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November 7, 2023By Mary Lim
This week we celebrate National Vocation Awareness Week, which is an annual week-long celebration dedicated to promoting holy vocations to the priesthood, consecrated life, and marriage through prayer and education.
Perhaps you’ve noticed our diocese and your own parish making more frequent use of the word “vocation.” Have you wondered, “why all the focus on these ‘vocations?’”
Your vocation is so much more than your career – it is the intentional way of life which an individual is called to love during their time here on earth. Every single person has a specific and unrepeatable vocation that God etched into their very soul. While we are all called to the same vocation – to love – it is the way in which God calls each person to live out this vocation in their lives that is 100% unique to every individual.
Vocations are a major focus of the Church because they have to do with the biggest decision of a person’s life that will guide them on their own unique path to holiness and ultimately, to eternal life with God in heaven.
“Everyone is called to a lifestyle in which he or she has the potential for the greatest possible fulfillment” (vocationministry.com). That is what God wants for our lives, for us to be fulfilled. Only He can truly fulfill us, and so our vocations are one way in which He is calling us back to Himself, to draw nearer to Him, where we will be eternally fulfilled. He knew that this fulfillment would look different for every person depending on their unique personhood, and so He calls every person differently.
Hearing His call and responding to it is the part that the Church is interested in guiding people through, for this is not an easy task, and it takes a lot of practice. It is called “discernment”; this process of discernment is often likened to making a discovery about oneself.
So, it’s actually a huge deal that the Church is involved in supporting vocations, and it is a huge undertaking to support.
This week, we invite you to be open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and to practice listening and responding to God’s unique call in your life; to engage in National Vocation Awareness Week content across multiple Catholic platforms and to commit to learning more about your own and other’s vocations; to pay attention to the needs of the Church and our own community and to ask yourself where your gifts can be utilized; and finally we ask you to pray for our seminarians and sisters in formation, and for the couples in marriage prep in our diocese.
Explore the Diocese of Tucson’s New Outlook Vocations page, where you can find local resources and content to support you in your discernment, as well as national and global stories about how God’s call is lived in other’s lives.
Did you know that we have an entire office dedicated just to vocations in our diocese? They are so eager to meet you! Check them out on our Diocese of Tucson website, a great place to start to learn more about vocations and about what is available to you in your own diocese.
“Fostering strong and courageous vocations in the modern world is the lifeblood of the future of the Church.” Vocation Ministry is a ministry dedicated to the education of dioceses and parishes across the country about the importance of vocations, and how to foster a “culture of vocations.” They are a wealth of information!
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has a website dedicated entirely to the celebration of National Vocation Awareness Week! Their Vocations Page is also a great place to start when looking for additional resources to support you in your discernment of your vocation.
Vianney Vocations is another great ministry that is dedicated to supporting men and women in discerning religious vocations. Check out all the resources that they have for all ages and settings, curated especially for National Vocation Awareness Week.
Follow @tucsonvocations on social media for year-round support and resources to help you discern God’s call in your life!
