What is a Vocation?
Within the Church ‘vocation’ is used in various ways, so let me clarify those different meanings as they apply significantly to Christian living. Everybody has a vocation and discovering that vocation is a key step on the journey of faith. Your vocation is not the same as your career or profession. However, there is an overlap between a vocation and a profession. A career or a profession is something that you have in order to support yourself and to contribute in some way to the good of the society. You don't need to believe in God to choose a career or a profession. A person can pick, choose and switch profession freely depending on his/her preferences, strengths or circumstances. A profession or a career always has a horizontal dimension.
When we talk about vocation, we introduce a vertical dimension in our life, which is God. It is no longer ‘what do I prefer?' but rather ‘What does God want me to be?" A vocation is not something that you can switch like a profession or a career. "Vocation" must be understood in the context of baptism. Our Christian calling is the consequence and the challenge of our baptism. Through baptism, all of us are called by God to become disciples of Jesus. This is the way of holiness; it involves giving attention to the needs of others and to Christ, strengthened by the Holy Spirit and living as an active member of the Church. Holiness is the universal vocation of every person. It is the main road which converge to all the little paths that are particular vocations. The root meaning of vocation is calling and the first calling shared by all Christians is holiness as a member of the Church. |