CCVI Vocations: A calling to existence

We would like to offer you some publications that will help you to reflect on the call that God makes to each person today, the meaning of life, and the complementarity of the different vocations within the church. They are publications to arouse dialogue with someone who accompanies you.

Meditate and if you like, share your reflection with us.

vocation@amormeus.org

Vocation means: “CALL” What is the human being called to?

What is his/her vocation?

The great fundamental question about existence is:

Where do we come from, what is the purpose of our life?

The answer we give will depend on our attitude toward life.

First of all, the call is the call to existence, to life.

The respect to all life, the defense of life in every circumstance, from conception until the natural end of life; this is a characteristic that identifies the believers.

The motivation is God himself, who gives us life for love.

The Book of Genesis presents God as the great potter who, with delicacy and art, models man from the dust of the ground (clay) and gave him the breath of life (Cfr. Gn 2:7). Clay and breath of life come together and the result is a unique creature that has a soul, a “spiritual and immortal soul” (Guad. & Spes14).

The human being has spiritual faculties to understand things, to reason, discern, and make valuable judgments and make decisions. This ability moves him to “do good and avoid evil” (Guad. & Spes 16).

This rule is written in the deepest part of the person’s heart. It is a universal voice that resounds and is never silent. The reason for this is the dignity of human life.

Therefore, why does evil exist and harms the calling to a life in harmony with God, with creation, with others, and with oneself?

Because each person is free: he has intelligence, free will and freedom, and the ability to make decisions.

From the beginning, he has been divided between the defense of good, which is life, and the defense of evil, which harms and causes death.

Thus, Saint Paul says: “I don’t do the good that I want, but the evil that I hate” (Rm. 7:19).

Life is an effort, an ascesis, in order to keep intact the fullness of human dignity for oneself and for others.

Christ freed us from sin with his passion, death, and resurrection.

His grace restores what sin damages.

Thanks to Him, we are able to lead a good life, respect human dignity, and do good.

By the grace of redemption, the image of God recovers, in human beings, a greater dignity.

The Pope Saint John Paul II in his vocational message says that the calling to live is the

deepest reason for human dignity.

Human beings are invited to respond to a dialogue of love that God has started by creating him with love.

Life will have fullness if we welcome the gift of life with freedom. Rejecting

this calling leads to a “conception of existence that is passive, boring, and banal”.

We can say with Saint Augustine

“Every man is Adam, every man is Christ.”

This means that every person is a sinner like Adam, and he is also a son or daughter of God who was saved by Christ, and therefore, is called to divine life.

Let’s take care of life, our life and the life of others… and we will live.

“Care of Creation”

A message from Pope Francis (video)

If you have any questions or want to share your reflection, write to: vocation@amormeus.org