To what vocation in life if God calling me?
November 7-13, 2021, was National Vocation Awareness Week, the annual week-long celebration of the Catholic Church in the United States dedicated to promoting vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, and consecrated life, through prayer and education, and to renew our prayers and support for those who are considering one of these particular vocations. It is designed to help promote vocation awareness and to encourage young people to ask the question: "To what vocation in life is God calling me?"
From the time we are children and teenagers, people ask us questions like, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” and “What are you going to do with your life?” Sometimes such questions seem exciting and full of possibility. Other times they feel oppressive and overwhelming. Sometimes we experience ‘many callings and one life’.
The word “vocation” can mean different things to different people. The prophet Jeremiah used words like “plans” and “call” to describe how he understood God at work in his life. Today we hear words like “purpose” or “meaning” to describe the search for deeper understanding about our lives. For some, vocation means a job or an occupation. For others, vocation means a calling to married life or ordained ministry or consecrated life in the church.
In the Christian tradition, vocation is actually much bigger and broader than we might believe. Vocation is the universal call to discipleship that all baptized Christians share. It is also the particular call that God speaks to each of us in our own unique lives. So vocation is not reserved for just a few. We all are part of this universal call to discipleship and each one of us has a particular call also.
How to discern my particular call?
From the history of the people of God we see that God directly calls some people. God called Moses and Aaron (Exodus 3:4, 28:1), He called Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:4-5), Amos (Amos 7:15) and others. Jesus called the apostles and some other of his disciples (e.g., Mark 3:14-19), and the Holy Spirit called Barnabas and Saul to be missionaries (Acts 13:2).
Young Samuel, though he was directly called by God, recognized his call with the help of Eli, the priest (1 Samuel 3:1-9). So others also can help us to discern our vocation.
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI told young people to spend time in silence before the Blessed Sacrament: “Before the Lord, in the silence of your hearts, some of you may feel called to follow him in a more radical way in the priesthood or the consecrated life. Do not be afraid to listen to this call and to respond with joy. God takes nothing away from those who give themselves to him. On the contrary, he gives them everything. He comes to draw out the best that is in each one of us, so that our lives can truly flourish.”
As a community let us pray for vocations, encourage and support our youngsters to respond positively to the call of God.