In the simplest terms, ‘vocation’ means a ‘call.’
Your vocation is what God is calling you to do in and with your life.
We are all called to firstly to the universal vocation of holiness - to know, love and serve God in this life, and so be happy with him forever in heaven. But each of us does this in a different, individual vocation, such as the single life, marriage, religious life, diaconate or priesthood.
Each vocation is a call to follow Christ closely.
A call to ordained ministry always comes in the context of the Christian community.
Sometimes it is the community which first senses a vocation among its members and encourages that person to begin a process of discernment. Sometimes it is the person who first feels a call and looks to the community and the wider Church to test it.
One of the places to begin your discernment is to talk with your own priest, who may decide to put you in touch with a spiritual director and/or your Vocations Director.
God calls specific people to serve in his name in the midst of the Church as ordained priests.
In the Catholic Church, all priests are male, in an unbroken tradition dating back to the apostolic period in the New Testament. Just as he called the first apostles to continue his work on earth, Jesus still calls men to lay down their lives in service to his Church as priests.
The ordained priesthood is the visible sacramental way through which the mission of Christ the Eternal Priest continues, and God's grace is experienced in the world today.
The priesthood is not simply one occupation among many. It is a calling and a way of life through which God invites a man to enter more deeply into relationship with him. The priesthood is a life of sacrifice and a life of service because it is the life of Christ.
The diaconate is the first of three ranks of ordained ministry in the Church (deacon, priest, bishop). Men preparing for priesthood are ordained transitional deacons for a short time. However, the Permanent Diaconate is a ministry in which a man remains a deacon to assist in the mission of the Church.
By ordination and their exercise of 'the ministry of the liturgy, of the word, and of charity,' deacons have a special role in bringing the knowledge and comfort of Christ to God's people. Deacons are ordained as a visible sacramental sign to the Church and to the world of Christ who "came not to be served but to serve.".
The permanent diaconate, as well as being open to single men with a commitment to celibacy, is open to "mature married men". The bishops of England and Wales have decided that all deacons, celibate or married, must be over 35 years old. While a married man may be ordained a permanent deacon, once ordained, if his wife should die, he may not marry again without special permission.
The term ‘religious life’ refers to those who have vowed to give their lives totally to God and to live in community. This includes monks, nuns and friars.
Those who choose religious life take vows of chastity, poverty and obedience. These are referred to as the ‘evangelical counsels’ and they are a way of closely imitating the life of Jesus Christ, who was poor, single and always doing the will of God the Father.
While these vows are common across religious orders and communities, there is great variety in expression. Franciscans focus on serving the poor, Jesuits are focused on missionary work and Dominicans are preachers who often do academic work.
The variety of religious orders and communities allows people to find the one that is the best fit for who they are.
The vocation of marriage is written into the nature of man and woman. God created it to be a loving union of man and woman and the foundation for family life.
In the vows spoken at a Catholic wedding, we hear about the self-sacrificial love on which a strong marriage is built. ‘ … To have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.’
God’s vision for marriage is fruitfulness, that it be a safe and loving environment for children and a witness of love in society.
The vocation of single life is not the second-best option after marriage but a vocation that allows you to love the people in your life in a unique way.
Not everyone gets married or feels called to the priesthood or religious life. This means that there are many who are living a single life, for some by choice and for some not.
Whatever the context, single people are a valued part of the Church, called to holiness, called to put their gifts at the service of the world.
If you are considering making the journey from Anglicanism to Catholicism, we would be honoured to accompany you.
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