Thursday, March 13, 2008

FOUR TYPES OF VOCATION

God's first call for every person is to simply follow Him. You were created to be in relationship with God, and that is His greatest desire for you. As your relationship with God grows, He will continue to draw you deeper into this relationship, and call you to become more like Christ, to love Him more, and to love others through service. In all these things, you will experience God calling you to a particular vocation.

The Catholic Church recognises four main vocations: Priesthood, Religious Life, Marriage and Single Life. God calls everyone to follow Him. Here is a brief outline of the four vocations:

Priesthood: A Catholic priest is a male ordained minister of the Church. Because they give their lives in total service to the Church, priests embrace the gift of celibacy and commit to a life of prayer. They proclaim the Good News, teach the Catholic faith, minister the Sacraments, work to build up their local faith community and lead their faith community in worship. Most priests will minister in a parish setting, while others may serve as chaplains to universities, hospitals, prisons, the armed forces and other industries.

Religious Life: A religious priest, brother or sister (nun) commits his or her life to sharing in the life and mission of their religious community. Religious priests, brothers and sisters embrace the call to poverty, chastity and obedience, and nurture their call through a life of celibacy, faith, prayer and service. Religious priests, brothers and sisters serve in areas such as education, health care, parish, youth ministry, aged care, spirituality, pastoral ministry, social work, amongst the poor and as a contemplative, and many will serve as missionaries in other cultures. Depending on the religious order, they may dress in 'normal' clothes or in a habit.

Marriage: A married person lives a vow of faithful love to a spouse through the sacrament of marriage. Husbands and wives share a self-giving, love-giving and life-giving relationship with their spouse, and are committed to helping their spouse grow to human and Christian maturity. They seek to form a family home, and are together the first teachers of their children in Christian faith and values. Married people may serve in their parish community or in the Church in a number of different ways.

Single Life: A person called to single life comes to believe that remaining single is the true and right way to faithfully live his or her baptismal call. Single men and women embrace the gift of celibacy while living alone, with a family or with others who are single. They are able to devote time and energy in service of others, and may serve in their parish community or in the Church in a number of different ways.

In each vocation, the person lives a life of faith and prayer to continually grow in relationship with God. The Church recognises that each vocation is equal in the sense that no vocation is better or less then any other. However, because God calls you to a particular vocation - whether marriage, priesthood, religious life or single life - that vocation is the best one for you, and the one that will 'fit' you best and make you the most happy.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you Father I needed to know this simple answer to a pain so deep as a vocational calling to know I can do that as a single man within my parish is a freedom that I needed to hear read and understand thankyou God bless I feel a free man again

Anonymous said...

thank you very much it really help in my assignment in our christian living about marriage


thanks a lot more power

Anonymous said...

thank you for this post it helped me a lot in our review for our test tomorrow on our Christian living education subject!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

gager

Lee Lether said...

Thank God for this!! I have to give a speech about Vocations tomorrow to 100+ high school students and this helped clear up my uncertainties.

Anonymous said...

Thankyou so much you really helped me with my religion test!!

Unknown said...

Although, my professor told me not to go in any kinds of blog to take help to complete my Thesis, but, with a curiosity, I went through your blog and found some good ideas which would help me to complete the thesis. Thank you......

AmyACanadianCatholicNewMom said...

Thank you for posting this great wisdom for the Universal Church.

Grumpydeg said...

Very helpful with reasearching.

Anonymous said...

Thanks! Needed this for my assignment! <3

Unknown said...

Pope John Paul II , Vita Consecrata, 32:


“As a way of showing forth the Church's holiness, it is to be recognized that the consecrated life, which mirrors Christ's own way of life, has an objective superiority. Precisely for this reason, it is an especially rich manifestation of gospel values and a more complete expression of the Church's purpose, which is the sanctification of humanity. The consecrated life proclaims and in a certain way anticipates the future age, when the fullness of the Kingdom of Heaven, already present in its first fruits and in mystery, will be achieved and when the children of the resurrection will take neither wife nor husband, but will be like the angels of God (c.f., Matt. 22:30).”

Anonymous said...

Skrt Skrt
thanks this help me not do my religion work
yeet

Sean said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Maxamillianmus said...

*OH YEAH YEAH*

J Roc said...

well this is like cool and all that but my new album droppin on the 19 march is way litter then them candles in church and you should defo check it out. ok now go back to worshipin and spreadin the word of the one and only G

peace out homies

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Anonymous said...

10 vocation and people engaged in it

Anonymous said...

i need answers please

Anonymous said...

Really