Vocations

There is a sense in which we all have a vocation, namely we are all called to try and be the person God wants us to be.

When Jesus called his first disciples by the Sea of Galilee, it wasn’t just so that they could take part in his ministry, it was first and foremost so that they could get to know him and become his friends. Each one of us is called into friendship with Jesus and the better we know him the more we will be transformed by his love. We will also know more clearly what each of us is called to be.

The word vocation is also used in terms of the Ordained Priesthood and Consecrated Religious Life. There are three elements to such a vocation. God calls a person, the person responds to this call and the Church accepts God’s call and the person’s response.

Of course not everyone is called to the ordained priesthood and sometimes the temptation is to think ‘God can’t possibly be calling me’ and a person might be tempted ignore God’s call. If this is the case it is better to check things out with someone you trust and whose opinion you value. Have a chat with your local priest or a priest you know. You can also seek more information at the Leeds Diocesan Vocations Website www.leedsvocations.org.uk