STEPHENS: God is our vocation consultant

When was the first time you heard the word vocation? Did you immediately think of priesthood/religious life? Or did the word discernment pop into your head?

Sadly, sometimes the word vocation can be an automatic turn-off for young people. Some are so dedicated to the plan that they have made for themselves or what their parents have planned for them that inviting God into discernment of their vocation is unheard of. How detrimental to each person’s soul! With each decision we make, whether large or small, we must consult our Creator and our Judge, the One who made us in His image. He will guide us and help us choose what is beneficial to us and build His kingdom here on earth.

By definition, vocation is “a summons or strong inclination to a particular state or course of action; a divine call to the religious life; the work in which a person is employed.” For some, especially the young, their current vocation is student. For others, their current vocation is wife, husband, mother or father. In others, their vocation may have moved from student to employee to grandparent, etc.

The time is now to change the negative stigma behind the word vocation. Just because we may have once heard a grumpy priest give a “vocations talk” about joining the priesthood, there is more to our vocation.

We must take seriously our current vocation and discern how we can use the calling God has given to us (our vocation) to spread the Good News daily and be Christ to others. Often, in the Office of Vocations, we use the word mission instead of vocation. We ask young adults, “What is God’s mission for you?” This helps ease the tension when being scared away from the term vocation.

Wouldn’t it be great if each of us helped to create a culture of vocations where everyone not only acknowledges their vocation but bears fruit in their vocation daily? I’d say we can do this best by helping those we are most in contact with cultivate a personal relationship with God. From there stems the question, “What does God want me to do with the life he has given me?” and “How can I use the gifts God has given me to serve the Church?”

I believe if we start within our own families, we will see a positive shift in how the young and old respond to the things God is calling us to. Next time you are with your grandson, don’t be afraid to ask him what his relationship with God is like! Or, if you have the opportunity, talk with a high school senior and ask if they’ve consulted God when making decisions about what college they are going to or what their next steps are in life. Wouldn’t it be great if all of us made decisions that we were confident Christ was leading us towards? We would most likely have a lot less stress and a more faith-filled society, creating a culture where each person vivaciously pursued their vocation. †

Johanna Kloesel Stephens is the parish vocations programs manager at the Office of Vocations.

(Photo by P. Deliss / Godong)