Vocations:

Meaning
of our
Calling
Vocation
Latin word
“Vocare” which
means to call
 Kinds of Calling
– Ordained Ministry/Celibate life
– COMMITMENT TO RELIGIOUS LIFE
– Commitment to Marriage and Family Life
– The Lay Commitment
Religious •Includes Priests, Nuns and
Life and Brothers
Ordained •Vow of obedience, chastity and
Ministry poverty
 Married
Life
•Mutual help of the couple
•Procreation and education of the young
 Single-
blessed
ness
A state of life where one is called to live a
life of loving service to God and to Christ’s
Body, the Church.
 What are the THINGS TO CONSIDER
IN DISCERNING A CALL?

– Discern – for vocations to the priesthood and

the religious life, there are seminaries and
convents that conduct search-in
seminars/recollections to guide young
searchers in discerning their particular
calling in life.
 What are the THINGS TO CONSIDER
IN DISCERNING A CALL?

– For choosing a lifetime partner, there are

also seminars designed for young couples,
for them to better understand each other
and help them decide on sanctifying their
union with the Sacrament of Matrimony.
 What are the THINGS TO CONSIDER
IN DISCERNING A CALL?

– Part of the process of discernment is

consulting a spiritual director.
Articulating your thoughts and feelings
about choices in life will enlighten you on
the path you want to take.
 What are the THINGS TO CONSIDER
IN DISCERNING A CALL?

– Study yourself.
– Live a good life as you prepare for a future
vocation.
– Develop good relationships with your family,
friends, and the community to become a more
loving person.
 Ordained
Ministry/Celibate life
– PRIESTS ACT “in the – Religious life is a
name and in the person of
Christ”, they also
FUNCTION in the
THREE very
TRADITIONAL TITLES
given to JESUS as a
PROPHET, PRIEST, and
KING.
COMMITMENT
TO RELIGIOUS
LIFE
permanent way of
community life by which
those with special calling
bind themselves with
either simple or solemn
vows to observe the
evangelical counsels, with
a particular spirit and
“rule” or way of life.
 Ordained COMMITMENT
Ministry/Celibate life TO RELIGIOUS
LIFE
– As PROPHET, the priest – The religious take
emphasizes one’s role as VOWS of
a TESTIFIER of TRUTH. POVERTY,
– As PRIEST, he is a CHASTITY and
MEDIATOR between OBEDIENCE in a
GOD and MAN. life conducive to
– As KING, his role is one attaining a higher
of SERVICE to OTHERS. degree of
 Ordained
Ministry/Celibate life
– CFC 1951- 1953 explains:
The New Testament offers
FOUR BASIC
DIMENSIONS OF
CHRISTIAN MINISTRY
that Catholic tradition has
brought together in
priesthood.
COMMITMENT TO
RELIGIOUS LIFE
– Poverty. By poverty, the
religious free themselves of
worldly wealth and attachments.
They depend for their support
upon their religious community;
this detachment from material
things enables them to give
themselves more fully to God and
to others.
 Ordained
Ministry/Celibate life
– First, the priest is as
DISCIPLE called to “follow
Jesus” in total commitment,
undeterred even by family
ties, life itself, hardship or
death, and “with no looking
back to what was left
behind.”
COMMITMENT TO
RELIGIOUS LIFE
– Chastity. By chastity, the
religious renounce
marriage and the
pleasures of the flesh and
embrace a greater love for
all people, their brothers
and sisters in Christ.
 Ordained COMMITMENT TO
Ministry/Celibate life RELIGIOUS LIFE

– Obedience. Through this vow,

– Second, the priest is
the religious overcome pride of
an APOSTLE, will and attain subjection to the
will of God. This vow puts them
“sent” to serve in at the service of the Church.
the mission of Jesus They use their God-given
talents and skills together in the
and of the Church. effort of serving the people.
 Ordained COMMITMENT TO
Ministry/Celibate life RELIGIOUS LIFE

– Third, the priest is called a – Religious bind

PRESBYTER, one
responsible to the pastoral themselves by vows,
care of the Church to better attain the
members.
perfection to which
– Fourth, the priest is a
PRESIDER AT THE
all Christians are
EUCHARIST. called.
 Commitment to Marriage
and Family Life
– The sacrament does not end after the
– The wedding celebration. Married life
sacrament of continues throughout the rest of the
vocation for spouses’ lives of mutual conjugal love. It
most of the grows and matures through the
laity is years of their married life and the
MATRIMONY. procreation, education, and
formation of their children.
 Commitment to Marriage
and Family Life
– The Sacrament of – Their love for and faithfulness to each other
Matrimony refers to can be nourished through life in the Church
two essential things:
and the celebration of the Sacraments of the
both (1) the
sacramental Eucharist and Reconciliation.
celebration of the – The union of man and woman is an
union of man and
everlasting covenant and commitment.
woman before God
and people, and (2) Married Christians are exhorted to live in
their ongoing married unity with a strong mutual love and
life (CFC 1898). responsibility towards their children.
 The Lay Commitment
– The ministry of the lay faithful of – Single blessedness
evangelizing the world is founded on is a state of life
the sacraments of Baptism and where one is called
Confirmation. The Laity has a
to live a life of
commitment to answer the call to
loving service to
holiness initiated at their baptism.
God and to Christ’s
They can do this by carrying their
duties faithfully, humbly and joyfully. Body, the Church.
 The Lay Commitment
– In imitation of Christ, there are people who – Single persons are given
choose to live a single life in order to live more many options to use their
freely in the service of God and His body, the gifts in order to live in
Church, in their own unique ways. Freedom holiness. With their God-
given gifts, they are called
here does not mean doing whatever we want,
to channel positively their
but doing things that will make us better as
energies into loving service
well as helping others to live an upright and
to all for a wholesome
dignified life without so much pressure from a community and
strictly structured way of life. progressive society.