Vocation

These days, people talk a lot about career paths and lifestyle choices. They even talk about “the plan,” which can mean  anything from getting a mate and settling down to being set for retirement at age 40.  But these days, people don’t talk about having a vocation much. If they do, they relegate it within the confines of a religious vocation which they feel doesn’t really affect them, as they are not called to the priesthood or the religious life. But, I feel this is a serious misconception because it makes it seem like God only has time to create a calling for priests and religious.

But every human being, Christian and non-Christian alike, has his own vocation. Our professions are our vocations. Some are called to be doctors, some lawyers, some teachers, some carpenters, some secretaries, some businessmen, and so on and so forth. Family life, too, is its own vocation. Some people are called to be husbands and wives, some people are not.  All men are called to be fathers and all women are called to be mothers, some biologically, some emotionally, some spiritually. There is a special call for each of us…some great life-altering calls, and some smaller, more mundane calls. The great challenge of our lives is to listen to God’s call and to respond to it. The calls don’t promise us consistent comfort or luxury or happiness. But they do offer something far more elusive and more important…they offer us peace. There is nothing that shines so brightly in people who have “found” their vocation as peace. And love.

Love is our common vocation, I think. But there are different ways of finding love and different ways of loving. To find our main vocation is to find the way in which we love God best. I am constantly amazed at the beautiful stories that God uniquely and creatively fashions for each of our lives. He leaves no detail to chance and makes every moment special if we give Him free reign.

During the season of Lent, I reflect on the various answers to the calls and vocations throughout the ages. I think of Abraham and his call to sacrifice. Noah and his call to build. Joseph and his call to forgive. Elijah and his call to prophesy. Jonah and his call to speak. John and his call to baptize. Mary and her call to be a mother. Joseph and his call to trust. Jesus and his call to be human. And where would we all be if all of them had been less courageous and less faithful to answer to their respective calls?

The beauty of the Easter season is that it tells us what happens to those who stay true to their vocation. It doesn’t promise us a luxurious time in this world, but a glorious time in the next. The difference between a career and a vocation is that a career can end the moment we retire or the moment we die but a vocation extends unto eternity. The difference between a plan and a vocation is that a plan can change with the whims of the moment but a vocation was designed from the beginning of time and therefore will lead us to what is good and true and beautiful. The difference between a lifestyle choice and a vocation is that a lifestyle choice is about an ideal or a dream or even an inspiration but a vocation is about a someone. The Someone to be precise. The Someone who created us for a reason. Who whispered his desire of love so sweetly in our hearts from the moment we were conceived. Who prayed for us as He hung painfully on a cross. Who created a place for us when He returned to His kingdom on the day of his resurrection. Who even at this very moment, longs to enfold us in His arms.