Vocations Office - Vocation FAQ's
What is a Vocation?
A vocation is God's calling to each individual to love and serve in a particular state or way of life.
Why bother with Vocation? Can't I be whatever I want?
Yes! Each person's freedom lies in discovering his or her vocation and in generously responding to the Lord who calls them to such great things. In the end God loves us so much that he simply wants us to fall in love in a particular way.
How do I know what God is calling me to be?
Tune in and listen to how God is speaking to you, through the sacraments, prayer, others, spiritual direction, and what you love, what challenges you? When looking at the cross ponder on what in your own life brings you extended joy, and what brings you the most challenge, as maybe this is where you need to be. Finally make a commitment trust in God and never stop discerning!
Can I be happy in my life if I don't follow the vocation Jesus invites me to embrace?
If someone does not follow the vocation for which Christ made them, they can attain a certain degree of happiness yet without vocation life is only lived at the surface, which can be easy yet ultimate peace and purpose will never be known. This is why it is so important that everyone discern their particular vocation prayerfully and attentively. Of course, there are trials and challenges in every vocation. To become a priest or consecrated religious does not take away all suffering, neither does becoming a husband or wife take away all suffering. But there is great joy in laying down one's life for Christ. Your vocation is Christ's gift to you. How will you respond?
What are the possible vocation through which I might be called to follow Christ?
Most people are called to the married state of life while others are chosen and called to the state of election as priests or consecrated religious men and women. Some single and married men are called by Christ to be permanent deacons. Christ also calls some men and women to the consecrated single life. Remember—it is normal to desire marriage and family, but just because you have this desire does not exclude the possibility that you have a vocation to the priesthood or consecrated life.
If I decide to enter the seminary or convent to "give it a try" am I committed for life?
No, you are not. Most vocation directors agree that the only way to really know that you have a vocation to priesthood or religious life is to enter the seminary or convent. During the formation years God's will becomes more and more clear as you pray and discern with others. The years spent in formation are a benefit to you spiritually even if you discover that you are not called to be a priest or consecrated religious.
I'm not all that "holy". Can I still be a priest or consecrated religious?
Holiness—being like Jesus—is a lifetime endeavor for every person in every vocation. If you don't see yourself as very holy right now, know that God will change you slowly, day by day and week by week. Building a vocation culture requires that people become aware of the tremendous dignity of their call to holiness and a life lived in union with Christ. They must be encouraged to understand that the deepest longing of the human heart is to know and love Jesus personally, to follow God faithfully and to serve his people generously in whatever vocation that is fully embraced.
WE ARE ALL CALLED TO HOLINESS AND VOCATION
Christ calls us to be holy, to be conformed more closely to God's image and likeness. Growth in holiness is a continuous spiritual development, nurtured by the Sacraments, personal prayer and service to others. In the words of Pope John Paul II,
“The call to holiness is a universal call, valid for all human beings without distinction of age, profession, race or language. Just as all are redeemed, so all are called. The vocation to holiness, in fact, means putting into practice in one's own daily life, the example and teachings of Jesus Christ.”
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