Preparing to Go on a Vocation

by Chris Cuddy

I recently graduated from college.  I wasn't alone – there were about six hundred of us total; making it the largest graduating class in the history of my university.

Although many of us come from differing backgrounds and majors, there is one thing that all of us share in common.  We all desire to know the answer to this question: what does God want me to do with my life?  And while I haven't taken a poll, I know that a number of my fellow classmates are currently scratching their heads asking this question: Now what?  We've finally earned a college degree, now what do we do?

Some--if not most--of us had at least a general idea about what the "next step" was going to be.  Some were going on for further education.  Others were beginning jobs.  A few were getting married.  Another few were entering various religious orders and seminary programs.

In spite of these, however, there were still a number of graduates who had no inclinations one way or the other about the future.  These people had investigated various possibilities but were unable to find a direction that "fit" their passions and interests.

They hadn't (as of yet) discovered their vocation.

"Vocation" has become an odd word in our modern time.  It is rarely used, and it is often misunderstood.  Usually, when someone uses the word "vocation" they are referring either to the priesthood or religious life (think monk, nun, Franciscan, Dominican, etc.).  This is true-- priests and religious certainly do have a vocation--but this is only part of the picture.  What is often forgotten is this extremely important fact: everyone has a vocation.  Everyone.

This may come as a surprise to some, but it's true: we all have a vocation.  Granted, not all of us have a vocation to the priesthood or religious life, but that doesn't mean that lay people don't have real and authentic vocations.   

"Who Called?"

The meaning of "vocation" is really quite simple: it is a "calling."  A vocation is what one is "called" to do with his or her life.  It is where we find meaning and fulfillment.  A vocation gives us purpose.

But while this helps us understand the meaning of "vocation" a little bit better, there is another essential factor of the "vocation equation" that needs to be considered: a call isn't a call without a caller. 

Who does the calling? 

There is only one person who is qualified to do this type of "calling:" God Himself.  God does the calling because He created us (see Gen. 1-2).  Thus, He knows us better than anyone else (even better than we know ourselves), and He loves us more than anyone else.  He knows what kind of life will suit us best.  Furthermore, He will only call us to a life which will bring us the greatest amount of blessing and happiness.  God will never call someone to do something that they can't do, nor will He call someone to do something that they will detest.

God only calls His people to lives that are filled with true love and true fulfillment.

"Wait a minute!" you may be tempted to say.  "Where does free-will come into all of this?  Don't I have a choice in the matter?  It almost sounds like you're saying we're all just a bunch of puppets on a string."

One of my favorite phrases used to describe the nature of "vocation" comes from the pen of the late John Paul II.  In one of his encyclicals, JPII referred to discernment and vocation as the "dialogue of love" between God and His creatures.  Vocational discernment is not a divine "monologue" or "lecture."  No.  It is a dialogue of love between us and our Heavenly Father.

Although God has the most perfect and beautiful plan for each and every one of our lives, He doesn't force His plan upon anyone.  He calls.  It is up to us to answer.  Thus, it is very important when trying to discern our calling that we talk things through with God.  We need to ask Him to show us His plan.  We must tell Him about our desires, concerns, and fears.  And then, in loving trust, we need to submit ourselves to whatever He deems fit; confident that He only wills what's best for His creatures.

If we are truly seeking His will, God will surely reveal His plan to us in His perfect timing.

The foundation of vocation

Vocation is a dialogue of love.  This is so true and so beautiful because it points to another equally beautiful and profound truth.  When the Catechism of the Catholic Church talks about vocation, it states that our first and unchanging vocation--applicable to all people--is divine sonship.  In paragraph 1877, the Catechism clearly states that the fundamental "vocation of humanity is to show forth the image of God and to be transformed into the image of the Father's only Son."  Before anything else, we are called to be God's divinely adopted sons and daughters. 

The call to divine sonship precedes all others, and it is the foundation upon which all other vocations are based. 

God loves us to such a degree that He not only forgives our sins but also incorporates us into His divine family.  We are His children.  He loves us with the personal love of a Divine Father.  As a Father God calls us; as a son or daughter we respond.  This is essential.  Any particular vocation is built upon the general call He has extended to us all to be His divinely adopted children--children called to serve our Heavenly Father and our brothers and sisters in Christ.  St. Paul states that "before the foundation of the world" God chose us and "destined us in love to be his sons" (Eph. 1:4-5). 

God doesn't call us as a cosmic dictator or an arbitrary judge; He calls us as a loving Father who is crazy about His children.

This is the first in a series of articles on the topic of "vocation" and "discernment."  Over the next several months we will examine the various kinds of vocations (e.g. marriage, priesthood, religious life, etc.), as well as how we can go about discerning our own, personal vocation.    

It is true: vocational discernment can be tremendously complex and arduous.  However, there is nothing more rewarding than discovering how we fit into the eternal plan of God.

May our Heavenly Father reveal His plan for our lives, and may He give us the strength and courage to respond to His call.

Copyright © 2006, NextWave Faithful and Christopher Cuddy.

Christopher Cuddy is a convert to the Catholic faith from Evangelical Protestantism. He is a Catholic author, speaker, member of the NextWave Faithful™ Apologetics Team, a graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville, and a Research Assistant to Dr. Scott Hahn at the St. Paul Center for Biblical Studies. You may write to Chris at: chriscuddy@nextwavefaithful.com