 | Vocation ... What is it?
By Father Tony Vercellone
From the National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors Web siteThe word 'vocation' comes from the Latin VOCARE, which means 'to call.' A vocation to the priesthood, religious life, marriage or single life is a faith response made by a person having been called by God. This call is always experienced as an invitation, a tee invitation. The invitation attracts our attention and we end up finding ourselves spending a lot of time reflecting on the possibility of our response. The invitation is freely given and also freely responded to; God never pushes or demands. We are called and left free to respond.
To enter into this invitation seriously is called discernment. This is the period of time when a person makes a serious examination of their personal invitation. Discernment is a period of time that usually contains the following elements: questions, doubts, prayer, joy, wonderment, amazement, search, grace, sharing and growth. Each person experiences discernment uniquely, yet in many respects, each shares similar experiences. At the end of discernment comes decision; the moment when a person knows that they now must make their personal response.
The process can be seen clearly in the life of our Blessed Mother who asked, "How can this be?" (Lk 1:34). This was Mary's call and discernment. She pondered, she prayed, she questioned. In the end, she had to make a decision and her decision was to respond in faith. "May it be done to me according to your word" (Lk 1:38). One would think that the rest of her life was easy; yet we know from Scripture that the opposite was true. All throughout Mary's life she would question and wonder "Why?" Yet in faith she would always return to that moment when she remembered her faith decision, which allowed her to respond, "Let it be done to me according to your word."
| I'm sure there were moments in Mary's life that were quite joyful and happy, but there were also those times she experienced life's rough edges, edges that would hurt her deeply. Yet it is her faith that brings her through those moments. Because of her example, she becomes the model of faith for us. Anyone who is going through discernment can feel free to share with our Blessed Mother his or her concerns. She knows, she understands and she will help. | |  |
It is amazing how a vocation is a combination of God's call and our personal response. God does the calling. He gets our attention and interest and then we respond with how we want to experience that call in our daily lives. I really believe God calls us to love and serve, but we are the ones who choose how to do that. For many, it is the how that is more difficult than the initial call.
The call has to be responded to, otherwise we will never be at peace. Each one of us knows what lies deep in our hearts and we know we must respond. The secret of knowing that one is following God's call is a sense of inner peace, even in the midst of life troubles. We may face the most difficult of situations, yet underlying those experiences is the peaceful assurance that God is somehow in our lives, helping us through those storms. He never abandons us.
What is interesting is whom God calls. Sometimes the most unsuspecting people receive a call to do things they never thought they would be doing. So often it is the most unlikely guy who becomes a priest or brother. It is most unlikely woman who sometimes becomes a sister. Sometimes the very people we think would be good candidates for priesthood or religious life are called to other vocations. God does not call duds to ministry, nor does he call those who have no other options in life! God calls women and men who are very much alive, creative and eager to enter into his son's Gospel message.
If any priest, brother or sister have become sour or negative in their life, it is not because this is God's call for them! Most likely, it is because they have lost touch with the wonderment and passion of their personal call. There are some who feel that the more they suffer the better or holier they are; nothing could be further from the truth.
One main ingredient in any vocation can be summed up in the word passion. Whatever we do in life, whether we are married, a priest, brother or sister, we must do it passionately. There is nothing more lifeless than a vocation that lacks passion. This does not mean that one's everyday life will be a swinging-from-the-chandelier experience, but it does mean that whatever we do, we give it all we've got. It means that we daily respond in faith to the best of our ability.
One of the joys I experience in visiting various seminaries is to see and meet the young men who are studying for the priesthood. These experiences always bring me back to the days when I was in their shoes; those days filled with questions, longings and goals. What I always find interesting is that those questions, longings and goals are still with me! It makes me realize that as we travel throughout life, there is no point at which we are finished. A vocation always demands that we daily respond in faith to God's call. Each day we wake up and wonder, "What does God have in store for me today?" "Who is God going to bring into my life today?" "How is Jesus going to ask me to represent him today?" These are all questions of faith that we are asked to answer with our daily lives. Our vocation is our daily openness to God in our lives. How we respond is up to us; that we do respond is essential.
If you feel that you are being called to be a sister, brother or priest, give it serious thought and prayer. Talk with your parish priest. In time, he will connect you with the Director of Vocations so that together they may assist you in your discernment process. You never know, God may be calling you. Will you respond? What is your vocation? |