arriving at a decision, according to Kresich, but an ongoing means of grace. Walking with God, he pointed out, doesn't end when a person arrives at a decision.
He said, “It's a lifelong process that we're always asking God, ‘How are you calling me in this moment?' and ‘How are you calling me deeper in our relationship?’ God knows us better than we know ourselves. God knows the best way to call us.”
The book offers a variety of best practices for the discerning. Because each person has a unique story, Kresich tries to give a whole depth and breadth of ways to call upon God. The one technique he found most helpful in his own journey was starting from the point of “telling your own story.”
“If we want to know where God is calling us, if we want to know what fulfillment looks like a lot of times, we can start by looking backwards at our life and see where God has already been at work,” he said. “When we come to the realization that God's already been there, even when we don't realize He is there when we look back.”
Kresich talks in the book about how when he was going through his own discernment, it wasn't until he sat down with someone at a retreat, and they listened to his joys and frustrations, that he began to feel like he was making progress.
“It was the ability to just share my story from start to finish that made a difference,” he said. “I was amazed how profound it was to be listened to, and to be affirmed. I think we often discredit looking back and reflecting to see where it is that God is calling us going forward.”
Also in the book, Kresich recalls the story of St. Francis of Assisi, who was praying in a chapel in San Damiano when he heard God say “Francis, rebuild my Church.”
“At first he took that very literally, and he began to rebuild this little chapel,” Kresich explained, “but what God was truly calling Francis to do was reveal and rebuild the universal Church.”
Kresich stated those who make discernment part of their spirituality, and make ongoing discernment part of who they are as a person, are more attentive to the path that God is calling them down.
“If we continue to say yes, and be open to where God is calling us, it'll be a path that will go beyond our wildest imagination,” he said. “God who knows us intimately, God who knows us better than we know ourselves, also knows how to surprise us in ways that we can't even imagine.”
Kresich acknowledged that within today’s society that is flooded with digital and social media, there can be a genuine temptation to have dreams, hopes and desires dictated by others. People may feel they should emulate those who are considered popular.
“We need to try even harder to tell our own stories of, ‘Who am I authentically?’ and ‘How can I listen through that noise to trusted voices, to people who have my best interests in mind?’” he said.
Kresich believes God couldn't care less, in a sense, what a person’s job is – what he or she does for their nine to five job. Instead, he said, God’s primary concern with his followers is that they receive the love and the grace He gives them and that they act on that in whatever situation they may find themselves in life.
“We can be a holy doctor. We can be a holy lawyer. We can be a holy cook,” Kresich said. “We need to encourage that. Just imagine if we had more happy Catholics out there in the world, doing a variety of jobs, realizing that, ‘even if my job is not explicitly religious, I can still build up the kingdom of God and bring the grace of God into the world.’”
Kresich noted individuals may have a fear that God has one particular vision in mind for them and therefore worry about straying off of that path so they won’t disappoint Him. He said that fear starts to be removed once the individual realizes that God is calling them to an invitation of love.
“God wants us to be deeply happy,” he said. “This is a lasting happiness which means living our lives to the fullness in Christ. I argue in my book there is no one right path. Yes, there are things that are morally wrong and should be avoided. This aside, there's not a wrong path as long as we are open to God, no matter where we're at on our journey.”
It is fitting that the book is being made available just before the season of Lent, according to Kresich. Lent is about distancing oneself from the noise of everyday life, he said, and returning to Christ through acts of penance and sacrifice so that the faithful can better be attuned to the voice of God in everyday life.
Kresich took time to thank his wife Carissa for her support while writing the book. The couple just celebrated the birth of their first child, Kiara. He also mentioned Father Michael Surukfa, O.F.M., thanking him for his guidance and advice.
“He’s always kind of been a mentor of mine, and I appreciate his Franciscan spirituality in ways of discernment, so he definitely had an explicit and implicit impact on the book,” Kresich said. “He’s someone I'm always sharing ideas with and getting feedback, and someone whose advice I always trust.”
“The Path of Discernment: Hearing God’s Call” is available for purchase through the website mattkresich.com as well as Paulist Press and Amazon. A book launch and Lenten reflection with author signing is scheduled for March 7 at 9 a.m. at St. James the Less in Highland.
Kresich remains busy balancing his doctoral studies and spending time with his wife and new daughter, but he hasn't ruled out writing another book in the future.
“I always say if someone's willing to publish, I'm happy to write,” he said.
