“Vocation” comes from the Latin word ‘vocare’, meaning “to call.”
In the Latin translation of the Bible, the word vocare suggests a divine call, like God calling out to Samuel (1 Samuel 3:4–10) or when Jesus calls James and John to follow Him (Mark 1:20).
So how exactly does that relate to us in our world today?
When speaking about vocations in 1988, then Pope John Paul II outlined in his Apostolic Exhortation Christfideles Laici that the ‘prime and fundamental vocation’ assigned to each person in Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit is the vocation to holiness.
Holiness, he added, is the greatest testimony of the dignity conferred on a disciple of Christ.
“The call is a concern not only of priests, clergy, and men and women religious.
“The call is addressed to everyone: lay people as well are personally called by the Lord, from whom they receive a mission on behalf of the Church and the world,” he wrote.
“Everyone in the Church, precisely because they are members, receive and thereby share in the common vocation to holiness.”
Newly appointed Director for the Archdiocese of Perth Vocations Office, Fr Israel Quirit, echoed the words of St John Paul II in an interview with The Record Magazine.
“Many people have the impression about vocations that it’s just about the priesthood. While there may be some truth to that, it’s not the full truth,” he explained.
“Vocations also include married and religious life, as well as a life of blessed singleness.
“Simply put, it’s a path that God wants us to walk.”
Building on the words of St John Paul II, Fr Israel added that within the common call to holiness lies a certain, specific pathway for each individual person.
“Whether it’s to the priesthood, religious life, single blessedness or married life – we must focus on the end goal, which is Heaven.
“Whatever it is, we’re called to live holy lives; a life of wholeness through which God is glorified,” he said.
Fr Israel said the theme that is found within all vocations is the gift of self to others which is fundamental to every pathway to holiness.
“I learnt over the years leading up to the priesthood that life is not about living for myself.
“Life is not about gaining anything, but giving, which is fundamental to all vocations,” he said.
“It’s rooted in Christ’s giving of Himself and His life on the cross. In whatever vocation we might be called to, every single one involves imitating Christ’s sacrifice of Himself.”
The call to each of these specific pathways though, Fr Israel says, is in a way – a sort of mystery.
“Different people have different ways of confirming God’s call.
“One of the ways one might be able to discern God’s call for them, is when they feel deep peace and fulfillment, or a feeling of being at home,” he said.
Relating his own experience of desiring to serve and become a priest, Fr Israel explained that it was important to explore what God might be calling us to in our lives.
“Explore your desire toward a specific vocation if that is what you believe God might be calling you to.
“Something to keep in mind though, is that it’s a journey; a work in progress, where sometimes you find out more along the way in the process of continual discernment,” Fr Israel said.
“We sometimes only find out the destination in the process of journeying.
“God’s time is different from our time – there may be moments in our lives when God permits things to happen a certain way.
“Or there may be times when things don’t go according to the way that we want, hope or expect.
“But the key is to remain open and trusting to whatever the Lord may be calling us to, and continuously remind ourselves of what the end goal is – getting to Heaven, and God’s will will be revealed in His own time,” he
concluded.