Vocation

“To each one of you I say therefore: heed the call of Christ when you hear him saying to you: ‘Follow me!’ Walk in my path! Stand by my side! Remain in my love! . . . The reason for my mission, for my journey, through the United States is to tell you, to tell everyone – young and old alike – to say to everyone in the name of Christ: ‘Come and follow me!’ ” (Pope John Paul II, Boston, October 1, 1979). 

The notion of vocation has been enlarged and enriched by the teaching of the Second Vatican Council and by subsequent reflection. Its Latin root means “to call.” It is a concept that should not be ignored by any human person, since by virtue of existence itself man is called, summoned, to a specific destiny by his Creator (cf. Vatican Council II, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, Gaudium et Spes, 19). By the very fact of our existence we are called to eternity; and by his life, death, and Resurrection Jesus Christ opened up to everyone the possibility of personal union with God. The enthusiastic proclamation of the Gospel by evangelizers like Pope John Paul II has confirmed the faith of many and brought many others to an encounter with Jesus Christ. In this encounter, men and women become aware of their vocation as sons and daughters of God. This common Christian vocation is further specified through the personal vocation to which each of the baptized is called. 

Every creature is unalterably related to its Creator, but God created man and woman with a destiny to eternal communion with himself. While the goal is common to all, each person’s path to achieve that goal is quite particular. A person’s “vocation” incorporates the entire enterprise of invitation, response, and choice of a specific way of life. It provides the focus both for life’s major choices and everyday decisions. This becomes very clear in the light of Revelation. In Genesis, man is called into existence in the image and likeness of God. Later, the call of Abraham by name and his response become the biblical pattern of God’s initiative and the ideal response in faith and trust. The Virgin Mary is the most perfect embodiment of the faithful response (CCC 144). 

Some qualities of vocation become evident from these examples. A vocation truly does come from God. It is his initiative. But it neither destroys human freedom nor answers every question. Darkness can remain. In fact, the very working out of a vocation depends on the person’s free response. The shape and quality of the response have a great deal to do with the uniqueness of each vocation. 

Christian Vocation • While the Old Testament reveals God’s personal care for man, it is Jesus Christ who definitively reveals the will of God and throws light on the meaning of man’s existence and call. Christ is the new Adam, and in “the revelation of the mystery of the Father and his love, [Christ] fully reveals man to himself and brings to light his most high calling” (Gaudium et Spes, 22). As indicated above, each person is called to become a son or daughter of God in Jesus the Son. This new relationship is based on communion with God in Jesus Christ (Vatican Council II, Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, Dei Verbum, 2; Gaudium et Spes, 19) and in his Church, the Body of Christ in space and time (CCC 1). Communion with God, then, is at the heart of every person’s vocation. It can rightfully be said that all people are called before the foundation of the world to Christian faith – to be Christians (cf. Eph 1:26). Vatican II’s Constitution on Divine Revelation succinctly describes God’s gracious, salvific call to people: “His will was that men should have access to the Father, through Christ, the Word made flesh, in the Holy Spirit, and thus become sharers in the divine nature.” Indeed, he invites and receives all into his company (Dei Verbum, 2). 

The general call for all persons becomes individualized through the Church and through the concrete circumstances of one’s life. Through the word of God proclaimed by the Church and the action of God made present in the sacraments and liturgy of the Church, God touches the heart of every believer. In Baptism, for example, the new Christian is called by name and receives the gift of sharing in God’s own life (CCC 2012-2016). Each person is touched by grace and enjoys a personal relationship with God, who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

Those baptized in infancy must one day make a personal response to the call from Christ. The commitment must be renewed throughout life, by each person. The vocation to holiness is none other than striving to fulfill God’s will by means of the grace he himself grants to us. This in turn is revealed and effected in Jesus Christ. “[I]f any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come” (2 Cor 5:17). Seen more technically, holiness is a result of sanctifying grace given first at Baptism: “The grace of Christ is the gratuitous gift that God makes to us of his own life, infused by the Holy Spirit into our soul to heal it of sin and sanctify it” (CCC 1999). Accordingly, the first response to the Christian’s vocation is to follow Jesus (CCC 2232), which means to follow the path marked out by him. The Christian heeds the exhortation “come follow me” because Jesus sums up man’s perfect response to God (Pope John Paul II, The Splendor of Truth, Veritatis Splendor, 6). 

Following Christ is never an imposition; it is a free invitation to discover who we truly are and are called to be. In this pursuit, we must be free collaborators in God’s plan (CCC 1731, 2002). Anything but a personally chosen response affronts human dignity. God has first gratuitously chosen us to share communion with him through divine adoption (Eph 1:4; Dei Verbum, 2). This is the inner logic of man’s creation, and so for him to be most faithful to himself entails a free commitment of self to the One who calls. Rightly, then, does Vatican II’s Gaudium et Spes indicate that “if man is the only creature on earth that God has wanted for its own sake, man can fully discover his true self only in a sincere giving of himself” (24). This gift of self finds its greatest expression in our most fundamental relationship, which is our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Self-surrender to God in faith is at the basis of every successful search for vocation. In speaking specifically of priesthood, with clear application to any vocation, Pope Paul VI describes the heart of freedom: “There cannot be vocations unless they be free; that is, unless they be spontaneous offerings of oneself, conscious, generous, total. . . . Freedom reaches its supreme foundation: precisely that of oblation, of generosity, of sacrifice” (quoted in Pope John Paul II, I Will Give You Shepherds, Pastores Dabo Vobis, 36). 

The universal call to holiness summons all to follow Christ and perfect themselves through their work. “The Church finds in the very first pages of the Book of Genesis the source of her conviction that work is a fundamental dimension of human existence on earth” (Pope John Paul II, On Human Work, Laborem Exercens, 4; cf. 25, CCC 2427-2428). Through labor – manual and intellectual activity – man is called to discover himself and his dignity. The first chapters of Genesis use special imagery to recount the original condition of man prior to the Fall. Commanded as he was to be fruitful, multiply, and have dominion over the earth, his life was rooted in labor. The garden was there to be tilled and worked. In freely mingling his effort and personality with the world entrusted to him, he became co-creator in the divine plan without diminishing his utter dependence on the Creator (cf. Laborem Exercens, 4). It is not surprising therefore that the fullness of Christian life involves work, wherein those born anew in Baptism as daughters and sons of God freely collaborate in the Father’s plan for creation and Christ’s work of redemption by helping to build a “civilization of love.” 

The vocation to holiness grows and flourishes in the household of the Church. People are called not only to communion with God but also to communion with others. The ekklesia, the “people gathered by God,” is the general sacrament of salvation and communion of men with God and one another (Vatican Council II, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, 1, 9, 51; CCC 542, 959). 

The call to holiness is also a call to apostolate (cf. Vatican Council II, Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity, Apostolicam Actuositatem, 2). Baptism is the effective call to holiness because through it people are really made holy as children of God and sharers in the divine life (Lumen Gentium, 40). The baptismal vocation entails the mission of going into the whole world to spread the Good News of communion with God through Jesus Christ. The Church then is evangelistic by nature. All the baptized share the mission to invite others into communion with God through Christ and the Church, which carries on his mission. 

Personal Callings Within the General Call • God’s call to holiness does not remain generic. His call is not limited to the silent touch of grace at Baptism. The common Christian vocation to holiness takes specific forms: some permanent, some temporary for each person. Each person receives a special vocation from God that only he or she can fulfill. One of the great tasks of each Christian is prayerfully to discern the path that God intends him to follow. One discovers this path through prayer, prudent advice, and personal reflection on one’s own talents. Each person’s specific way of living the general call to holiness is mediated by a variety of personal factors, for example, one’s natural abilities, one’s successes or failures, the people and experiences that affect one’s life, the opportunities that are offered and acted upon – or ignored. Once discovered, one’s personal path becomes an integral part of one’s  relationship with God. 

Single and married laity, religious, and secular priests live the common Christian vocation in special ways, but each special vocation shares certain elements: It is the Father’s choice, it comes from him and is his gift, it derives from the Church, it finds fulfillment in the Church, and it is given as a service to the Church (Pastores Dabo Vobis, 35). 

This variety of vocations in the Church is an aspect of the divine institution of the Church, by which some become sacred ministers or clerics by sacramental ordination and are distinguished from other Christian faithful or laity. From both groups persons can be called to a life of special consecration and thereby participate in a profound way in the life and holiness of the Church (Canons 204.1, 28; Lumen Gentium, 10, 20, 30-33; CCC 871-873). 

The vast majority of Christians are lay faithful, in the single and, especially, married states (cf. CCC 871-873). They live in the midst of the ordinary affairs of work and family and social life. The specific vocation and mission of the laity is to sanctify the world by participating in its structures and endeavors (cf. Lumen Gentium, 31, 33, 36; Apostolicam Actuositatem, 2, 5; Christifideles Laici, 15, 36ff.). Christian marriage is a sacrament involving a special way of holiness and service. Those who have received this sacrament are called to serve the mission of the Church through an example of committed love to each other and generous, self-sacrificing commitment to the Christian formation of their family. As a sacrament, Matrimony (or Christian marriage) is a grace-filled encounter with Christ. In its love and commitment, spousal love resembles Christ’s own love for the Church in its permanence, fidelity, and fruitfulness (cf. Lumen Gentium, 48-52). 

Some among the laity forgo marriage for honorable motives (CCC 2231), without becoming consecrated as religious. They may forgo marriage to care for others, to pursue professional excellence, or for some other generous reason. There are in addition special forms of permanent commitment for laypeople, married as well as celibate, through which they dedicate themselves for the apostolic mission of renewing society from within. Participation in certain institutes such as Focolare, Opus Dei, or the Neo-Catechumenal Way, for example, would facilitate that possibility. 

The Clerical Vocation • When he founded his Church, Jesus Christ called all the baptized to communion with him in holiness and to share in his mission as priest, prophet, and king. However, to some Christ addressed a special call to shepherd his people, instituting them in a variety of offices (bishops, priests, and deacons) that aim at the good of the whole body (Lumen Gentium, 18). 

The sacrament of Holy Orders is a constant sign in the Church that it is God who takes the initiative for our salvation through Jesus Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Church finds expression as the faithful gather around those who are sent by God to proclaim the Gospel and celebrate the sacraments with the power and authority of Christ himself. She does not call herself into existence nor does she gather on her own terms. Neither do those ordained to carry on the mission of Jesus Christ as head of the Church call themselves. Rather, they are empowered by Christ and receive the mandate from those who preside over the Church in his name (CCC 874-896, 1536-1600). But they do this not for themselves but as a ministry of service for Christ and for the Church (CCC 876; Lumen Gentium, 24; cf. Rom 1:1, Phil 2:7, 1 Cor 9:19). 

“In the Church and on behalf of the Church, priests are a sacramental representation of Jesus Christ . .authoritatively interpreting his word, repeating his acts of forgiveness and his offer of salvation – particularly in baptism, penance and the eucharist, showing his loving concern to the point of a total gift of self for the flock, which they gather into unity and lead to the Father through Christ and the Spirit” (Pastores Dabo Vobis, 15). The special vocation to ministerial priesthood presupposes the universal vocation to holiness, which it reinforces with a new requirement to strive for holiness (cf. Vatican Council II, Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests, Presbyterorum Ordinis, 12). To ministerial priesthood the Latin Church has attached celibacy, in imitation of Jesus Christ the eternal High Priest and as a source of total availability to serve the whole People of God. Furthermore, the sacrament of Holy Orders indelibly signs those ordained to highlight and strengthen with divine grace the permanence of this vocation. Pope John Paul II, in Philadelphia in 1979 on his first apostolic journey to the United States, spoke clearly of the permanent character of the priestly vocation: “It cannot be that God who gave the impulse to say ‘yes’ now wishes to hear ‘no’ ” (homily to priests, October 4, 1979). 

Promoting vocations to the priesthood is a grave ecclesial responsibility (Canon 223; Apostolicam Actuositatem, 11; Presbyterorum Ordinis, 11, etc.). It is a matter not so much of multiplying programs as it is of inviting men into fuller communion with Jesus Christ and with his Church. Moving more deeply into the mystery of the Church brings the gifts and graces from God that will sustain thriving Christian life in the community. Priests are among those gifts necessary for the life of the Church. As the Church herself, protected by the Holy Spirit, will never founder, so that same Spirit will never fail to call many men to God’s service as priests. 

It appears that there are common trends within successful seminarian programs. The first entails holding high standards for the priestly vocation and inviting men to measure up to it. This becomes countercultural, insofar as many people do not value the ordained priesthood enough or sufficiently hold up the ideal of a profound personal commitment to living the mystery of Christ’s priesthood in and for the Church (cf. Pastores Dabo Vobis, 8). Other fundamental elements include a sincere devotion to the Holy Eucharist and a warm devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Attending thoroughly to these basic aspects inspires well-motivated priestly vocations. In addition, an authentic fraternity among these men is generated as they come to common ground in reference to beliefs and spirituality. 

Consecrated Life • From early on in the life of the Church, some Christians were inspired to follow Jesus Christ more closely by living more intensely the evangelical counsels commended by the Lord – poverty, chastity, and obedience (cf. Lumen Gentium, 44; CCC 914-936). According to the 1994 world Synod of Bishops on consecrated life, the witness of such persons enables the Church to be “an eloquent sign of victorious grace.” Their consecrated lives enrich the Church by pointing clearly and effectively to Jesus Christ and to the kingdom of the Father, which is even now breaking forth in the life of the Church. Their total dedication to God’s honor contributes to the “upbuilding of the Church and the salvation of the world” (Canon 573; Lumen Gentium, 42-44; Decree on the Bishops’ Pastoral Office in the Church, Christus Dominus, 33; Decree on the Appropriate Renewal of the Religious Life, Perfectae Caritatis, 1). 

Guided by the same Holy Spirit, Church authority has given an interpretation of the counsels and set stable forms of living that embody them through the approval of institutes of consecrated life: religious institutes, secular institutes, and societies of apostolic life (Canons 573-746). The members of such institutes, by a public consecration to holiness in response to a special divine vocation, are set apart for the service of the People of God. For the most part, they are committed to life in common (Canon 602, Perfectae Caritatis, 15). In some cases, this is through a life of prayer and penance in contemplative communities totally withdrawn from the world. Better known to us are those institutes whose members serve in apostolic ministries, such as teachers, social workers, health care providers, parish pastoral assistants, and missionaries. 

Sharing the vision of the Second Vatican Council, as it has found rich expression in the life of the Church in succeeding decades, enables Catholics to value other vocations in the Church as well as to value their own. Experience demonstrates that those who tend to undervalue ordained ministry or consecrated life also tend to have a pessimistic view of Christian marriage. A strong, positive embracing of the high calling and genuine value of each Christian vocation fosters the balance and unity that allow the Church to enjoy the peace that is a gift of the Spirit. In the communion of the Church, all have the responsibility to affirm and support one another in their distinct vocations. 

The reality of our human condition requires that we acknowledge that some persons fail in pursuit of their special vocations. A marriage partner may depart, or a priest or sister may abandon a freely assumed commitment. The Church with love and honesty holds people to be true to their vocations. Anything less would not be worthy of our trust in God’s ever-present grace. At the same time, we trust in the infinite mercy of our Father God. The Church reflects this mercy in her own pastoral care insofar as the truth of our sacred mysteries and the common good of the Church allow. 

The Lord Jesus calls each person to discipleship. He calls us by name. All in the Church are invited to share the life of God as adopted daughters or sons. We are called to holiness, but that does not mean that we are all called by the same path. Many are the gifts by which the Lord builds up the Church, all directed to our growth in love (Eph 4:11-16).

See: Apostolate; Baptism; Charisms; Consecrated Life; Discernment; Evangelical Counsels; Holy Orders; Laity; Marriage; Ministry; Seminary; States in Life; Work.

Suggested Readings: Vatican Council II, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, 39-44; Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, Dei Verbum, 2; Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity, Apostolicam Actuositatem; Decree on the Appropriate Renewal of the Religious Life, Perfectae Caritatis; Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests, Presbyterorum Ordinis; Decree on Priestly Formation, Optatam Totius. John Paul II, The Splendor of Truth, Veritatis Splendor; The Christian Family in the Modern World, Familiaris Consortio; The Lay Members of Christ’s Faithful People, Christifideles Laici; I Will Give You Shepherds, Pastores Dabo Vobis; Apostolic Letter to the Youth of the World; Holy Thursday Letters to My Brother Priests; Letter to Families.

John J. Myers

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Revised: Sunday March 04, 2007 09:55:18 PM
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