A Calling
There may be other elements, but all authentic vocations will share these characteristics:
They are from God.
They correspond to the person’s humanity.
They are for love’s sake.
The word vocation means “a calling.” Think of voice, vocal, or vocabulary. A vocation is a word that God speaks to our heart, calling us to a particular way of life.
First, all authentic vocations are from God. We hear a lot about the “self-made man,” often presented as the American dream: “I can be whoever I want to be. I determine my own course.” There is some truth there, but that’s not the same as responding to a call from God. The so-called self-made man often ends up answering not God, but only the expectations of others by playing a quiet game of Who can earn more.
This way of thinking starts early. Coming of age, we’re told countless times that happiness comes from refusing to let anyone define us, as if fulfillment lies in isolating ourselves from influence - that we are autonomous rather than communal beings. But that path risks ending in illusion. And it can’t be the American dream, because it’s a nightmare.
A vocation is not about making myself into anything. It’s about allowing God’s grace to form me into the person He created me to be. For this reason, every vocation corresponds to our humanity. My vocation as a parish priest, for example, fits my personality, temperament, and sensibilities. A true vocation will fulfill the person from within.
People sometimes ask, “When did you know you wanted to be a priest?” It’s a good question, but it assumes that the idea began with me. A better question may be, “When did you first sense God calling you to the priesthood?” That comes closer to my experience of prayerfully discerning that certain events and encounters were given to me by God to awaken the gifts He placed within me when He formed me in my mother’s womb.
In a similar way, some ask what I like most about being a priest. Again, a good question - but it can miss the deeper point. The purpose of every vocation is to love. And love is, first of all, a sacrificial concern for the good of the other. Our vocations do bring personal fulfillment, but only because we were made for love - not for ourselves alone.
When Our Lord says, “I came that [you] might have life, and have it more abundantly,” He’s speaking about the paradox of finding ourselves by losing ourselves for His sake. He calls us beyond our own ambitions: “Let others pursue their own identity projects; you follow Me. I will show you who you are to the Father. And in knowing who you are to God, you will come to know yourself in truth.” +