Chapter TwoGods Plan for Your Life

Finding a calling is different from finding a profession A profession is associated with a career Career: A chosen occupation that is more likely to express ones talents than a job While one might have several jobs, people tend to change careers less frequently

Finding a Calling

While thinking about future professions, it is also important to choose a course of life based on vocation

The word vocation comes from the Latin word vocare, which means to call

The primary Christian vocation is to love and serve God by loving and serving other people

Finding a Calling

Laity All of the baptized faithful except those who have received the sacrament of Holy Orders Seek the kingdom of God by engaging in daily, worldly tasks and directing them towards Gods willFinding a Calling

Married peopleFinding a CallingShare a love for each other and raise a Christian familyPriestsDedicated to the service of the ChurchBishopsEntrusted to teach, sanctify, and govern the Church in the name of ChristReligious sisters and brothersEngage in missionary work dedicated to community

Created in Gods Image A persons vocation is much different from having a job or choosing a career. The risks are greater but so are the rewards.

Journeying to Perfection Besides choosing a college and an academic major, you will face other decisions involving a particular Christian vocationWill you enter the ordained priesthood?Will you be married?Will you be a religious sister or brother????

Journeying to Perfection The universe, including each person, is in a state of journeying toward an ultimate perfection

Divine Providence: the ways in which God guides his creation towards perfection Jesus tells us to put our trust in divine providence, the will of God Trusting in God means we depend on him for every detail of our lives

Journeying to Perfection The more we seek Gods plan for us, the more we advance toward perfection

When we resist Gods plan for our desires we go backward. We are given free will, the choice to shape our own lives and direct ourselves to the goodness that God intends. Because this choice is free there is a possibility of going astray and committing evil acts

Discernment through Prayer Constant and consistent prayer helps us determine what God intends for us.

Types of Prayer

MeditationContemplativeVocal

Discernment: name for a process of prayer that incorporates many types of prayer Helps us determine what God intends for us

Calls us to look at many sides of decisions considering all of the different alternatives

Involves praying over a decision and asking for guidance from the Holy Spirit, then making a decision and evaluating itDiscernment through Prayer

A first step for discernment is finding a time and place to center prayerDiscernment through Prayer This is done with the purpose of finding God within the depths of yourself

As a child you may have been taught that prayer is talking to God

However, prayer is a dialogue with God in which the most important part is listening to what God has to say to you

Other sources of prayer:

Sacred ScriptureLiturgy of the ChurchPractice of Virtues1.2.3.Discernment through Prayer

Steps of Discernment:

Discernment through PrayerStep One: Find a quiet place to pray. Relax and find a comfortable position. Close your eyes and become aware of Gods presence.Step Two: Select a special word that makes you think of God and recite this word over and over in order to keep distractions away.Step Three: Thank the Lord for his presence, tell Jesus of your love for Him and ask the Holy Spirit to remain with you always. Then slowly recite an Our Father.

Planning for a Vocation A discernment process is not intended to predict what may end up being your ultimate vocation, only to begin the journey to a particular vocation while allowing God to direct and guide you. Prayer is the most essential element of this process Three steps of planning: Dream and imagineGather informationPray over the options

Discernment is really a prayerful pondering or deliberation of the many options available to you in life.Planning for a VocationThe more you pray and think about the many options in life, the more likely a sense of direction will emerge

Exploring Christian Vocations Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist are intended for our personal holiness and salvationThey provide us with the graces we need to live a life in Christ and evangelize the world with our words and actions

Holy Orders and Matrimony are directed to the holiness and salvation of others

These sacraments are also called Sacraments at the Service of Communion

Exploring Christian Vocations

Committed Single LifeSingle people can have a dedicated devotion to their careerThey have a greater opportunity for silence and solitude leading to a deep prayer lifeSingle persons are free to love all and have deep friendships with many men and womenLoneliness is a large challenge faced by single peopleLiving a chaste life is also difficult in this day and age

Exploring Christian Vocations

Exploring Christian Vocations Consecrated LifeThose who have made a commitment to follow Christ and give themselves to God above all other thingsTeaching and the operation of Catholic education has been one of the primary ministries of religiousMany are involved in various types of service to the ChurchThe most common characteristic is belonging to a communityContemplative religious spend their days in solitude and silence, praying, studying, and doing penance (eremitic life)Active religious are out in the world participating in active ministries

Exploring Christian Vocations Other types of Consecrated LifeConsecrated Virgins

Women who live a life of perpetual virginity but remain lay women and support themselvesSupport clergy through prayer and sacrifice

Secular Institutes

Forms of consecrated life for single lay people and diocesan priestsProfess evangelical counsels but do not take public vows or live in communities

Exploring Christian Vocations Other types of Consecrated LifeSocieties of Apostolic Life

Members do not take public vows but engage in many good works for the churchExample: Knights of Columbus

Exploring Christian Vocations MarriageModeled after Christs union with the ChurchMan and woman work in their marriage to duplicate for each other the committed and eternal love that God has shown to them Priesthood Holy Orders confers a sacred power on the priest for the service of the faithful Conferred only on baptized men following the example of Jesus

Vocabulary Career Laity Divine providence Free will Centering prayer Seminarians Evangelical counsels Eremitic life Vocation director Messianic secret Religious novices

Sacraments at the Service of Communion