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National Vocation Awareness Week

By Reverend Christopher Martin, Vocation Director

Every year the Church offers to the faithful an entire week dedicated to vocation awareness. What does this mean?

Certainly it is an opportunity for us as a people of faith to be grateful to the many men and women who inspire us by the very lives they lead. But, it is also a time for us to reflect on the fact that we all have a vocation.

The Church reminds us that Jesus calls us each by name to follow Him in faith and love by living our lives no longer for ourselves but for Him. This is what is referred to as the universal call to holiness. Beginning at baptism, each of us is destined for heaven. So becoming a saint is not so much an option for a few, but the pre-requisite for all to enter into heaven.

Jesus calls individuals to follow Him in three primary ways; priesthood, marriage, and the dedicated single life (including consecrated life).

Whereas it is very natural for young men and women to consider marriage and family life (though thinking of it as a call from God is not so common anymore), sometimes it isn’t as easy for them to think and pray about the priesthood or religious life. So we hold up these vocations in a special way this week and pray that all young people have a generous and open heart, and that parents lead their children to desire God’s will above all else.

So let us give thanks for and pray for vocations well-lived. For happy, holy marriages, for inspiring priest and religious, and for sanctified singles who generously give of their talents for others.

Maybe this week in addition to praying for an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life, we can give compliments and gratitude to people who live their vocations so well that they spur us on to holiness in our own.

 Contact the Office of Vocations at 314.792.6460 or by Email  

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Submitted by stlyouth on January 10, 2012 - 10:21am in