Title In the history of our Church, the development of human vocation is evident. God called His disciples each of different generations. Some are kings, shepherds, famers, hermits and fishermen. Each of them has different status in life. They may be all different but they have one purpose upon which they are all called and that is to build up the kingdom of God here on earth. “Vocation is the personal human response to God’s general call to love and holiness”. We are called by God to love and to serve. To love and to serve is the fundamental and innate call of human being. It is a universal call yet our responses are diverse depending upon the gifts that we received from God. Knowing the fact that we are all called, the question now is on how do we respond to the call? Technically, there are three kinds of responses to respond to the general call of God: the religious life, marriage and the single blessedness. Also, in these three different responses, there are many ways on how to respond to God’s call. It may be to serve using our professions, abilities, capacities, our talents etc. In answering to the call of God is there a standard that we need to follow in order to be called worthy to serve God? For me, there is no standard upon which all of us have to follow. Each of us has different ways on how to respond to the call of God. For example, in the Old Testament, in Moses’ response to the call of God to save the people of Israel in Egypt. He was doubtful at first whether he will listen and follow what God wanted him to do because he feels uncapable and unworthy of saving His people from the wrath of the Pharaoh. He even denied God’s call and said to refer someone who has the capacity to do what God wanted him to do. Yet even if Moses feels unconfident about it, God still trusted him in saving the people of Israel. In God’s mercy, Moses accepted the call and eventually saved the Israelites from the slavery of the Egyptians. Even though Moses had many weaknesses and feels unworthy to answer to the call of God, he continued to answer and follow God in His call to build up the kingdom of Heaven. Reflecting on my life as a seminarian, as I answer to the call of God to love and holiness by becoming a priest someday, I too, like Moses, feels unworthy in following God. I feel unworthy of His call because of my weaknesses and of the sins that I have done in life. I feel unworthy because I feel like I do not have the capacity in becoming His priest someday. I have great tendencies to commit sin. Yet even if I have these feelings in me why do I still continue to answer His call? It is because I believe in the mercy and love of God. I believe that in my journey to follow Him, he will always be on my side to guide me and to help me. He will always be with me to purify my heart and my intentions in following Him to become priest and to build up His kingdom here on earth. In answering to the call of God, there is no standard upon which we have to meet in order to become worthy. As of what Fr. Paul said in the movie “Maging Aking Muli”: There is no perfect vocation, only a perfect intention. God calls us in spite of us being weak and sinful. He calls us all, no exception. We all have our weaknesses in life. In following God, weaknesses are not the determining factor in responding to his call. What is important is the willingness to trust and surrender to the will of God. Our calling is not about us. It is about our God who loves us despite of our sins.
(Brill’s Studies in Intellectual History 252) Robert Joseph Matava - Divine Causality and Human Free Choice_ Domingo Báñez, Physical Premotion and the Controversy de Auxiliis Revisited-Brill (2016).pdf