God's call... and our response
Humans have always had a robust sense of destiny. The notion that individuals are born to fulfill a particular purpose in the order of the universe and to carry out a unique mission in the course of human history. The ancient Greeks described mythic heroes like Perseus, Hercules, and Achilles as having been born to lead their fellow mortals in clashes with the gods or to liberate their people from the oppression of a tyrant ruler.
The ancient Israelites, too, shared this notion, plainly on display in the Hebrew Scriptures as figures like Moses, Sampson, and David, were specifically chosen by God to carry out super-human feats. In our own day, we continue to construct stories about individuals who are pre-destined to fulfill some great cosmic task, whether it be the modern day mythology of a Harry Potter or Superman, or the real-world story of a Mahatma Gandhi or Martin Luther King.
The ancient Israelites, too, shared this notion, plainly on display in the Hebrew Scriptures as figures like Moses, Sampson, and David, were specifically chosen by God to carry out super-human feats. In our own day, we continue to construct stories about individuals who are pre-destined to fulfill some great cosmic task, whether it be the modern day mythology of a Harry Potter or Superman, or the real-world story of a Mahatma Gandhi or Martin Luther King.
In the vocabulary of Christian experience, we do not usually talk about pre-destination as such, but this notion of vocation, or missioning. And the two major components of vocation, as is the case with all of these figures throughout history, be it Perseus, King David, or Gandhi, are the call and the response. Each of these individuals, at some point in his or her life, felt called to some unique mission, and upon recognizing what that mission would be, had to make a decision about whether or not to accept it. The call is only one piece of the vocation—nothing is guaranteed. The individual still has the choice to accept or decline the task set before him/her.
Furthermore, acceptance of the task, more often than not, entails great personal sacrifice, sometimes even physical danger. Those who end up becoming recounted as heroes, whether in folklore or high school history textbooks, are they who, knowing what the mission will demand of them, nevertheless take up the challenge and use their unique gifts to carry it out to the best of their ability.
Today’s Scripture passages are focused on this notion of vocation, and, more specifically, the dual components of call and response. The prophet Isaiah speaks of being “formed in the womb” to carry out a particular mission to the people Israel; that before he even was born, Isaiah was called to fulfill a unique role on earth. The Psalmist enthusiastically proclaims, “Here I am Lord—I come to do your will!” S/he too recognizes that the Lord has a specific design for his/her life, and that his/her greatest fulfillment will be found in carrying out the Lord’s will.
Paul, likewise, describes himself as being “called to be an apostle,” and throughout his letters, we constantly are reminded that his conversion was not happenstance, nor his activities arbitrary. His call was specific—carry the Gospel to all the nations—and personal—given to him by Christ Jesus Himself. Paul’s was not some vague sense that he was destined for great things, or that he ought to use his talents to help the world around him. Instead, his was an intimate encounter with Jesus that led to a mission tailored to his unique skills and energy.
Finally, in the Gospel, we see two instances of vocation—one of John the Baptist, who quite clearly understood that his role was to “Prepare the way of the Lord,” and Jesus, whose mission to bring the Good News was just beginning. But for each of the above— and for all figures in the Scripture and saints throughout history—there has been not only God’s call, but the individual’s response. Mary had to say, “Yes,” to the angel Gabriel, and Joseph similarly had to agree to it. Moreover, the response is not a one-time event. To sign one’s name and be done with it. Rather, response is a daily activity that requires ongoing investment and trust.
Much the same way that a marriage is not simply the saying of the vows, “I do,” but the re-commitment every single day for the rest of the partners’ lives to live out those vows, so, too, response to vocation is an all-consuming, every day activity.
Being a lawyer does not simply mean passing the bar; it entails waking up every morning and deciding anew to practice the law, much the same way that being a Christian does not merely entail being Baptized, but demands that we intentionally carry out our daily activities—every single day—in a manner that might be characterizable as “being Christ to those around us.”
Paul and Mary were lucky. Paul got knocked off his horse and had Jesus tell him explicitly what He wanted Paul to do. Likewise, Mary received a direct explanation from the angel Gabriel what her vocation would entail. Their vocation, their call, was straight- forward and clearly articulated. The same with King David or St. Peter. Few of us can claim that God spoke directly to us, in plain English, and detailed His design for our lives. Instead, part of our challenge is the process of discernment... of being attentive to the way God communicates His plan for us using the experiences of our every day lives.
If you are intellectually excited by the study of anatomy, perhaps God is hinting that He could use your talents as a physician or nurse. If you are brought great joy by one on one counseling your friends during a particularly rough week of their lives, maybe God would like to use you as a counselor, social worker, or minister of some sort. Many Christians would claim that God plants desires deep within our soul—to have children, to study at college, to work in a particular profession—precisely because He has a plan for our lives, and His plan is made manifest to us through our deepest desires. Truth be told, most of us will not have vocations that land us in history textbooks or see us depicted by Hollywood—most vocations are far more “ordinary,” though no less important, and fre- quently no less challenging. The key for us is to be attentive to where God is calling us— and then to give our response, a response that will require us to work every day for the rest of our lives to carry out that unique mission God has designed for our lives.
Reflection Questions
1) How would you define the notion of vocation to a non-Christian friend?
2) Do you feel a sense of vocation in your own life? If so, to what?
3) St. Paul and Mary both had explicit revelations to describe their vocations, but most of us have to do a bit more work to discern God’s will. How do you try to be attentive to God’s plan for your life?
4) Do you ever struggle with this sense of being called? In what way?
