What does the Catechism say about Vocations?
Baptism, the vocation of vocations, commits us at different points. A section of the catechism addresses the vocation of man, from the point of view of life in the spirit. Apart from this section, we do not have specific chapters dedicated to vocation in the catechism, but we do have a dozen or so numbers that talk about it.
Vocation to communion with God
The numbers 27 to 44 touch on this subject.
“The dignity of man rests above all on the fact that he is called to communion with God. This invitation to converse with God is addressed to man as soon as he comes into being. For if man exists, it is because God has created him through love, and through love continues to hold him in existence. He cannot live fully according to truth unless he freely acknowledges that love and entrusts himself to his creator. ” (No. 27)
“Man is by nature and vocation a religious being. Coming from God, going toward God, man lives a fully human life only if he freely lives by his bond with God.” (No. 44)
The principle and foundation of the spiritual exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola is the idea of the vocation of man to communion with God: “Man is created to praise, revere, and serve God our Lord and thereby save his soul.”
Vocation to life in Spirit
Life in Christ is the title of the third part of the catechism of the Church, and the title of the first section is “The Vocation of Man: Life in the Spirit”.
Number 1669 says: “Life in the Holy Spirit fulfills the vocation of man (chapter 1). It is made of divine charity and human solidarity (chapter two). It is graciously granted as a salvation (third chapter).”
The first section deals with our vocation to beatitude, our vocation to freedom, to train our conscience, to practice good acts and virtues.
Vocation to beatitude and freedom
Article 2 of the first section (“The Vocation of Man: Life in the Spirit”) reminds us of our vocation to beatitude. Number 1728 says: “The Beatitudes confront us with decisive choices concerning earthly goods; they purify our hearts in order to teach us to love God above all things.” (No. 1728)
Article 3 of the first section also reminds us of our vocation to freedom. “For freedom Christ has set us free,” reminds us of numbers 1741 and 1748, taking up a passage from the Bible. To learn more about freedom, we invite you to read our article on this subject.
Vocation to train our consciences and to act well
Article 6 of the first section reminds us of the importance of educating and training our consciences. The number 1798 recalls for example: “A well-formed conscience is upright and truthful. It formulates its judgments according to reason, in conformity with the true good willed by the wisdom of the Creator. Everyone must avail himself of the means to form his conscience. ” (No. 1798)
Articles 4 and 7 of the first section invite us to perform morally good acts, which presuppose both “the goodness of the object, the end and the circumstances.” (No. 1755). The practice of virtues is also an exercise to which we are invited. These are the “stable dispositions of the intellect and the will that govern our acts, order our passions, and guide our conduct in accordance with reason and faith.” ” (No. 1834)
Baptismal Vocation
Article 1213 on baptism says that it “the basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua), and the door which gives access to the other sacraments.” (No. 1213) In addition to the catechism, the Second Vatican Council recalls the link between baptism and our vocation to holiness. The baptismal vocation also consists in seeking the kingdom of God. Number 898 says: “By reason of their special vocation, it belongs to the laity to seek the kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and directing them according to God's will. . . . It pertains to them in a special way so to illuminate and order all temporal things with which they are closely associated that these may always be effected and grow according to Christ and maybe to the glory of the Creator and Redeemer. ” (No. 898). We can also add that the baptismal vocation also passes through the exercise of the triple office of priest, prophet, and king. Finally, number 2030 reminds us: “It is in the Church, in communion with all the baptized, that the Christian fulfills his vocation.” (No. 2030)
Individual Vocation
By individual vocation, we mean the vocation to marriage, and the individual supernatural vocation, which is a vocation to consecration (priest, religious, etc.).
Vocation to holiness
The numbers 784 to 1533 touch on this subject.
“On entering the People of God through faith and Baptism, one receives a share in this people's unique, priestly vocation: “Christ the Lord, high priest taken from among men, has made this new people 'a kingdom of priests to God, his Father.' The baptized, by regeneration and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, are consecrated to be a spiritual house and a holy priesthood.” (No. 784). “Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist are sacraments of Christian initiation. They ground the common vocation of all Christ's disciples, a vocation to holiness and to the mission of evangelizing the world. They confer the graces needed for the life according to the Spirit during this life as pilgrims on the march towards the homeland.” (No. 1533)
We also invite you to read our Guide to Saints to rediscover holiness.
Vocation to fidelity and eternal life
We can say that because of the indelible nature of certain sacraments, such as baptism, confirmation, or orders, the Christian has a vocation to fidelity.
Number 1998 reminds us: “This vocation to eternal life is supernatural. It depends entirely on God's gratuitous initiative, for he alone can reveal and give himself. It surpasses the power of human intellect and will, as that of every other creature.” (No. 1998)
With Hozana, let us pray to be faithful to our vocations!
With Hozana, let us pray to be faithful to our vocations: whether it is the baptismal, supernatural vocation, or the call to holiness.
This fidelity already implies a strong rooting in Christ, with prayer, attending the sacraments and the exercise of priesthood (whether it is the common priesthood of the faithful or the hierarchical priesthood).
Hozana offers different communities to continue to respond to your vocation, such as readings of the gospel of the day, communal retreats, or special prayer groups, like this novena for your vocation.
