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Christian Lifestyles. 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. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Christian Lifestyles
Spring 2013
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
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
Christian Idea of Vocation
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
How do we do this?
1. Single lay people2. Married lay people3. Ordained minister4. Consecrated LifePeople in these groups may have different jobs or careers but they are doing what brings them a sense of happiness, accomplishment and fulfillment
Four Christian Vocations
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 to 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.”
Universal Call of 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
Sin: The Obstacle to Holiness
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
Seven Deadly Sins
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
Discernment
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 O.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
Vocation in the N.T.
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
Vocations for Christians Today
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
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
Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit
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
Called to Eucharist
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
Call to Service
The Single Life
A Life of Value and Meaning
What do we need to be happy? Basically, we need to have the following needs
met:1. Physical Needs2. Self-identity and Self-Esteem3. Companionship and Intimacy4. Self-actualization
Happiness- Review
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
Happiness in a Christian Context
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
The Single Life
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 Peter- Jesus 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
Single Life in the N.T.
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
Father2. Make us members of the Church3. Make us temples of the Holy Spirit4. Incorporate us into the Church5. Make us sharer’s in Christ’s priesthood
Baptism
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
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
Offenses Against Chastity
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
Celibacy
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
Organizations and Affiliations