A Call for Me? A new look at vocations

[Pax_et bonum]

I just read a great booklet on vocations, and I wanted to share my notes with you. I basically just wrote an outline of the booklet. 

• We have free will
• “We are responsible for the direction of our own lives” (18)
  • We can choose poorly
  • There are many different choices
  • Some choices make other choices impossible
    • decide from Latin “decidere” meaning “to cut off”
  • We cannot always foresee the consequences
• “What do I want to do with my life?”
  • Self-centered question
• “What is my vocation?”
  • God-centered question; bigger than just ourselves
• Everyone has a vocation
  • Vatican II calls all people to holiness
    • holiness—the perfection of love
    • not stereotypical eyes cast down, hands folded, not smiling
  • Matt. 22:35-39
    • What is greatest Commandment?
      • Love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul. And love your neighbor as yourself.
  • One vocation is not superior to the others
• “All the baptized are called to be the same (holy, Christlike, rooted in love), but not all are called to do the same or follow the same path” (34).
  • Laity (single, married, widowed) are called to build up the kingdom of God in the temporal world
  • “The lay person tries to bring the values of Christ into his or her family life, occupation, recreation, political, and social life.
  • “The bishop or priest instructs the people in the values of Christ, leads them in worship, and tries to form them into a loving, caring community.
  • “The religious life tries to live the Gospel counsels of Christ in a concrete, radical way by renouncing some values that are perfectly good in themselves” (40-41).
• Religious life is rooted in Scripture
  • Jesus was poor, chaste, and obedient
  • Gospels do not command all Christians to embrace poverty, chastity, and obedience as ways to holiness
    • The Gospel invites people to follow the evangelical counsels
    • Eventually people in the early Church felt called to make public vows, much like marriage vows
• God does not only call us to one specific vocation, and if we don’t find it, we’ll be damned or miserable
• Diocesan priests:
  • Study the Scriptures and Doctrines of the Church
  • Teaches at Liturgy, RCIA, adult education classes, and in preparation for sacraments of Baptism and Marriage
  • Meets with parish counsel
  • Listens and is with people in times of crisis
    • Confession, hospital visits, etc.
  • Problems found in priesthood are being corrected
    • Seminaries screen candidates better and are healthier environments
  • Priesthood is not such a status symbol any more
    • Priesthood is service, ministry
  • JPII: “Think of the places where people anxiously await a priest, because they have not had one for so many years.”
• Religious life”
  • “Each of the vows hits at a tendency in our human nature to make a god out of something less that God” (57-58).
  • Poverty
    • Materialism, consumerism, buy the latest things
    • “Do not lay up for yourselves an earthly treasure… Instead store up heavenly treasure… For where your treasure is, there is your heart” (Matt. 6:19-21).
    • “Gospel” poverty freely chosen for spiritual reasons
      • “Poverty itself is not a value or a blessing” (59).
        • dehumanizing poverty
        • hippie poverty
      • Chosen to be freer to follow Christ; freer to love and serve
    • Story of the Rich Young Man
      • “Go and sell all that you have and give it to the poor…And then come back and follow me” (Mark 10:17-21).
    • Religious have to have some sort of financial stability
      • Education, books, cars, etc for their ministries cost money
      • constant challenge to balance the ideal of poverty with the demands of modern living
  • Chastity
    • Sexuality and material possessions are good in themselves
      • Don’t want to commit idolatry with them
    • Culture of sex
      • necessary for health and happiness
      • sell products by making them sexy
      • “Sex for kicks. Sex for profit” (63).
    • Sex is for love
    • Love without sex
    • “If I’m afraid of sexuality, or afraid of loving, or down on the opposite sex, I have no business vowing chastity” (64).
    • Renounce from Latin “renuntiare” meaning “to proclaim again and again”
      • positive action
      • “In renouncing sex and marriage, I’m affirming my desire to center my friendship and intimacy in Jesus Christ” (64).
        • Love how He loves and care about what He cares about
        • Love beyond circle of spouse and family
        • Free to give of myself, my time, my energy especially to those in most need of love
    • Chastity is a gift from God sustained only by prayer
    • “I know very well that the vow of chastity is probably the greatest single source of pain in the religious life” (65).
      • Longing for intimate relationship; one person to love me even with my faults, make me feel needed and wanted
      • A little pain in life is normal and needs to be endured
        • It can teach us to be more gentle, compassionate, and detached from things that don’t matter
    • A happy community is a strong aid for chastity
      • Religious community as well as friends of both sexes outside of community
  • Obedience
    • Individual freedom and self-determination are positive, God-given values
      • Can turn into idolatry
      • Can make one self-centered
    • Vatican II determined religious should make own personal decisions
    • “Obedience comes into focus mainly in matters of greater importance, those that affect the common good” (70).
    • Obedience from Latin “ob-audire” meaning “to listen carefully”
      • Listen to the Scriptures, teachings of the Church, the rule and spirit of the founder of the congregation, and to each member of community
      • Affects personal life
        • Arrange schedule to be present in community for prayer, discussions, and celebration
        • Contribute to the work in the community
        • Accountable for money spent
        • Work assignments
          • The superior “will talk with me, tell me about the assignment and why he thinks I would be right for it, and ask me to think and pray over it. I take that as a very serious indication of God’s will for me
          • “If I have no serious reasons to judge otherwise, I willingly accept the assignment, even though I might prefer to stay where I am” (74-75).
          • If there are reasons to not accept the assignment, make it known to superior
          • If superior still says assignment is right for you, “it would take practically a direct revelation from God to make me refuse” (75).
          • Superior has grace of Holy Spirit for the guidance of the community
• Signs of vocation to priesthood or religious life

1. “Do I have a desire for the priesthood or religious life?
2. “Do I desire it for the right reasons?
3. Am I fit for it?

• • Desire for priesthood/religious life
    • Satisfaction, enthusiasm, or joyfulness when thinking of self are priest or religious?
    • “I don’t want to but I think I should”
      • No
  • Right reason
    • Want to study Scripture and bring message to people
    • The three vows are best way for me to dedicate my life to God and His people
    • Want to life the Gospel of Christ as fully as possible
    • Want to share common vision of faith and spirituality  with a community and work together for justice and peace
    • Wrong reasons
      • Priesthood/religious life is security blanket
        • Have a home, meals, security in old age
      • Loneliness—community ready made group of friends
      • Rejected in love
    • We don’t have absolutely pure motives, but wrong reasons can be in the mix as long as they’re not the driving force
  • Fitness
    • Can you live it comfortably, cheerfully, and generously without it being a drain on your inner resources and energies?
    • Should be a meshing of personality with requirements of priesthood/religious life.
      • It doesn’t suit everyone and that’s ok
      • Others are fit for religious life but not attracted to it
        • All three signs have to be there
    • Have to be able to say yes to the community even when it means saying no to yourself
    • Have to be able to live chastely
      • Overwhelming desire to be married—go get married!
      • Control sexual impulses including masturbation
      • Homosexuality
        • Must be dealt with on individual basis
          • must have adequate control over sexuality same as heterosexuals
        • Does not rule out religious vocation
    • Have to be able to get along with people
      • You will rub elbows in community
      • Need to be able to open yourself up to others
      • Be ok with others in charge
      • Need to be able to make own decisions
    • Candidate needs a reasonable degree of physical and mental health
      • A person with serious health issues is not cut our for the demands of priesthood or religious life
      • “Does not rule out all physical handicaps or conditions that can be controlled, for example, by medication” (96-97).
      • Same for psychiatric illnesses
        • “There are people who have gone through a period of psychological  stress, perhaps have received psychotherapy or counseling, and have gone on to become stronger persons because of it. There is no reason why they could not be accepted merely because they once had problems” (97).
• Questions to ask yourself about religious vocation
  • Do you really want this life, or are you being pressure by someone or something? Does the life appeal to something in your own heart?
  • Why does this life attract you? What are you really looking for? Are you seeking to get something for yourself, or do you really want to give of yourself?
  • Do you have reasonably good physical heath?
  • What about your mental and emotional stability? Can you cope with stress reasonably well? Or are you often restless, under tension, struggling with your moods?
  • How well can you control your sexual desires? How important to you is the intimacy and companionship of one special person? Have you considered marriage as a possible vocation for yourself?
  • How well do you get along with people? Are you basically at ease with them or do you feel threatened much of the time? Can you stand alone if you have to? Can you work together in a group without demanding your own way?
  • Do you have a taste for prayer and for things of the spirit? Are you willing to work seriously at developing a solid spiritual life, a life centered in God and radiating out in service to his people?
• These are high standards
  • “Priesthood and religious life are not social clubs. Each is a way of life that engages your total personality. There’s no time for Mickey Mouse. We’re playing for keeps, an the stakes are high: no less than the redemption of the world” (98-99).
  • No one expects perfection
    • You will receive formation, education, training 
    • Formation helps you recognize and deal with your personality
    • Problems and weaknesses are just plain human
      • Don’t have to hide or apologize for them
      • Keep us humble
      • Show how much we need God and his grace
• You can’t know yourself or your vocation without prayer

It's really long so it's under the break. 

Edited August 18, 2015 by Pax_et bonum
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[Gabriela]

My word. You should come be my student. I would give you 'A's all the time.  

[TheresaThoma]

That is amesome! What is the name of the booklet? From your notes it looks like it would be a really good read.

[puellapaschalis]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Call-Me-New-Look-Vocations/dp/0879735279

(1980! Is it still a new look?)

Some reactions from me:

Everyone has a vocation

• Vatican II calls all people to holiness
  • holiness—the perfection of love
  • not stereotypical eyes cast down, hands folded, not smiling

 

At least not all the time: there are times when 'custody' is the appropriate posture.

 

• Everyone has a vocation
  • One vocation is not superior to the others

 

True in one sense, not true in another.

 

• Need to be able to open yourself up to others

 

Sigh.

 

[NadaTeTurbe]

Sound great, I wish I could read it ! Thanks for sharing ! 

[marigold]

Interesting and thought-provoking summary, ‌@Pax_et bonum! Good work!