VOCATION

What is God's Plan for My Life?

Each one of us has a path that God is calling us to that will lead us and others to heaven.

“No vocation is born of itself or lives for itself. A vocation flows from the heart of God and blossoms in the good soil of faithful people. Did not Jesus say: “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:35)?

Pope Francis – January 16, 2014

About

Sacrament of Holy Matrimony

"The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament."

Catechism of the Catholic Church, para. 1601

“Marriage is to help married people sanctify themselves and others. For this reason, they receive a special grace in the sacrament which Jesus instituted. Those who are called to the married state will, with the grace of God, find within their state everything they need to be holy.”

St. Josemaria Escriva

Sacrament of Holy Orders:
Priesthood or Diaconate

The ministerial or hierarchical priesthood of bishops and priests, and the common priesthood of all the faithful participate, "each in its own proper way, in the one priesthood of Christ." While being "ordered one to another," they differ essentially. 22 In what sense? While the common priesthood of the faithful is exercised by the unfolding of baptismal grace --a life of faith, hope, and charity, a life according to the Spirit--, the ministerial priesthood is at the service of the common priesthood. It is directed at the unfolding of the baptismal grace of all Christians. The ministerial priesthood is a means by which Christ unceasingly builds up and leads his Church. For this reason it is transmitted by its own sacrament, the sacrament of Holy Orders.

Catechism of the Catholic Church, para. 1547

"The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus. When you see a priest, think of our Lord Jesus Christ."

"O, how great is the priest! ... If he realized
what he is, he would die."

St. John Vianney

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Photo courtesy of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond

Consecrated Religious Life

The state of consecrated life is thus one way of experiencing a "more intimate" consecration, rooted in Baptism and dedicated totally to God. [Cf. PC 5] In the consecrated life, Christ's faithful, moved by the Holy Spirit, propose to follow Christ more nearly, to give themselves to God who is loved above all and, pursuing the perfection of charity in the service of the Kingdom, to signify and proclaim in the Church the glory of the world to come. [Cf. CIC, can. 573] [2687, 933]

Catechism of the Catholic Church, para. 916

"Consecrated life means going to the very root of the love of Jesus Christ with an undivided heart and putting nothing ahead of this love."

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

Single or Lay Consecrated

There is a difference between being single and being called to the vocation of the single life. Being single without vocation is a state in life. It is a period of time when a person is single while they discern the Lord's call to marriage, priesthood, religious life, or the lay vocation.

A person who is living the single life as a vocation has committed to the single life in service to Christ and others. This may be done formally as a lay consecrated virgin or within a lay community or it may simply be lived by the person as a private vow to the Lord.

Simply not being in a relationship due to circumstances is not the single vocation. That would be the single state in life. All vocations are a specific calling from the Lord to a promised or vowed way of life that is in service to Him and others.

Where Should I Begin in Discerning My Vocation in Life?

For those discerning the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony that process begins when you begin a relationship with someone. Dating is the discernment process for marriage. The whole point of dating is to discern whether or not God is calling you to marry someone. That relationship should be chaste and ordered to God. Christ should be the foundation of the relationship. The Sacrament of Holy Matrimony is the means by which Christ sanctifies a couple and family. It is the path to heaven for a family.

Dating may also help in discerning the priesthood and religious life. Dating can make it clear that you are not called to marriage. Keep in mind, however, that discerning the two vocations at once has an impact on your partner.

For priesthood, diaconate, and religious life, the best place to start is with the Catholic Diocese of Richmond's Vicar for Vocations, Fr. Matt Kiehl. The Roanoke College CCM Coordinator, Constance Hull, has worked for and known Fr. Matt for years. He is a joyful, gentle, prayerful, and holy priest who will help you on the path. She can get you in touch with him or you can reach out by clicking on the RVA Priest logo below to contact him through his office.

Fr. Cassidy Stinson, who is the pastor of St. Jude Catholic Church in Radford and Radford University CCM's chaplain, made a video on mistakes we can make in discernment, which you can watch below.