Vocation comes from the Latin verb vocare, which means “to call.” A vocation is a calling from God and to God. A vocation naturally includes what we do “for a living,” but it goes much deeper than that. God has a personal plan for each one of us. This “plan” is our personal vocation, as God invites each one of us to a special relationship with Him through Christ.
Let’s take a closer look at how this plays out.
All the faithful, by virtue of our Baptism, have a vocation in the Church. All of us are called to a deep, personal, and communal relationship with the Lord and His family, the Church; all of us are called to holiness—to become saints; all of us have a role to play in bringing the Gospel to the world, one precious soul at a time.
The faithful who have not received Holy Orders and who do not belong to a religious state approved by the Church are known as laity. The vast majority of Catholics are lay men and women. Laity may either be married or single, and they are called to serve as leaven in the midst of the world—usually within our families and local community, but sometimes in the missions. Continue reading
