When I asked Dominic, what do you want me to speak about…he more or less told me that I could choose! Sometimes it is easier to be given a topic to talk about. Anyways, after some prayer and reflection I came up with the title: “Creating a culture of vocation in today’s Irish Church- is it too late? ”.
Everyone is called to discern what God wants them to do with their lives — be it a young man considering the priesthood, men and women entering the religious life, a man feeling called to the permanent diaconate, a couple deciding on marriage, or someone recognizing a dedicated single life. Today, however, there are many challenges to hearing God’s call, and the task of the Church is to assist men and women to discern the path that will lead them to true happiness and eternal life.
We often associate the term “vocation” solely with priesthood or those discerning a call to the priesthood. But it is more than that. The word vocation comes from the Latin word vocare, which is a verb that means ‘to call’. In simplest terms, a vocation could also be called a ‘calling.’ In our Catholic worldview, we believe that God has a plan for each of us. In a way, in a broad way, the whole sense of discipleship, the whole sense of divine Providence, the whole sense that God has a plan for us, stems from what you might call this generic sense of vocation. What we often overlook is that we all have a vocation. Two actually! Primarily, we are all called to a life of holiness. That is we should all be striving to be saints one day. In addition, we all have a particular vocation. It is through our particular vocation that we discern the state of life God is calling us to.
We often associate the term “vocation” solely with priesthood or those discerning a call to the priesthood. But it is more than that. The word vocation comes from the Latin word vocare, which is a verb that means ‘to call’. In simplest terms, a vocation could also be called a ‘calling.’ In our Catholic worldview, we believe that God has a plan for each of us. In a way, in a broad way, the whole sense of discipleship, the whole sense of divine Providence, the whole sense that God has a plan for us, stems from what you might call this generic sense of vocation. What we often overlook is that we all have a vocation. Two actually! Primarily, we are all called to a life of holiness. That is we should all be striving to be saints one day. In addition, we all have a particular vocation. It is through our particular vocation that we discern the state of life God is calling us to.
We tend to hear all the time about a “crisis in vocations.” This is usually discussed concerning vocations to the priesthood. But the challenge of discerning a vocation is not limited to the priesthood. The crisis is that the vocations to the priesthood and religious life are not being nurtured and encouraged as well as they could be. Nor is the vocation to marriage. The crisis is not just one of numbers; it is a crisis of culture. There are many who are being called, yet for a young person today it can be very daunting to acknowledge such a thing and pursue it.
That said, I don’t believe there is a vocation crisis. I believe that what we have is a Vocation Awareness Crisis. I know that God continues to call men and women into service, but I think we have created an environment in our Catholic culture where people no longer have the ears to hear that call; or the willingness to follow it. Outside of our church, our secular culture values materialism, wealth, status, position, celebrity and power, far, far above a call to poverty, chastity, obedience and service and so the natural outcome is fewer deacons, priests and religious, fewer married couples and families open to promoting vocations.
In vocation circles, we often talk about creating a culture of vocations. This is not a new concept. We know it used to exist. Fifty years ago, there was no greater honour to a family than if one of its members became a priest or a religious, but those times have changed. But they can change again.
That said, I don’t believe there is a vocation crisis. I believe that what we have is a Vocation Awareness Crisis. I know that God continues to call men and women into service, but I think we have created an environment in our Catholic culture where people no longer have the ears to hear that call; or the willingness to follow it. Outside of our church, our secular culture values materialism, wealth, status, position, celebrity and power, far, far above a call to poverty, chastity, obedience and service and so the natural outcome is fewer deacons, priests and religious, fewer married couples and families open to promoting vocations.
In vocation circles, we often talk about creating a culture of vocations. This is not a new concept. We know it used to exist. Fifty years ago, there was no greater honour to a family than if one of its members became a priest or a religious, but those times have changed. But they can change again.
