Vocations labyrinth: the first installment!

In the April 19 B.C. Catholic, we launched our six-month spiritual journey we entitled The Vocation Labyrinth. Each week, Vocations Director Father Hien Nguyen will blog his response to each of the 23 vocations questions. Here is his first entry -- Paul Schratz.


What is Vocation?
Vocation derives from the Latin and means a calling – a summons from God to His creatures to respond to His plan for them.
Vocations can be divided into two categories: primary vocation and secondary vocation.
Primary vocation is the most important and universal call from the Father, who, “by a free and hidden plan of His own wisdom and goodness, created the whole world. His plan was to raise men to a participation of the divine life. Fallen in Adam, God the Father did not leave men to themselves, but ceaselessly offered helps to salvation, in view of Christ, the Redeemer who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature. All the elect, before time began, the Father foreknew and pre- destined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that he should be the firstborn among many brethren.” (Lumen Gentium Ch I, #2.)
Therefore regardless of who we are – single or married, religious or lay faithful – all are called primarily to a participation of our lives in the Trinity.
Secondary vocation, although less important than the first, is also a call from God. In this secondary call, we are invited by God to live a single or married life here on earth to respond to the first call which is the participation in the divine life.
From the single state of life we have different types: consecrated, religious men and women, priest, and single.
The other state of life is married.
It is important to note that no matter what state of lives we choose to live, single or married, we are responsible to partake in God’s life and His salvation plan for us.
For example, a priest – a secondary vocation – lives the priestly life to respond to the primary vocation, a call to live eternally with God.
A religious sister or brother – a secondary vocation – lives the consecrated life in responding to the primary call, to participate in the divine life.
A married couple – a secondary vocation - live as husband and wife and parent to respond to the first call that is to share their lives in God’s.
Next week we will discuss Step 2 of the labyrinth: When does one’s vocation start? Please ask yourself this question through the coming week and I will post my comment at the end of the week.
God bless,
Fr. Hien Nguyen