Am I Called
Whom Does God Call To Join The Clergy?
Men who…
Aspire to serve God’s people
Strive to imitate Christ daily through prayer and service
Are willing to share their lives in leadership of God’s people
Desire to spread the Gospel through teaching and preaching
Are drawn to Jesus in the Eucharist
Wish to bring God’s mercy to the physically and spiritually poor
Teach people to live virtuously, by word and example
Whom Does God Call To The Consecrated Life?
Men and women who…
Desire to be totally dedicated to God who is loved most of all
Wish to dedicate themselves to God’s honor, the upbuilding of the Church, and the salvation of the world
Are led to embrace the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience in a manner consistent with their form of consecrated life
Are willing to apply themselves to the conversion of heart to God
Strive for contemplation of divine things and assiduous union with God
Are drawn to an apostolate for the service of the Church which consists of or overflows from a deep prayer life
Whom Does God Call To Married Life?
Men and women who…
Are willing to lay down their lives for the sake of their spouse and their families.
Are open to life and the great responsibilities that come with building up a family for the kingdom of God.
What If I Don’t Think I’m Called To Be A Cleric, Get Married, Or Enter Consecrated Life? What Place Do I Have?
Universal Call to Holiness: A Reflection on Singleness
All of us are called by baptism to a life of holiness. Many are called to a specific way of living out the call to holiness in a state of life (vocation) characterized by undertaking a lifelong commitment by vow or consecration. Some, however, are called to be living witnesses to Christ without assuming a life long commitment. Others are called to dedicate their lives to Christ in blessed singleness but without changing their state in life.
The beauty and burden of the life of the single person is often overlooked in today’s world. The single person’s life can have a spiritual dimension. While it is sometimes said to be the hardest way of life to live, it is definitely not meant to be a life of loneliness and solitude.
Most of us exist as singles for some transitional amount of time, prior to our discernment and entrance into the married, consecrated, or clerical states. For those who do not enter the more particular states of life by vow, ordination, or consecration, there is an opportunity and a freedom to give themselves completely in service to others. Singleness as a form of life is not an end in itself, but is directed in self-giving and life-giving generosity and activity.
The single person has no bond of commitment to a person or a community of persons. Thus, there is not a built-in support system for them. Living this call thus presents an opportunity to nurture a strong relationship with God. The solitude of being single can be a blessing that allows the individual to discover the incompleteness of life without God being present.
Many singles find spiritual support as lay members of third orders and associations of the faithful. These help the single person in his efforts to respond to the Lord’s call to holiness. Also, a single person who feels called may choose to live under a private vow of chastity, and by so doing, may find a certain joy in living as a lay person specially dedicated to the Lord.
