Vocation and Lifestyles

Different Lifestyles

• Different lifestyles:
  • Single Life
  • Marriage
  • Priesthood
  • Consecrated Religious

Single Life

• Single people can respond to the needs of others in different ways compared to married people and parents.
• Being single may result from life circumstances, such as caring for an elderly or sick parent or not having met a potential spouse.
• Some choose the single life for a specific reason, such as dedicating their lives to lay religious service like missionary work.
• Others may choose to remain single to use their gifts and talents to make a difference in the world, which they may not be able to do as a married person.
• Everyone experiences a period of being single at some point in their life.
• This may be because they are too young for marriage or haven't found the right person.
• Many people experience multiple periods of singleness (e.g., pre-marriage, death of a spouse, separation, or divorce).
• Like all lifestyles, the single lifestyle calls for chaste love.
• Jesus Christ is the perfect model of chaste love.
• As the Son of God, Jesus loved in a way that was open to all people.
• His lifestyle reflected this love through his openness to the downtrodden, dignified approach to women, acceptance of foreigners, and compassion for the sick and those in need.

Marriage as a Vocation

• Marriage is a sacramental union between one man and one woman for life.
• God’s two purposes for marriage:
  • Sexual expression of married love for one another.
  • Procreation of children.
• The Sacrament of Marriage strengthens and guides people in their life together.
• Baptized people confer the Sacrament of Marriage upon one another.
• Married couples need to develop their personal relationship with Jesus.
• Marriage is a commitment between two people to love and honor each other for life.
• In society and different religions, there are varying views and understandings of marriage.
• For Catholics, marriage is a sacramental union between one man and one woman for life.
• It is common in modern society for couples to marry in a civil ceremony.
• In the context of love for others, Jesus restored God’s original plan for marriage.
• God revealed that marriage was meant to be a loving and life-giving relationship between one man and one woman for the rest of their lives.
• Marriage and love should go together.
• God revealed that marriage should be a special, lifelong communion between a man and a woman.
• God intends for couples to develop their married love for the rest of their lives.
• God intended sexual intercourse to be used exclusively to express married love between husband and wife.
• The sixth and ninth commandments summarize God’s laws intended to preserve the dignity of marriage.
• The creation story in the Bible teaches that one purpose for people marrying is to bring children into the world.
• Pro-creation means parents co-operate in God’s creation of their children.
• Procreation includes parents’ responsibility for the care, development, and education of children until they reach adulthood.
• Through the Sacrament of Marriage, Jesus strengthens married people to:
  • Face daily problems.
  • Reopen communication when there is tension.
  • Renew their marriage commitment.
  • Forgive each other.
  • Support each other.
  • Overcome temptations to be unfaithful.
• Jesus also guides them when they need to:
  • Work out any problems.
  • Make decisions about their home and family life.
  • Address issues related to parenting.
  • Make decisions about finances, moving house, and the necessity for both to work outside the home.
  • Address what to do if their marriage seems unhappy.
• To receive the Sacrament of Marriage, people firstly need to accept Christian faith and Baptism.
• Married love is fulfilled when couples commit themselves to each other by exchanging marriage vows.
• Baptized couples confer the Sacrament of Marriage upon one another when they exchange vows before a priest or deacon and two other witnesses.
• Christ consecrates the love between them at that moment.
• A baptized couple marrying in the Catholic Church celebrates the Sacrament of Marriage as they exchange vows such as:
  • "I … take you … to be my (husband/wife). I promise to be true to you in good times or in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honour you all the days of my life."
  • "I … take you … for my lawful husband/wife to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health until death do us part."
• This consent is completed, and the marriage bond is sealed by God when the couple expresses their total self-giving love for each other.
• To experience what is offered through this sacrament, the couple needs to keep developing their personal relationship with Jesus by:
  • Praying daily.
  • Worshipping together.
  • Receiving Jesus personally in Holy Communion.
  • Getting to know Jesus and striving to live as he taught, especially the commandments.
• The Sacrament of Marriage involves a three-way relationship between the two marriage partners and between each marriage partner and Jesus.
• Most people who marry have children, though not all couples are able to do so.
• The quality of a marriage is no less if the couple does not have children.
• The parent-child love relationship is a unique one.
• It has strength that helps parents to care for their children in every circumstance of life.

Ministerial Priesthood

• Jesus supports his followers personally through the ordained priesthood.
• Jesus instituted the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
• The Priestly Vocation is a call to serve.
• The priestly vocation is a call to celibate love.
• During his lifetime, Jesus supported his followers personally.
• Jesus appointed 12 Apostles.
• Jesus supports his followers personally through the ordained priesthood.
• Jesus knew that future generations would also need his support; for this reason, he:
  • Established his special community, the Church.
  • Instituted ways through which he could continue to teach and guide them.
  • Instituted the 7 sacraments through which they could receive special spiritual gifts and nurture those gifts.
• Jesus wanted to support his followers personally throughout time.
• For this reason, he wanted the apostles to pass on the special spiritual gifts and responsibilities to others through the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
• As the head of the Apostles, Peter received the spiritual gifts needed to teach, sanctify, and govern the worldwide church.
• Peter eventually went to Rome to perform these responsibilities.
• Jesus appointed Peter the head of the Apostles and gave him the name ‘Peter’ to make it clear that Peter’s role was to serve as the rock upon which his Church was founded (Matthew 16:18).
• Today, the successor to Peter is called the ‘Pope’.
• The Pope continues to fulfil his responsibilities as Bishop of Rome.
• As the line of bishops stretches back over the past two thousand years to the Apostles, so the line of Popes stretches back to Peter, the first of the Popes.

Leadership in the Church

• The Pope (also called the Pontiff) is the Bishop of Rome.
• He is the source of guidance and authority for Catholics.
• The Pope leads the worldwide Church and is also head of state of the Vatican.
• Cardinals are a college of Bishops nominated by the Pope, and they elect future Popes.
• Bishops are responsible for a diocese and all the priests, deacons, and laity (ordinary people).
• Archbishops are more senior Bishops and are usually in charge of an Archdiocese.
• Parish Priests are charged with the spiritual care of an area called a parish. They lead daily Mass and provide the sacraments.
• Priests serve their communities in different ways by:
  • Being with others in a personal, loving way that gives witness to Jesus’ presence.
  • Leading the believing community.
  • Celebrating Christ’s presence in the sacraments.
  • Celebrating the Eucharistic sacrifice of the Mass.
  • Preaching the word of God.
• Deacons:
  • Deacons are called to serve the Church through a ministry of liturgy, word, and charity.
  • They do this by assisting a bishop or priest with his responsibility of teaching, sanctifying, and governing the Church.
  • Deacons can perform the same teaching functions as priests.
  • In this ministry, Jesus works through them just as he does through priests exercising their teaching function.
• The first task of a priest is to teach the Gospel in various ways, including:
  • Homilies during Mass.
  • Instruction of people wanting to become Catholics.
  • Preparing couples for marriage.
  • Helping parents prepare for the baptism of their children.
  • Teaching in various ways and within various contexts.
  • Helping people to work out the meaning of the questions, problems, and issues of their lives.
  • Preparing with grieving people the funerals of loved ones.
  • Consoling the sick.
  • Accompanying those seeking to discover the guidance of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
  • Counselling people from the perspective of the teachings of Jesus.
  • Advising people on difficult moral questions that arise in their lives.
• Priests are called to ‘sanctify’ believers so that, as they grow in holiness, they can draw closer to God, who is holy.
• Jesus does this by strengthening the influence of the Holy Spirit within the hearts of all sincere participants in celebrations of the sacraments and community prayer.
• It is Jesus acting in the person of Christ who says through the priest:
  • ‘This is my body.’
  • ‘This is my blood’ during celebrations of the Eucharist.
  • ‘Now I absolve you from your sins’ during the celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
  • ‘I baptise you …’ during the public celebration of Baptism.
• The only sacrament a priest cannot celebrate is Holy Orders.
• Priests are called to help the bishop guide the Church community as Jesus did through acts of ‘service’:
  • Calling community members to help with the works of the parish.
  • Ensuring that the parish is properly administered.
  • Encouraging the parish community to provide for people’s needs through parish-based organizations, such as the St Vincent de Paul Society and the Catholic Women’s League.
  • Gathering together in discussion groups those who want to learn more about Christ’s teachings.
  • Caring for community members with special needs, such as those who are troubled.
  • Encouraging community members to provide for the poor.
• Jesus did not marry but lived a single life that enabled him to respond to the needs of all people at any time they needed his love. This inclusive love of a single person is called ‘celibate love’.
• Those called to the priesthood are called by Jesus to be available to respond to the needs of all people at all times by living a life of celibate love.

Consecrated Religious Vocation

• Consecrated Religious Life is a vocation.
• People called to religious life seek to imitate Jesus by taking vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience (Evangelical Counsels).
• Religious sisters, brothers, and priests work in many different apostolates.
• Examples of consecrated religious:
  • Sisters or Nuns.
  • Benedictine Monks.
• Women and men who follow evangelical counsels are referred to as ‘consecrated religious’.
• They publicly promise, or make a profession of vows, to live a life of gospel chastity, poverty, and obedience in the service of God’s people.
• These consecrated religious include sisters, nuns, brothers, and priests.
• The common characteristic of the religious life is the calling to imitate Jesus himself by following certain principles Jesus demonstrated in his life called ‘the evangelical counsels’.
• Consecrated Religious promise three vows referred to as ‘Evangelical Counsels’ includes:
  • Evangelical = Gospel.
  • Counsels = Advice.
    • POVERTY: Giving up personal belongings and living simply.
    • CHASTITY: Remaining unmarried and dedicating themselves to God.
    • OBEDIENCE: Following the teachings and guidance of their religious community.
• About one-third of priests are consecrated religious.
• They are the ‘religious’ or ‘order’ priests who belong to a religious community and serve the Church as that community directs.
• They take three vows.
• The rest of the world’s priests are ‘diocesan’ or ‘secular’ priests who serve in a variety of ways in a diocese.
• They promise obedience to the local bishop and live a life of celibacy but do not make a vow of poverty; they earn a salary or receive a stipend that provides for their needs.
• Some religious live in a monastery and withdraw from society to live ascetical lives of community prayer and work.
• The men in a monastery are called ‘monks’ (Greek for monos meaning alone), while women who live the monastic life are called ‘nuns’ (Latin for nonna meaning elderly woman).
• Monasteries are also sometimes called ‘convents’ (Latin for coming together).
• Work can include:
  • Caring for the poor.
  • Caring for the sick.
  • Helping migrants and refugees.
  • Educating people in the light of the Gospel.
  • Praying on behalf of humanity in general and for the specific needs of particular people and groups.
• Consecrated religious live in communities, sharing their lives, prayers, and work together.
• They are called to live out the Gospel and be of service.
• They can be called to do Missionary Work or work to serve the community (e.g., teachers, nurses, etc.).
• Those considering a religious vocation spend time praying, seeking guidance, and reflecting on their calling (Discernment).
• Consecrated religious life is seen as a calling from God, inviting individuals to dedicate themselves to him and serve his people.
• Example: A young man attending retreats and seeking guidance to discern whether he is called to become a monk.