What is A Vocation?

Vocation in a religious context is how God calls you to serve Him in

the world.
God calls you through Baptism and Confirmation to serve Him in a specific way of life.
You can follow God's call as a single person, married person, ordained priest or a
vowed religious.

In any of these states of life God calls us to build up society in a manner that reflects
the love of God. This is our general vocation as Christians. Even through work God
wants us to build his kingdom. God calls us to meaningful work that brings value to
humanity; work that does not exploit people for personal gain. In your occupation, ask
yourself each day how your work will bring glory to God and help people rather than
take advantage of others for personal profit.

Each vocation requires some sacrifice to die to self in the service of others. Perhaps this
is the true meaning of vocation. Through serving others we act as God to others and we
become more and more like Christ each day. While we might sin and fall short of what
God desires for us, God still calls us to faithfully live our vocations in the hope that we
will be with God in heaven someday.

It is important to first determine which way of life God is calling you to. This process of
determining God's call for your life is known as discernment.

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.  As such, Pope Francis has commented:
“to become priests, religious is not primarily our choice. I don’t trust the seminarian, the
novice who says: ‘I have chosen this path.’ I don’t like this. It’s not right! But it is the
response to a call and to a call of love” (Vatican City, 9 July 2013).

5. A vocation is different from a career

When we speak of Christian vocations, we don’t mean a job or a career.  Your vocation
is the way God invites you to love and give yourself 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.
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6. Every vocation is a call to love
On the surface the vocations of priesthood, religious life, married life, and single life
seem quite different, don’t they?  Although there is a beautiful diversity among
these 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).

How do I know what my vocation is? (Discernment)

The best way to discern your vocation is in prayer.

Prayer, simply put, is having a real conversation with God. Spend quiet time with God
reflecting on His call for your life. Don't look for an earth-shattering message that says
"This is what you are to do!" God generally does not communicate like that.
Set aside time each day to speak with God about His plan for you. You can pray in your
parish church or in a private place. You may choose to read the Scriptures or write in a
journal as an aid to this process. God wants to speak to you, but you have to take time
to listen for His quiet voice.
Don't be afraid to ask. God will answer.
Another aspect of discernment is to talk to others who are living the life you feel called
to. If you think you are being called to married life, speak to a couple you respect about
their vocation and how they live that vocation every day. If you are being called to the
single life, ask a single person about that state in life. The same holds true if you think
God may be calling you to the priesthood or vowed religious life.
Speaking to God and speaking to those who have been living a particular vocation are
ways to understand how God might be calling you.

I'm concerned about how my family and friends will react if I tell them I'm
interested in the priesthood.
Often times when a person has a call to the priesthood other people recognize and
support that call. Parents, family and friends may surprise you and react positively. In
some situations, however, they may be disappointed or even angry. If someone
responds in this way, be patient - with a bit of time they may come to see the positive
value of your calling. If people are upset, remember, accepting God's invitation is very
rewarding even if other people do not understand.

I think God is calling me to the priesthood, but I am also attracted to married life.
Great! That's exactly how a healthy priestly vocation manifests itself. An attraction to
marriage and the desire for a family is a normal, healthy part of every young man's life.
A true calling to the priesthood should always come in addition to a desire for family life,
not instead of it.
It is a common misconception that men become priests because they don't want to get
married or because they don't like women. This is absolutely untrue! All good priests
would also make good husbands and fathers. And more importantly, all good priests
have some level of desire for married life. If they didn't, then the promise to live an
unmarried, celibate life would be meaningless, because it would involve no sacrifice.
2 Principal elements of every vocation

1. God’s will / God’s call

2. Man’s free will / Man’s free response

Requirements on entering a congregation

CHAPTER III : THE ADMISSION OF CANDIDATES AND THE FORMATION OF MEMBERS
ARTICLE 1: ADMISSION TO THE NOVITIATE
Can. 641 The right to admit candidates to the novitiate belongs to the major Superiors,
in accordance with the norms of the institute's own law.
Can. 642 Superiors are to exercise a vigilant care to admit only those who, besides
being of required age, are healthy, have a suitable disposition, and have sufficient
maturity to undertake the life which is proper to the institute. If necessary, the health,
disposition and maturity are to be established by experts, without prejudice to can. 220.
Can. 643 §1 The following are invalidly admitted to the novitiate:
1° One who has not yet completed the seventeenth year of age;
2° a spouse, while the marriage lasts;
3° one who is currently bound by a sacred bond to some institute of consecrated life, or
is incorporated in some society of apostolic life, without prejudice to can. 684;
4° one who enters the institute through force, fear or deceit, or whom the Superior
accepts under the same influences;
5° one who has concealed his or her incorporation in an institute of consecrated life or
society of apostolic life.
§2 An institute's own law can constitute other impediments even for the validity of
admission, or attach other conditions.
Can. 644 Superiors are not to admit secular clerics to the novitiate without consulting
their proper Ordinary; nor those who have debts which they are unable to meet.
Can. 645 §1 Before candidates are admitted to the novitiate they must produce proof of
baptism and confirmation, and of their free status.
§2 The admission of clerics or others who had been admitted to another institute of
consecrated life, to a society of apostolic life, or to a seminary, requires in addition the
testimony of, respectively, the local Ordinary, or the major Superior of the institute or
society, or the rector of the seminary.
§3 An institute's own law can demand further proofs concerning the suitability of
candidates and their freedom from any impediment.
§4 The Superiors can seek other information, even under secrecy, if this seems
necessary to them.