Vocation Awareness Week

‎"Vocation is simply a call to belong totally to Christ. With the conviction that nothing can separate me from his love. Vocation is an invitation to be in love with God, and to prove that love. How do I love God? How do I prove my love for God? By doing beautifully the work I have been given to do. By doing simply that in which God has entrusted to me, in whatever form it may take."
 - Bl. Mother Teresa 

This week (January 9th-14th.) is National Vocations awareness week. So this week the topic for my blog will be vocations. (And there will be three blog posts this week instead of two.)

God has a plan for each and every one of us to further his Kingdom here on earth. Each plan is as unique as the person who is given the plan. For a woman this plan could be married, single, or religious life.  For a man, this plan might include married, single, priesthood, or religious life. Our job here on earth is to be open to what God is calling us to do to serve him, and then to respond to that call. Not one of the vocation options is any less then holy the others. They all seek to serve God, just in different ways.  The world needs married people, but it also needs holy men for the priesthood. It needs holy women to dedicate their lives to God in Religious life. And it needs men and woman to be consecrated to living a single life.

No matter what vocation God has given to us, we have one common vocation. That vocation is the vocation of love. We are all called to be ministers of God’s love to the world. We are also all called to surrender something to God, not matter what vocation we choose. Married couples are called to give up certain freedoms to dedicate their lives to each other, and to their children. Priests and Religious are called to give up an earthly spouse to be totally united to Christ and the Church as their spouse. Singles are called to give up a spouse so that they can minister to other people in a different way, to be servants of God without giving up the freedoms that Married and religious people don’t have.

This week, we as Catholics and followers of Jesus Christ are called to do several things.
1.) Pray for an increase in vocations specifically to the priesthood and religious life.
2.) Open our own hearts to hear God’s voice in our own lives, and pray for God’s will to be known to us.
3.) Surrender our hearts and our lives to the holy will of God

Be not afraid of the plans that the Lord has for you, he knows what is going to bring you the most happiness.

God Bless,
Catherine