God calls each of us to a vocation, the vocation to holiness. This vocation may look different for each person, but discovering it and living it out leads to our happiness and fulfillment.
Sometimes this concept is referred to as “the universal call to holiness,” meaning that all people, everywhere, regardless of the vocation to which God calls them, are all called to be holy. It is in answering this call that we find joy.
“Vocation, more than our own choice, is a response to the Lord’s unmerited call”
Pope Francis in his Letter to Priests, August 4, 2019
A vocation is a call from God to share in His mission in the world. Everyone has a vocation.
When considering their vocation, most people immediately think the word only refers to a call to the priesthood or the religious life, despite the fact that Holy Matrimony and the dedicated single life are also vocations.
Our vocation is our call from God to share in His mission in the world, and it is given to us for our salvation and to cooperate in the salvation of others. We receive our vocation at the moment of our Baptism, then we spend the next several decades of our life trying to discover what that call may be, asking questions like:
Here is a list of some of the possible vocations that God might be asking you to consider:
Holy Matrimony
Diocesan Priesthood
Permanent Diaconate
Religious Life for men and women
Single men and women who have dedicated themselves to Christ in the service of the Church
Have you felt that God could be calling you to be a priest or brother? No matter what your vocation, the process of discovering it is half of the battle. Done right, this process lays a firm foundation for your living out of this vocation, be it to marriage, dedicated single life, or priesthood and religious life.
Since our vocation is given to us at Baptism, we can look at it as God placing this “secret” of who He wants us to be in our hearts. All too often we get caught up in the idea that “I just need to find the answer” and forget that sometimes the adventure is just as important as the discovery. This why we often speak of discovering our vocation rather than choosing it.
Why would God keep this a secret from us? We know our Lord loves us and does not play games with us, so why would He not tell us immediately who we are and what vocation He has called us to live?
It must be that the process of discovering our vocation is itself beneficial to us and to our ability to live the vocation most fully.
Searching for the hidden call can be beneficial
Here are some practical suggestions which are a good basis for a diligent discernment. Doing these things will not turn you into a priest or religious, but they are keys which move you toward the goal of becoming holy and more open to the grace of God at work in your life:
"God calls us to encounter him through faithfulness to concrete things – God is always encountered in concrete things: daily prayer, Holy Mass, Confession, real charity, the daily word of God, closeness, especially to those most in need spiritually or physically."
Homily of His Holiness Pope Francis for 23rd World Day for Consecrated Life, 2019
Each of these keys to unlocking your vocation is a goal to work towards. It is helpful to talk them over with your spiritual director to help stay on track and not get discouraged. As Our Lord did after He fell when carrying the Cross, get up and keep moving!
ONLINE RESOURCES
SCRIPTURE
1 John 2:13-14
Acts 14:23
2 Timothy 2:2
1 Corinthians 7:32-33
Matthew 18:18
John 20:22-23
Titus 1:5
ONLINE RESOURCES
UPCOMING DISCERNMENT EVENTS/RETREATS
SCRIPTURE
1 John 2:13-14
Acts 14:23
2 Timothy 2:2
1 Corinthians 7:32-33
Matthew 18:18
John 20:22-23
Titus 1:5
Holy Matrimony is a sacrament uniting one man and one woman to each other and to God for the sake of the salvation of their own souls and to help share in Christ’s mission in the world.
A God-inspired unity of self-sacrifice
Holy Marriage is not merely a human commitment or a contract between two parties. It is a God inspired unity of self-sacrifice. Just like every sacrament, its goal is to get us to heaven. When a couple gets married they are promising God and the other to do everything in their power to get their spouse to heaven. This is the purpose and the number one responsibility of marriage.
Many people think, “I better get married, because I am not holy enough, or smart enough, or patient enough… etc. to be a priest, or to be a religious brother or sister.” It is important to remember that marriage is no cake walk either, just ask anyone who is married. They will tell you that holy marriage is hard work. It takes a lot of sacrifice, patience, self-reflection and humility… doesn’t that sound a lot like holiness?
A vocation under attack
The vocation that is most under attack in the world today seems to be Holy Matrimony. There is growing lack of understanding of the beautiful complimentary of the sexes that exist in God making us male and female. An increased desire for personal pursuit and achievement over mutual sacrifice and a general fear of commitment both contribute to this loss of understanding of the dignity of marriage. We forget how much impact each marriage can have not only on its members but upon the church as whole. The world is better for having the witness of a marriage lived well to inspire those around them, and God willing if they have children, the world is enriched by their love made flesh.
The priesthood is a distinct call from God to share in his mission in the world.
The priest is an “ alter Christus” which is Latin for another Christ. He is called to be a witness of Christ to the flock that has been entrusted to him as their shepherd. He is a minister of the sacraments, proclaimer of the word, teacher of the faith, and steward of the Church. The priest is meant to accompany and lead the flock entrusted to his care through this world in such a way as they are able to reach the eternal kingdom of heaven.The sacrament (of Holy Orders) configures the recipient to Christ by a special grace of the Holy Spirit, so that he may serve as Christ’s instrument for His Church. By ordination, one is enabled to act as a representative of Christ, Head of the Church, in his triple office of priest, prophet and king.” CCC 1581
The religious life is a distinct call from God to share in his mission in the world.
Men and women called to live the religious life as religious sisters and brothers or monks and nuns are also called to this act of accompaniment. They are called through a life dedicated to poverty, chastity and obedience to be a witness of the life of heaven living here on earth. They are to serve as a reminder and an encouragement to us to live our own lives with hearts and minds fixed on Christ. They live their lives in radical contrast to this world that is fading away.
“In the consecrated life, Christ’s faithful, moved by the Holy Spirit, propose to follow Christ more nearly, to give themselves to God who is loved above all and, pursuing the perfection of charity in the service of the Kingdom, to signify and proclaim in the Church the glory of the world to come.” CCC 916
The dedicated single life is a call from God to make a gift of your person to Him and to His Church while still living in the world as a lay person, dedicating your life to service of others and to making the church and the world a better place.
Whenever the church refers to the term single life there seems to be some confusion. By single, we are not referring to dating or the process of finding your future spouse. A dedicated single life refers to a person who has chosen to make a gift of their life to the Lord and to remain unmarried. It is sometimes described as a lay celibate life.
Some people are not called to marriage, they are not called to the priesthood or the religious life, yet this does not mean that they do not have a vocation or have somehow “missed” their calling. God is calling them to make a commitment of their life to Him and His people but not through the sacrament of marriage, religious vows, or Holy Orders.
Office of Vocations
3155 S. 200 W.
Kokomo, IN 46902
(765) 477-0070 | [email protected]