The etymology of the word ‘vocation’ comes from the Latin vocatio(n-) "a calling," from "vocatus," the past participle of vocare, "to call." There are questions that must be answered when discussing vocations: Who is calling? What is the call regarding? Does everyone receive a call? What do we do once we hear the call? Let us take these questions and answer them one at a time.

Who Is Calling?

The obvious answer to that question is, of course, the Lord. The Lord is the primary caller. He dials our number when he chooses. The call does not always come at the most convenient time. The Lord is kind of like a solicitor in that sense. You know, those people who call in the middle of dinner and want to sell you aluminum siding. Of course, the Lord is soliciting other things. 

What Is the Call Regarding?

The answer is different for everyone. You see, the idea of a vocation is sometimes misunderstood. Many people think that only priests and religious sisters or brothers have a vocation. That is not true. We all have a vocation, or a "calling." True, for some of us, that calling is to the religious or priestly life. But for others, that calling may be to be married or single. In a way, our profession or ministry is also vocation.

Does Everyone Receive a Call?

The Knights of Columbus have a wonderful Prayer for Vocations that is said at the end of every meeting. The prayer is a request for more vocations to the religious life. But it goes further. The prayer is also one of thanksgiving for those “called to the married life” and for “those called to live as single persons in the world.” All of these are important vocations. It is important for us to communicate the fact that a vocation is not always to religious or priestly life. Many times our young people hear the word vocation and run the other way.

What Do We Do Once We Hear the Call?

The first thing to realize is that the Lord wants us to be open to whatever he is calling us to. He asks us to pray about it, seek his guidance, and open our hearts. This process is called discernment. From time to time people refuse to be open-minded to the Lord’s call, especially to the religious or prieslty life. People often fight this call with everything they have got. The important thing about discernment is to remain open to the Lord’s invitation.

Several years ago, I thought the Lord may be calling me to the priesthood. At first, I did not want to know anything about it. After talking about it with some friends (who happened to be priests), I decided that I would be open to the possibility. After considerable prayer and reflection, I discerned that the priesthood was not what the Lord was calling me to. I remember feeling disappointed and that I had let the Lord down. A very good friend of mine, Fr. Mike Ward, told me that the Lord only wants us to be open. It is okay if at the end of the discernment process, we realize that we are being called in another direction. Four years after he told me this, Fr. Mike officiated at my wedding.

We are all called to build the Kingdom of God in any number of ways. May we always be open to his “calling” for us and may we help the youth we serve to do the same.