Spring 2013
Vocation

In order to figure out our vocation, we
first must have self-awareness
What does it mean to be self-aware?
Self-awareness helps us figure out who
we are, what our values are and who
God had made us to be
Vocation

 The word vocation comes from the Latin words, vocare,
which means to call, and vocatio, which means a summons
 Beuchner: A vocation is the “intersection between the
deepest desire of your heart with the world’s greatest
need”
 Some people believe that the words vocation, profession
and career are synonymous
 That is wrong- vocation connects with the deepest needs
of humans and that you as a person are most passionate
about
Christian Idea of Vocation

 Vocation is a calling from God
 The first and ultimate call of each person is the call
from God to know Him, to love Him and to serve
Him
 Why do we have this call?
 Because we are made in God’s image
 Human’s are religious by nature and it differentiates
us from the rest of creation
Christian Idea of
Vocation

 We are social beings- God did not create us to be
alone
 God established a chosen people in the Old
Testament and Jesus, through His death and
resurrection, established a Church to carry on his
mission
 The Church’s mission, or vocation includes all of our
individual callings
 We are called to participate in the Church’s mission
by living out our personal vocations as God’s people
How do we do this?

 How do you live out your Christian vocation now?
 By using our God-given gifts
 God doesn’t wait until we are all adults to give us
graces and blessings- we are all part of the Church
from our Baptism and are called to live lives of
holiness
 The Church uses the word “Vocation” to refer to a
person’s response to one’s baptismal calling to love
and serve God and others
Four Christian Vocations

1. Single lay people
2. Married lay people
3. Ordained minister
4. Consecrated Life
People in these groups may have different jobs or
careers but they are doing what brings them a sense of
happiness, accomplishment and fulfillment
Universal Call to Holiness

 Prior to Vatican II, Church documents referred to
Catholics as “subjects”
 Focus on the hierarchical structure of the Church:
pope, bishops, clergy then laity
 At Vatican II, the Church began to use the phrase
“People of God”- it affirmed the common identity
and equal dignity of everyone in the Church
 By virtue of our Baptism, we are called to be
participants in the priestly and prophetic mission of
the Church
Universal Call of Holiness

 “Those members of the faithful who are not in holy
orders or religious life. They are, by Baptism,
incorporated into Christ, made to share in his
priestly, prophetic and kingly work and empowered
to play an active part in the mission of the Church”
(LG)
 “The laity live ‘in the world.’ This is where they do
God’s work. . . The laity serve to illuminate the
world with the light of Christ.”
Sin: The Obstacle to Holiness

The word sin comes from the Hebrew word
“Hatah”
The word literally means “to miss the mark”
The idea of the seven deadly or capital sins
originated in the 6th Century with St. John
Cassian and Pope St. Gregory the Great
Capital means “head”….Capital sins lead to
many other sins
Seven Deadly Sins

 Pride: excessive belief in one’s own abilities that fails
to give credit to God
 Avarice/Greed: Desire for material wealth or gain,
ignoring the spiritual realm
 Envy: Desire for others’ traits, status, abilities, or
situation. They desire to possess what others have.
 Wrath/Anger: they turn against love of others and
embrace fury
Seven Deadly Sins

 Lust: The obsessive craving for the pleasures of the
body. They desire to experience physical and sensual
pleasures, ignoring the spiritual desires.
 Gluttony: The obsessive desire to consume more
than that which one requires. It is trying to consume
more of anything that you actually need.
 Sloth: avoidance of physical or spiritual work. It
could be laziness but it can also be translated as
apathy- not caring about anything or anyone
Discernment

 Discernment is the process of figuring out how your
personal gifts steer you towards different careers and
lifestyles
 Explore: discover possibilities while having the right
motives
 Seek: direction by looking to Scripture, Tradition and
teachings of the Church
 Ask: advice from wise and knowledgeable person of
integrity
 Assess: your needs, abilities, experiences, etc. in terms of
what God might be calling you to do
 Pray: privately and in community on your vocation
Vocation in the O.T.

 In the Old Testament, the Jewish people were called to a
special relationship with God, they were God’s “Chosen
People”
 God’s promises to His people throughout the years was
through covenants
 Covenant: a sacred promise between God and His
followers
 In the O.T., God made covenants with the Israelites on
numerous occasions
 Calls took on numerous forms, and to numerous people,
but God was always leading them to Jesus
Vocation in the N.T.

 God’s covenant made in Genesis with Noah and
Abraham was fulfilled by Jesus
 Jesus’ mission was to bring salvation to all humankind
 Even before Jesus’ birth, people were called to a vocation
in the N.T.: Zechariah and Elizabeth and Mary and Joseph
 Once Jesus’ public ministry begins, he begins to call
disciples and apostles
 Simon Peter, Andrew, James, John, Phillip, Thaddeus,
Bartholomew, Thomas, James, Simon, Matthias
Vocations for Christians Today

 The Apostles were the first Christians- At Pentecost,
they were commissioned by God to go forth and
evangelize
 Evangelization is the spreading of the Good News of
Christ
 Today, we share in that vocation, to go out and
spread the Good News of Christ through our actions
and words
The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit, part of the Trinity, is what
sustains us and helps us in our Christian
vocation of discipleship
We assert this duty as adult Christians
through the sacrament of Confirmation
The Catholic Church has identified different
gifts that the Holy Spirit gives us
Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit

 Wisdom: gives us the power to see things from
God’s perspective
 Understanding: Gives us a to truly comprehend
Jesus’ teachings and the Tradition of the Church
 Counsel (Right Judgment): Helps us know what to
do in difficult situations
 Fortitude (Courage): ensures a confident spirit of
resolution, firmness of mind and strong will to
overcome obstacles
Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit

 Knowledge: Enables us to judge what is happening
in relationships, the environment, and social
situations
 Piety (reverence): places us in the right relationship
with God
 Fear of the Lord (wonder and awe): inspires us with
awareness of God’s majesty and the fact that God
created us in his image
Called to Eucharist

 The source of inspiration for all Christians, from the
Apostles to those today, should be the celebration of
the Eucharist
 It recalls the Last Supper
 “Do this in memory of me”
 Walk to Emmaus
 Through the Eucharist, we affirm our discipleship
and membership in the Church
Call to Service

 Another important part of the Last Supper was the
washing of the feet
 This ritual is performed every Holy Week as a
reminder of our call as Christians to serve others as
Christ did
 The Catholic Church in particular has invested in the
service of others through schools, hospitals and other
social service agencies
A Life of Value and Meaning
Happiness- Review

 What do we need to be happy?
 Basically, we need to have the following needs met:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Physical Needs
Self-identity and Self-Esteem
Companionship and Intimacy
Self-actualization
Happiness in a Christian Context

Jesus provides us with ways to be truly
happy when He gave us the Beatitudes
(Matthew 5:3-12)
Our ideas of what happiness is can
change as we age
The Single Life

 Being single comes from many different situations:
by choice, waiting to find a spouse, or by divorce or
death of a spouse
 For many, being single is temporary, a “transitional
vocation” until they find a partner suitable to marry,
enter a religious community, or respond to a call to
the priesthood
 Some are called to the dedicated lay single life,
which is permanent
The Single Life

 The dedicated lay single life is a valuable vocation
that reflects God’s love in its own unique way
 Being single has its owns blessings, relationships,
advantages, opportunities and challenges
 The dedicated lay single life is the most flexible
vocation- they have more personal freedom to
befriend or help people
 Single life not talked about in Old Testament but is
in the New Testament
Single Life in the N.T.

 Jesus and several of His Apostles were single,
dedicating themselves to Christ’s Church and
message
 Only married Apostle that we have proof of is PeterJesus healed his mother-in-law
 Sometimes, like in the case of Jesus and His Apostles,
married life does not fit the vocation that God is
calling us to
Baptism

 All vocations are rooted in our Christian Baptism
 The grace given at Baptism (Baptismal Grace) is meant to
last a lifetime and continuously enrich our souls
 Baptismal grace is present to:
1. Make us adoptive sons and daughters of God the Father
2. Make us members of the Church
3. Make us temples of the Holy Spirit
4. Incorporate us into the Church
5. Make us sharer’s in Christ’s priesthood
Chastity

 Chastity is the virtue by which sexuality is integrated
within a person.
 It comes under the cardinal moral virtue of
temperance, which calls for a balanced use of all our
gifts
 Also rooted in the 6th and 9th Commandments
 Covet: wanting something or lusting something that
does not belong to you
Chastity

 According to the Catechism, “The chaste person
maintains the integrity of the powers of life and love
placed in him/her” (CCC 2338)
 “Chastity includes an apprenticeship in self-mastery
which is a training in human freedom. The alternative is
clear: either man governs his passions and finds peace, or
lets himself be dominated by them and becomes
unhappy.”(CCC 2339)
 “Chastity is a moral virtue. It is also a gift from God, a
grace, a fruit of spiritual effort. The Holy Spirit enables
one whom the water of Baptism has regenerated to
imitate the purity of Christ.” (CCC 2344)
Chastity

 Chastity, according to the Church, blossoms in friendship.
When we choose the right friends, our ability to lead a
chaste life grows as we imitate the actions of those around
us
 Practicing the virtue of modesty can help. Modesty
includes patience, decency, and discretion- it oversees
how we dress, share our thoughts and speak about
ourselves with others
 Chastity and modesty are key supports to living out the
single life
 People should live out chastity in a way that is suited to
their state of life, guided by moral law
 Chastity in continence and conjugal chastity
Offenses Against Chastity

 Lust: disordered desire for or inordinate enjoyment of
sexual pleasure
 Masturbation: denies the procreative element of sexuality
 Fornication: the carnal union between an unmarried man
and unmarried woman
 Adultery: carnal union between a married person and
someone other than their spouse
 Pornography: removal of real or simulated sexual acts
from the intimacy of partners in order to display them to
third parties
 Prostitution
 Rape
Celibacy

 Celibacy is abstinence from all forms of sexual intercourse
 In the Catholic Church, two types of people are called to
celibacy: the unmarried and those who have taken
religious vows
 “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they will see God”
(Matthew 5:8)
 Premarital sex and cohabitation before marriage are seen
as grave offenses against the dignity of marriage
 They weaken fidelity and undermine the value and
nature of family
Organizations and Affiliations

 Lay people, single and married, can be drawn to the
spirituality of different religious communities but
don’t take vows
 Referred to as “Third Order” members
 First Order and Second Order members are men and
women who have taken vows
 These third orders are recognized by the Church and
people make promises, not vows- share in prayer,
mass, service and other events
Catholic Marriage
4 Loves-C.S. Lewis

 Storge (affection): fondness through familiarity or
brotherly love
 Philia (friendship): love between friends. Friendship
is the strong bond existing between people who
share common interest or activity
 Eros (romance): is love in the sense of 'being in love'
or 'loving' someone
 Agape (unconditional love): is the love that brings
forth caring regardless of the circumstance
God is Love

 Benedict XVI’s first encyclical
 Benedict describes how love changes in marriage
 Begins as a searching love, as new couples explore
together what it means to be one flesh and family with in
the Church
 Replaced later by a love that “involves a real discovery of
the other, moving beyond the selfish character that
prevailed earlier.”
 Love becomes “concern and care for the other. No longer
is it self-seeking, it becomes renunciation and it is ready,
and even willing, for sacrifice.”
Longing for Communion

 Holy Orders and Marriage are both Sacraments at
the Service of Communion
 These Sacraments call to unity
 John Paul II described four ways in which marriage
and family are at the service of communion by:
1. Forming a community of persons
2. Serving Life
3. Sharing in the life and mission of the Church
4. Participating in the development of society
Marriage as Vocation

 Though most people do marry, we should still
discern whether or not marriage is our calling from
God
 We should explore opportunities to see what it takes
to be successful in a marriage, seek direction from
Scripture and Church Tradition and teaching, ask
advice from those you trust and will be honest with
you and assess your needs, abilities, and
relationships in relation to what marriage entails
 How do we know when we have found the right
person?
Six Stages in the Relationship
Cycle

1. Attraction/Infatuation
2. Confrontation of Faults and
Differences
3. Crises
4. Acceptance/Separation
5. Love
6. Committment
Typical Cycle for
relationships
STAGE 1 Attraction/Infatuation

 Attraction:
• Physical
Attractiveness
• Competency
 Infatuation
Exciting
Supportive
Often Self-Centered
Short-lived
Pre-Occupied with
Thoughts of the Other
• Physical Contact a
major aspect
• Problems Shelved
•
•
•
•
•
STAGE 2: Confrontation of
Faults & Differences

I’ll change
She’ll change
I can deal with it
Do Opposites Really
Attract?
STAGES 2 & 3
A Study of Compatibility

What really matters in a relationship?
Interests?
Values?
Personality
A combination of all of these/some?
Stage 3: Crisis

 Reality sets in. I can not change. He/She will not
change. I really can not deal with it.
 I evaluate compatibility. Are similarities greater
than differences?
 I begin to see the “real person”: the good, the bad
and the ugly
Results: disappointment,
dissatisfaction, disillusion
STAGE 4 Acceptance/Separation

Acceptance:
• To value the same things
• Importance of the other person
• Respect for who & what the other
person is
• Tolerance
Separation: Grief

If acceptance is not possible, separation
will occur. Often an individual will
grieve as a result of a relationship loss.
Grieving is painful in proportion to the
significance of the person/thing lost
Stages of Grief

 1. Denial
 2. Anger
 3. Bargaining
 4. Depression
 5. Acceptance
 6. Reconciliation
Stage 5: Love

 To love is to give yourself freely and without
reservation
 Love is the will to extend ones’ self for the purpose
of one’s own and another's spiritual growth.
 Love is an act of will - both an intention and an
action
 Love is a circular process for the process of
extending one’s self is an evolutionary process.
“Love means never
having to say
you are sorry.”
“To love another person
is to see
the face of God.”
Agree-Disagree?
Infatuation
Love
Exciting
Other person centered
Supportive
Results in sharing
Often self-centered
Understands & appreciates other
Short-lived
Faces problems frankly together
Preoccupied w/ thoughts of the other
Enduring-stands the test of time
Physical contact a major aspect
Physical contact meaningful
Problems shelved
but not the dominant element
STAGE 6 Commitment

 Commitment means that partners must regularly,
routinely, and predictably attend to each other and
their relationship.
 Those who love are genuinely concerned for the
spiritual growth of another. They know that they
can significantly foster that growth only through a
relationship of constancy.
Catholic Marriage

 The Catholic Church teaches that marriage is a
Christian vocation. The couple’s relationship is more
than simply their choice to enter a union which is a
social and legal institution. Besides these things,
marriage involves a call from God and a response
from two people who promise to build, with the help
of divine grace, a lifelong, intimate and sacramental
partnership of love and life.
Catholic Marriage

 During Chapter 1, we discussed the universal call to
holiness.
 The call to marriage is a particular way of living the
universal call to holiness given to every Christian in
the Sacrament of Baptism.
 The vocation to marriage is a call to a life of holiness
and service within the couple’s own relationship and
in their family. As a particular way of following the
Lord, this vocation also challenges a couple to live
their marriage in a way that expresses God’s truth
and love in the world.
Pre-Christian Marriage

 During Jesus’ time, marriages (and divorces) were
arranged
 Divorce was permissible under Jewish law of the
time: man could divorce his wife whenever he
wanted but a woman needed a husband’s
permission to divorce
 Marriage was not an equal relationship between a
man and woman
Jesus’ Teachings on Marriage

 Jesus brought a new view on marriage
 Marriage, according to Jesus, is to be a sign of the
new covenant with God
 This covenant is based on faithful love and should be
entered into freely by both spouses
 When asked by His disciples why Moses allowed
divorce, Jesus said that “It was because you were so
hard-hearted that Moses allowed you to divorce
your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.”
(Matthew 19:8)
Sacrament of Marriage

 The Church recognizes the legal authority of civil
marriages
 However, for a marriage to be sacramental, it must
be performed within the Church
 A valid sacramental marriage involves a man and
women who
 Both freely give their consent to be married to the
other person
 Intend to remain married for life
 Be open to having and raising children
Sacrament of Marriage

 Marriages must take the proper ecclesiastical form
 If it is two baptized Catholics, it should be during a mass
 Why? 1) Sacramental marriage is a liturgical act and
should be celebrated in the public liturgy of the Church
2) Couples enter into a covenant before God, blessed by
Christ- it gives them certain rights and responsibilities
3) witnesses are needed to certify that a marriage has validly
taken place and
4) getting married in Church has couples make a promise
before God and the community- helps them remain faithful
Rite of Marriage

 Introduction
 Questions
 Consent (couples must state that each is free to
marry and is freely choosing the marriage)
 Blessing of Rings
 Exchange of Rings
 General Intercessions
Natural Family Planning

 The Church teaches that sexual union in marriage
has two goals: the well-being of both spouses
(unitive) and the transmission of new life
(procreative)
 Both goals must be present in every act of sexual
union between a husband and a wife. Thus, the
Church teaches that the use of contraception is
wrong
 Sexuality is a gift- not a right
Natural Family Planning

 Married couples are called to generosity in being
open to life, yet may take into account their physical,
economic, psychological and social conditions
(Humanae Vitae, 10).
 The Church does provide guidance for married
couples who want to wait to have children through
Natural Family Planning
 Couples track the woman’s fertile phases and can
choose to have sex or not during that period
 97-99% effective when used properly
Marrying a Non-Catholic

 Compatibility in faith and morals is vital for
happiness in marriage
 Mixed marriage: a Catholic marries a baptized nonCatholic (requires permission)
 Disparity of cult: a Catholic marries a non-baptized
person (requires dispensation)
 Church does not require conversion, and counsels
against conversion when it is just to please a spouse
Marrying a Non-Catholic

 Sacrament of Marriage only occurs between baptized
persons
 In the other situations, the Church will bless the
marriage and consider it valid, but to receive the
Sacrament of Marriage, both parties must be
baptized
 The Sacrament of Marriage is a sign of a couple’s
love for each other and Christ
Divorce

 The Church recognizes that there are some situations that
make it impossible for a married couple to stay together
 A couple who gets a civil divorce is still married in the
eyes of the Church and are not free to re-marry
 Divorced Catholics are encouraged to remain active in the
Church
 When a divorced Catholic enters into a civil marriage
with someone else, the Catholic is still a member of the
Church but cannot receive communion or other
sacraments
Annulments

 A Catholic annulment, also known as a declaration
of nullity or invalidity, is a statement of fact by the
Catholic Church. After carefully examining the
couple's broken relationship, the Church states that a
valid marriage, as the Church defines marriage,
never existed.
 Individual dioceses handle annulments- marriage is
investigated and grounds for annulment are looked
into
Grounds for Annulment

 Refusal or inability to consummate the marriage
(inability or refusal to have sex)
 Bigamy, incest (being married to someone else, or
close relatives), also adopted siblings cannot be
married
 Duress (being forced or coerced into marriage
against one's will or serious external pressure, for
example a pregnancy)
 Mental incapacity (considered unable to understand
the nature and expectations of marriage)
Grounds for Annulment

 Lack of knowledge or understanding of the full
implications of marriage as a life-long commitment
in faithfulness and love, with priority to spouse and
children.
 Psychological inability to live the marriage
commitment as described above.
 Illegal "Form of Marriage" (ceremony was not
performed according to Catholic canon law)
 One/both partners was under the influence of drugs,
or addicted to a chemical substance.
Annulments

 Children of annulled marriages are not illegitimate
in the eyes of the Church
 An annulment is a declaration by the Church that no
real sacramental bond existed from the beginning of
the marriage
 Once an annulment occurs, both parties are free to
remarry in the Church if they desire
 Church annulments have no effect on the legality of
a marriage, just the sacramental side of the marriage
Ordained Ministers and Consecrated Persons
in the Catholic Church
Overview of Ministries

 Episcopacy or Order of Bishops- receives the fullness
of the Sacrament of Holy Orders. Chosen by the
Pope
 Priests of Order of the Presbyter- day to day
sacramental life of the Church goes through priests
 Permanent Deacons- transitional deacons are those
who are going to become priests. Permanent deacons
are married men who serve the Church in an
ordained capacity but cannot celebrate the Eucharist
Celibacy

 As we discussed earlier, celibacy is required for
Roman Catholic priests
 Not always the way in the Church, but has been
since the Second Lateran Council of 1139
 Protestant ministers who convert to Catholicism can
remained married if already so before their
conversion
 Eastern Churches allow for married priests (even
those under the Pope) but still value celibate priests.
Only celibate priests can be bishops
Diocesan Priests and
Religious Order Priests

 Members of religious orders can also be priest
 They usually take vows of poverty, chastity and
obedience to his order prior to ordination
 Religious Order Priests tend to live in community with
other vowed priests and brothers
 Their Holy Orders may either be given by the local bishop
or abbot if his religious order
 Still must remain faithful and in good standing with the
local bishop
 Diocesan priests only take vows of obedience and chastity
Bishops: The Local
Ordinary

 Local ordinary is the residential bishop who has
immediate responsibility for and jurisdiction over his
own particular Church, known as a diocese
 Bishops are responsible for
1. Authentically teaching the faith
2. Celebrating divine worship, especially the
Eucharist
3. Overseeing the spiritual ministry of all Catholic
parishes, schools and other ministries of the diocese
4. Guide his Church and work with the diocese’s
priests, religious communities and laity
Bishops

In larger dioceses there are also
auxiliary bishops who assist the Bishop
in his duties
Bishops are also known as “pontiffs”literally means a bridge maker.
Pope Francis I is the Supreme Pontiff as
pope
Evangelical Counsels
Consecrated Persons

 Consecrated religious men and women transfigure
themselves to Christ most especially through the
evangelical counsels- poverty, chastity and obediencewhich they vow to live
 Consecrated religious sell their possessions and own
nothing in their name giving their money to the poor and
following Jesus
 They give themselves to God completely by living a
celibate life for the sake of the kingdom
 They give complete obedience to God, the community
and the Church through their religious communities
Religious Orders in the
Church

 Sizes of religious communities across the world are
shrinking, particularly in the US
 Religious orders each have a unique charism, based
on their founders, that guide their mission in the
Church and world
 Charism is a gift that flows from God loves for
humans- a charism denotes a calling and focus of a
religious community
History of Religious Life

 Religious Life began after Christ’s death with a few
Christians, mainly women, who remained
unmarried and lived simply- many became martyrs
in the early Church
 3rd Century: monks began living in solitude (hermits)
and then began small communities (monasteries)
 5th Century- nuns began living in communities
(convent)- vowed poverty and chastity
 6th-8th century: Irish monasteries- live in community
under the “Rule” of founders
History of Religious Life

 9th-12th centuries: rise of the large monastery as
centers of learning with strict rules
 13th Century- in response to some abuses, medicant
(begging) orders and preacher orders (Franciscans
and Dominicans in particular)began. Owned no
property and called people to a simpler life
 16th Century: Jesuits formed- community life without
monastic enclosure (cloister)- educators and
reformers
Cloistered Religious Life

 Some religious communities are cloistered- enclosed
so that occupants are totally separated from the
outside world
 Those communities are generally contemplative by
nature-focused on prayer, Christian perfection and
union with Christ
 Cloistered men are properly called monks and
cloistered women are called nuns
 Not cloistered are brothers and sisteres
Liturgy of the Hours

 The Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the Divine
Office, is the official prayer of the Church
 It is divided into sections that are to be prayed to
mark the passing hours of the day and night
 Contemplative communities schedule their day
around the Liturgy of the Hours, including some
communities even getting up in the middle of the
night to pray
Formation of Members

 The formation period for new members is very important
to discerning a vocation to a religious order
 Formation periods, which can last several years, involve a
period of training in which new members are introduced
to the many prayers, practices, rules and traditions of that
order
 Postulants are new members undergoing formation
 Novices are the next level- they begin to participate more
fully in community activities
 After the novitiate is completed, they take final
(permanent) vows and become members of the order