What is Vocation?

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Further down the page you will see an icon which was written by Sr. Paula, a Cistercian Sister of Glencairn Co. Waterford, in which she explores the theme of vocation using the story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus.

The Word vocation comes from the Latin verb vocare which means "to call." To talk about "a call" from God may be a bit confusing. Hopefully the following few thoughts may help to clarify things a little.

By the very fact of our creation, God invites each one of us into relationship with him. His invitation (or call), is not normally experienced in the form of a whisper in the ear. Quite possibly God's invitation to you came first of all as a child, through other people (such as your parents, teachers, and other adults whom you trusted and admired). These people shared their own faith with you.

As an adult you may have been inspired by the words and actions of other people who believe in God.

On another, more mysterious level, you may be aware at times of something within yourself, (in your heart, so to speak), which attracts you to God, and draws you into relationship with Him, even in spite of yourself.

St. Augustine describes his own experience in his Confessions as follows:
Late have I loved you, O beauty so ancient and so new: late have I loved you: You were always within me, and I abroad, seeking you there. I rushed madly about in the midst of forms beautiful which you had made. You were always with me, but I was not with you. The very things which had not been, unless they were in you, kept me from you. You called me by name, You cried aloud to me, and your voice pierced my deafness.
For Augustine it was a slow process of growth and discovery; something he struggled with, and against, for many years.

Sheila Cassidy, an English doctor, who lived and worked in Chile during the worst period of the Pinochet regime, describes her efforts to come to terms with her belief that she was called to be a nun:
How can one convey the agony and the ecstasy of being called by God? At one moment one is overawed by the immensity of the honour, the incredible fact of having been chosen, and in the same breath one screams, No, No, Please, not me, I can’t take it.... I have only one life; how can you ask me to sign it away as if it meant nothing to me. ... I knew that this was the end of the chase. I had chosen to come to this place, and I had invited God to speak, and he had. Of course I was quite free to say, No, I don’t want to.. But this would be a clear and deliberate refusal. I thought about it, and I knew that I did not want to say no, and that, no matter how much it hurt, I could only humbly accept. (from: Sheila Cassidy, Audacity to Believe).
As it turned out, God had other things in mind for her. What is interesting is her desire to do what God wanted, whatever it might be, and even if it did involve some personal struggle.

Each one of us is invited into relationship with God. In this sense, each one of us has a vocation. The principal vocation of every Christian is to try and follow Christ more closely. It is through following him, and reflecting on his word, that you will come to a deeper understanding of what he may be asking of you in your life, either just at the moment, or in the long term.

Who do you say I am?
Reflecting on the words in which Jesus tells us about himself.

The bible is full of "vocation stories." You may find it helpful to pray with some of the following pasages of Scripture:

Some of the vocation stories in the Bible may seem very dramatic, and very immediate. If you read between the lines, however, you will see that even these well known characters, who seem to be open to the plan of God, experience some degree of reluctance or struggle, in responding to God's call.

Choose one of the following topics for some further thoughts on how to make decisions in the light of faith.

Click! Lectio Divina as a way to Discern

Icon: The Awakened Call

This icon was written by Sr. Paula of Glencairn for the Archdiocese of Dublin. The original can be seen in St. Mary's Pro-Cathedral

The Symbolism of the Icon

Jesus Christ reveals his Risen Presence to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. The two disciples represent the active and contemplative life of each of us - one is receiving life, the other is offering life.

The foreground is separated by a wall to remind us of the interior life, the sacred space where we meet the Risen Christ.

In the background we see Jerusalem - which reminds us of our ministry to the world. The Mountain of Prayer is that place where we hear God's continual call.

As the two disciples, on the Emmaus Road, awakened to the call of the Risen Christ, we too are invited to listen to him. As you reflect on your own life, you might remember the priests and seminarians, and pray for Vocations to the Priesthood for the Archdiocese of Dublin

Copies of this Icon, on card, are available from the Diocesan Vocations Centre, CYC Building, Arran Quay, Dublin 7, or EMail.