MODULE NO.

2
GRADE 12- PAULINIAN SPIRITUALITY
Theology of the BODY and MEDIA MINDFULNESS

VOCATION: BEST EXPRESSION OF LOVE

Prepared by:
ESTRELLA MARILU D. VILLANUEVA

_____________________________________________________
Name of Learner

_____________________________________________________
Year & Section

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 CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS

CONTENT STANDARDS
The learner realizes that each of us have our own vocation and it is essential to recognize and respond
beyond one’s self.

Most Essential Learning Outcome (MELO)

The learner recognizes the gifts God has given each one and offer them back to the Lord as one lives out
one’s vocation.

Intended Learning Outcome (ILO)

Morals: Love is the fundamental and innate vocation of every human being.” (Familiaris Consortio, 11)

Integration:
Doctrine: These two dimensions of the human vocation are not opposed to each other, but are
complimentary. Both furnish a full answer to one of man’s fundamental questions, the question about the
significance of masculinity and femininity, of being “in the body” a man or a woman. (Theology of the
Body, July 14, 1982)

This is the body – a witness to creation as a fundamental gift, and so a witness to Love as the source from
which this same giving springs. Masculinity and femininity – namely, sex – is the original sign of a creative
donation and an awareness on the part of man male – female, of a gift lived in an original way.
Such is the meaning with which sex enters the theology of the body. (Theology of the Body, January 9,
1980)

Worship: Prayer is the primary way one discerns a vocation while sacramental life is the key element in
knowing and following God’s will.

Life Performance Outcome (LPO)

Mindful, self-directed Learners and Role Models (LPO1)

Essential Performance Outcomes (EPOs)

 Consistently practice their Catholic faith by manifesting Paulinian values, qualities, inner convictions, and
action that mirror it. (EPO1)
 Regularly allot time and energy for periods of reading the bible, reflection / prayer and renewal.
(EPO3)
 Describe their unique personal qualities and thinking processes, and explain how improving them can
lead to better opportunities for learning and personal fulfillment. (EPO4)

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INSTRUCTION and INTRODUCTION
Instruction

Here’s a simple guide for you in going about the module.

1. Read and follow the instructions very carefully.
2. Take the pretest. It is a simple multiple choice test provided at the start to determine how much you
know about the content of this module.
3. Be very honest in taking the test so you know how much knowledge you already have about the topic.
4. Perform all the activities, as these will help you have a better understanding of the topic.
5. Take the post-test at the end of the module

Intoduction Day 1
I remember one of my favorite Saints – St. Therese of Lisieux, who has become one of the most beloved Saints
of our Church. She said, “I understand that Love comprised all vocations, that love was everything, that it
embraced all times and places…in a word, that it was eternal! Then in the excess of my delirious joy, I cried out:
O Jesus, my love…my vocation, at last I have found it…My vocation is Love!”
What does she mean? What is vocation?
Christians often speak of having “vocation” or being “called”. They talk about receiving a call to a particular work
or situation. However, there are a multitude of meanings behind the concept and arguably, most people are not
clear about its significance. What do we mean by vocation and how does it relate to the Christian life?

DISCUSSION AND ACTIVITIES

Explore
A. Choose the keyword that best fits the given statement. Write only the letter of your choice:
1. It is a vocation / mission entrusted by Christ to His Apostles continues to be exercised in the Church
until the end of time.
a. Deacon b. Priest c. Bishop d. Lay Minister

2. It is a call or strong inclination to a particular way of life or course of action.

b. Career b. Vocation c. Call to holiness d. Ministry

3. It is a perpetual commitment in which man and woman give themselves to each other, making a
solemn vow to love and respect each other “until death do they part.”
a. Priesthood b. Single life c. Consecrated life d. Marriage

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 4. t is the love of Christ that is strong, total, and undivided that enables the person to persevere and
motivates them to be faithful to their choice of life.
a. Priesthood b. Single life c. Consecrated life d. Marriage

5. It is a vocation to represent Christ wherever they are and whatever they do, By their silent witness
of a holy life. These people are lights shining out in the world, pointing out the way to God.
a. Priesthood b. Single life c. Consecrated life d. Marriage

B. What is Vocation?

Brainstorm on the following question:

 What do you want to be when you grow a little older?
 What is the difference between vocation and profession?

Vocation is one’s response to a call from beyond oneself to use one’s strengths and gifts to make
the world a better place through service, creativity and leadership. A call from beyond oneself. The
concept of vocation rests on the belief that life is about more than me.
(http://www.dbq.edu.CampusLife)s

The call to love is “the fundamental and innate vocation of every human being”.

A vocation is a personal call. It is offered freely and must be accepted freely. Attraction to a
certain way of life or to a specific person can be a good sign of being called. Most often a person comes
to recognize and accept a vocation gradually. This process, sometimes called discernment, is an
opportunity for growth. It can be helped by prayer and guidance from trusted mentors, friends and
family.

However, what begins as attraction must deepen into conviction and commitment.

There are Seven (7) Essential Things about Your Vocation:

1. Vocation is by Invitation
The word vocation comes from the Latin vocare which means to call. God calls or invites you to a
particular vocation – single life, marriage, priesthood or consecrated life. Although each of us must
make a decision about our vocation, that choice is a response to an invitation from God.

2. God calls you personally

God is interested in you personally and he calls you personally. “In calling us God says to us: “You
are important to me. I love you. I count on you.”

3. Your vocation is an expression of who you are.

Vocation is not simply something that you do but it is an authentic expression of who you are, of
your very identity. “Be who you are meant to be and you will set the whole world on fire.”

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 4. God knows us best
God knows us better than we know ourselves. He understands what will bring us real fulfilment,
not just fleeting happiness.

5. A vocation is different from a career

Our vocation is the way God invites us to love and give ourselves to others. It is not simply the
giving of your skills services and expertise, but the giving of your whole self as a path to holiness.

6. Every vocation is a call to love

Although there is a beautiful diversity among vocations, at their heart each shares a common
commitment to love. As St. John Paul II explained it, “Love is the fundamental and innate vocation
of every human being.” (Familiaris Consortio 11)

7. God respects your freedom

God created us with freedom to choose and be responsible. (CCC 1730). God does not want to
force you to choose a certain path, but to listen to His invitation and respond freely.

 Firm- up Day 2

Reading of the SACRED SCRIPTURE: 1 John 4:7 – 8 LOVE

Let’s have common definition of Love – Biblical love is a self-sacrificing, caring commitment that shows
itself in seeking the highest good of the one loved.
We should love one another because God is love
God is the source of genuine love, because it comes from His very nature. The foundation for our love for
one another is God, who is the source of love and whose very nature is love. As true children of God, we
display His nature. We need to affirm this belief.

God sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him.

 Deepen

Make connection with CHURCH TEACHING

“At the same time however, the concept of giving cannot refer to nothingness. It indicates the one who
gives and the one who receives the gift, and also the relationship established between them.” (Theology
of the Body, January 2, 1980)

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 Four types of Vocation:
1. Single Life
Single vocation means that each person has a unique mission in life and that is why it is
called single. The word single means simple, unique. But it also means “unmarried”. Single men
and women are called by God to serve the Church, the bride of Christ, to whom they are wedded
from the moment they are baptized. Single vocation,

The Church needs lay Catholics who can dedicate themselves to their work and the spread
of the Gospel while working in the world. They have greater flexibility and time to do a variety of
tasks and to help other families. (Magdalen.edu)

2. Marriage Life
Marriage is a vocation, in as much as it is a response to a specific call to experience
conjugal love as an imperfect sign of the love between Christ and the Church. Consequently, the
decision to marry and to have a family ought to be the fruit of a process of vocational discernment.

Those who are called to the married life should be ready to learn what their vocation
means and to acquire the virtues and skills needed for a happy and holy marriage.

Marriage is the permission and blessing granted by the Almighty God to a Man and a
Woman so that they may donate themselves totally to one another because of love, grow
together in wholeness until they die, and raise children according to God’s plan for them.

In other words – Marriage is a covenant of love between a man and a woman, with three
(3) fundamental properties –
Unity means that we cannot marry more than one person at the same time.
Indissolubility means that we cannot divorce from our spouse.
Fecundity means that we must be open to the procreation of children.

3. Ordained Life
A call to a priestly life is best understood by considering who a priest is.

A priest is a man of faith and prayer called to be a church minister; he proclaims the Word
of God; he administers the sacraments; he lives celibately as servant-leader; he builds a parish
community that works to bring healing, justice, and holiness to all. Through the Sacrament of
Holy Orders, baptized men are consecrated in Christ’s name “to nourish the Church with the
word and grace of God.

The priest stands as a sacramental witness of the presence of God in the world.

Requirements to be part of the tradition of the priesthood are understandably high.

Emotional maturity, good health, intelligence, a deep and prayerful commitment to serve
God and His people are essential. Seminaries provide the necessary tools, formation and
direction to be an effective priest for the Church.

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 Through the process of discernment, one discover God's will for his life.

Ordination or Holy Orders gives the ordained person a sacred power in the name and
authority of Christ and through the Holy Spirit, to serve the people of God.

Christ’s priesthood is shared differently either in the “common” royal priesthood of all
the baptized or in the “ministerial priesthood” of those who receive the Sacrament of Holy
Orders. Through the Sacrament of Holy Orders, a man is set apart to serve the members of the
Church, through the ministries. Orders confers an indelible spiritual character, a mark made in
the depths of the priest’s being. Once a priest, he is a priest forever.

There are three (3) “degrees” of ordination (or Holy Orders):

1.Deacon - to serve
2.Presbyte - these two degrees are ministerial participation in Christ’s priesthood.
3.Bishop (Episcopacy)

4. Vowed Religious / Consecrated Life

Consecrated / Religious Life is a state of life in the Catholic Church lived by believers
who wish to follow Jesus Christ in a more exacting way. They led lives dedicated to God, each
in his / her own way. Many of them, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
The religious give themselves freely, dedicating themselves - body and spirit – entirely
to God. The evangelical counsels of CHASTITY, POVERTY AND OBEDIENCE are their response
to God’s unconditional love. God gives them the most sacred and unchanging love, protects
them, and provides for them; He will be a Spouse to them and He will incline their hearts to
Him and graciously accepts them.

Evangelical Counsels, based on the teaching of Christ the Master, are divine gifts that
the Church receive from the Lord (Canon Law 573). The very nature of the counsels, a gift not
granted to everyone, but only to those who are chosen. Vita Consecrata tells us that the
evangelical vows of Chastity, Poverty and Obedience are in themselves gifts of the Triune God.

The vow of Chastity or celibacy is a “choice of a closer and more complete relationship
with the mystery of Christ and the Church for the good of all mankind.” Love, at the heart of
religious life, is “the source of such a total donation and the result of it is a deep and intimate
friendship with Christ, Spouse and friend” (Religious Life by Elio Gambari, S.M.M.). This vow is
a manifestation of dedication to God with an undivided heart. The heart of the religious is
surrendered to God, pure and chaste. As chaste virgins of Jesus Christ, the religious have of
perfect continence observed in chastity. This means they choose to share love and friendship
with all of God’s people and do not make a commitment to one particular person. This enables
the religious to love everyone with the love of Jesus.

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 The vow of Poverty is a turning away from material wealth and possessions, and a turning
towards heavenly things. The vow of Poverty proclaims that God is man’s ultimate treasure. It
means that members of the religious orders have no personal possessions of their own except
God alone. Their poverty is shown in living and sharing everything in common. It means religious
live simply, sharing with community his or her talents and material goods in order to minister
better to others and support the community. It is a new attitude toward possessions, finding joy
in the simple things of life, learning to let go, and to place one’s trust in God. The religious
cannot lend, borrow, give or receive anything as they will. Everything belongs to the community.

The vow of Obedience is the offer of the full dedication of their mind and heart as a
sacrifice of themselves to God. It has its roots in faith, uniting the religious more permanently
and securely to God’s saving will. The religious obey humbly and submit to their superiors in faith
and love for God in accordance with their rules and constitutions (cf. Perfectae Caritatis 14). It
means the religious will listen to God’s will as it is made known to them through prayer and their
superiors, so as to serve the needs of all through the charism or ministry of the community. It is
to listen, to discover God’s voice and His will in events, to let themselves be called forth to new
challenges and new tasks, to find new meaning in routine events, and to serve one another in
love and joy under the direction of the Superiors.

Day 3
 Some steps in discerning God’s will and give you some additional insight into your true
vocation:

1. Look at Christ’s love and see what that stirs in your heart. When you stop and think about his sacrifice,
are there times you want to follow him, to be totally his and give yourself to him without reserve,
and to put everything you have into bringing him to others?

2. Take a good look at all He has given you: the gift of life, the gift of faith, your health, the opportunities
you have had, possibly your conversion. See if there are some things that might point in the direction
of a vocation, like the difference between the way you look on life to the way your friends do.

3. Get some advice from a good priest. Go over your life with him and be frank about the good and bad
you see there, and ask him if he believes anything in your past might be a definitive obstacle to your
having a vocation. If he doesn’t, it is one more reason to look more closely at the vocation.

4. Visit a seminary or community of Priests or Sisters that attracts you and see what God stirs in your
heart while you are there. That would also be a good time to have an in-depth talk with the vocation
director.

5. Get some advice regarding your feelings: they are fickle, they change on the shortest notice with or
without warning. These are important to note. Your response to a vocation can’t ride on that roller-
coaster; it has to be on the level of your will and not your feelings.

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*Parallel to taking these steps, you will need to develop and follow a program of spiritual growth.
Some points to include:
1. Daily personal prayer. (A daily “quiet time” or meditation time, rosary, evening examination of conscience).
Be realistic.
2. Increased attendance at Mass and reception of the Eucharist and of the sacrament of Confession.
3. Attention to your duties (study, family, work)
4. Involvement in evangelization. Some examples: helping start a discussion group, a prayer group or a Bible
study; helping in a youth group, doing door to door evangelization.
5. A key virtue or two that you need to work on, depending on what you realize is your weak point. (For
example: patience, self-control, responsibility)
6. A healthy social life; avoiding of course friendship or atmospheres that go against Christian values.

* Ten ways to support a Vocation:

1. Understand what a vocation is.
2. Remember that a vocation is a calling from God who wants what is best for you so not finding one’s true
vocation leads to frustration. Encourage people to realize that we are not in competition with God but rather
3. God is our loving Father guiding us to true and lasting happiness. When God gets His way we all win.
4. Take time to ask the question: “What does God want you to do with your life?”
5. Pray for vocations because we are all effects by original sin, we need God’s grace to answer His call.
6. Remove any horrible stereotypes from your mind for example men and women do not become priests or
religious because they could not find a date.
7. Point of good qualities in young people and help themselves understand how these good qualities will help
them in the future in a particular vocation.
8. Support your diocese’s seminarians when possible both financially and through prayer especially if you can
pray for them by name.
9. Support the retired priests and religious of your diocese both financially and prayerfully. Remember all that
they do.
10. Say thank you to priests, religious, and good and faithful married people and single people for being good
Christian examples. You would be amazed how much a simple “thank you” can do to lift up their spirits.
11. Live out your vocation to the best of your ability. Never underestimate the influence you may have on others.

 Synthesis
The word “vocation” means a call or strong inclination to a particular way of life or course of action.
Each one of us is called to a particular vocation in life: to remain, to marry, or to become a priest or religious.
All these calls come from God. It is God who calls us to a particular state of life.

The vocation of every Christian is a response to Christ’s call, “Come, follow me” (Mt. 19:21). Every
single Christian, of whatever age, sex, or walk of life, is called to seek Christ, find Him, and stay with Him.
This call to Trinitarian: a free gift of God grounded in the Father’s free loving choice, who blesses us in His
Son, Jesus Christ, and seals us with the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:3-4). In the Church, this vocation is nourished in
her ministry of proclaiming the Word, in her celebration of the Sacraments, in her service and witness to
charity; thus, the vocation of every Christian derives from the Church and her mediation, and finds fulfilment
in and is a service to the Church (CFC 1946)

In the one life God gave you to live, you have one override purpose, to fulfill the will of God because
this is the key to your true destiny, eternal happiness.

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 Transfer Day 4

All of us are called to live a holy life just as consecrated men and women are called. Although you did not
profess the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, as Christ-centered Paulinian, follower of Jesus
Christ, how can you live these three vows?

*SELF- EVALUATION
Rubrics for essay/ Prayer / Reflection
Content / Organization 70 %
Grammar / Penmanship/ Cleanliness 15 %
Punctuality 15 %

How are you being called to serve God at this time in your life? What vocation are you called to?

POST- TEST / SUMMATIVE TEST

Select the keyword that best fits the given items. Write only the letter of your choice.
1. It is a vocation to conform one’s life to Jesus Christ through living as He did in poverty, chastity and
obedience.
a. Single Life b. Married Life c. Ordained Life d. Consecrated Life
2. It is a vocation for men that fully commit themselves to God through their life and work of proclaiming the
Word of God.
a. Single Life b. Married Life c. Ordained Life d. Consecrated Life
3. It is a vocation that witnesses to the depth and fidelity that is possible, a commitment of love between
people.
a. Single Life b. Married Life c. Ordained Life d. Consecrated Life
4. It is a call to represent Christ wherever they are and whatever they do as they silently witness of a holy life.
a. Single Life b. Married Life c. Ordained Life d. Consecrated Life
5. It is an Evangelical Counsel that is a turning away from material wealth and possessions, and turning
towards heavenly things.
a. Poverty b. Chastity c. Obedience
6. It is an Evangelical Counsel that is the offer of the full dedication of the religious’ mind and heart as a
sacrifice of themselves to God.
a. Poverty b. Chastity c. Obedience
7. It is an Evangelical Counsel that is a “choice of a closer and more complete relationship with the mystery of
Christ and the Church for the good of all mankind.”
a. Poverty b. Chastity c. Obedience
8. It means that we cannot divorce from our spouse.
a. Unity b. Indissolubility c. Fecundity
9. It means that we must be open to the procreation of children.
a. Unity b. Indissolubility c. Fecundity
10. It means that we cannot marry more than one person at the same time.
a. Unity b. Indissolubility c. Fecundity

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REFERENCES
 Sources
https://www.scd.org > About the Priesthood
https://www.vocationcentre.org> What is a Catholic Priest?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org > wiki
Gunao, Sr. Rebacca, SPC. Maturing in Jesus Christ 10: Rex Publishing

ANSWER KEY
Explore
1. b 2. b 3. d 4. c 5. b
Post-test
1. d 2. c 3. b 4. a 5. A
6.b 7.c 8.b 9.c 10.a

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