Our Vocations: Defining vocations
What is Vocations?
The term “vocation” comes from the Latin verb, vocare, meaning “to call”. Following Jesus’ teachings, the Church, in her wisdom, proclaims that all members of Christ’s body; all the followers of Christ, are called to holiness. As the Second Vatican Council states and promulgated by pope St. Paul VI saying:
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“Therefore in the Church, everyone, whether belonging to the hierarchy, or being cared for by it, is called to holiness, according to the saying of the Apostles: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification.”
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This call to holiness, or sanctification, or more simply faithfulness, is a call to love: to love God and to love our neighbour. The particular pathway where we live out this call to love is our vocation – in single life, marriage, priesthood/ordained ministry, religious life, or other life endeavours. Ultimately, our call to holiness comes from God. It is an invitation to the state where we can best live out this call to love.
Rationale – Principles Guiding our Vocations Work
Our commitment to cultivate a culture of vocation is based on Jesus’ mandate to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19) and “Do this in remembrance of me” (Lk 22:19; cf. 1 Cor 11:24). While this commitment is, in part, motivated by a serious shortage of priests, at a deeper level it flows from the understanding that the call to holiness is fundamental to all Christians.
Only persons seeking a mature relationship with Christ and who are rooted in the good soil of the faithful will become suitable for the priesthood/ordained ministry or religious life, and able to make their contribution to the wider community.
An important aim of raising the awareness of vocation in the Archdiocese of Perth is to give people who are searching for something more in their lives, the opportunity to listen to, explore and respond to their call to holiness.
From this initial initiative of exploration, we hope that it can open the way to discovering God’s plan for them. This exploration is also aided by prayer, spiritual nourishment, vocations promotion activities, and the generous support of the youth ministries, local parishes, and the surrounding Catholic schools and universities.
A universal Call to holiness invites all the people of God to be holy. It is a lifelong process of seeking God through the person of Jesus Christ. This call is rooted in the sacrament of baptism. Pope Saint John Paul II states in his Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio Ineunte, that holiness is not only a state but a task whereby Christians strive for a full Christian life imitating Christ. (Novo Millennio Ineunte, #30) Pope Francis in his Apostolic Exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate, expresses that holiness is visible in the everyday lives of God’s people; in parents who raise their children with immense love, in those men and women who work hard to support their families, in the sick, in the elderly religious who never lose their smile. (Gaudete et Exsultate, #6,7) Holiness is not meant for a chosen few; it is for all.
In line with the vision of the Australian fifth Plenary Council document Instrumentum Laboris on holiness, the document highlights that while holiness is a journey, it is not be taken alone. Rather, it is a journey shared with God and others. (Instrumentum Laboris, # 85 – 88).
