When most people reflect on the issue of vocation they generally think of and pray about specific vocations e.g. the Religious Life or the priesthood.

The most common response to the issue of vocation shortages is to analyse contemporary cultural conditions and then plan more creative approaches to vocation recruitment.

In this column, I want to revisit the vocation issue in a theological way in light of Pope Benedict's approach to young people at World Youth Day, namely, the call to holiness.

The fundamental vocation

Specific vocations are decisions that are the result of the invitation of God's Spirit and the response of a person who has a prior life context and a prior degree of relationship with God.

Each specific vocational choice is a participation in the fundamental vocation in the Church: the call to salvation and holiness which we accept in Baptism.

Since many people, possibly most people, receive Baptism as infants, it is incumbent on families to help their newly baptised children to understand, gradually and in ways proportionate to their age, the implications of Baptism and, as a sign of accepting the gift of salvation, to live a life in relationship with God. The same is true of recently baptised adults.

Unless a person truly loves God, cherishes relationship with God and strives for holiness, which simply means living the values of God, he/she cannot respond authentically to the call of the Spirit.

What usually happens is that people try to respond to the Spirit according to their prior life context and a relationship with God that lacks depth. What else can they do! As a result they tend to choose a specific vocation to remedy defects in their prior history or they make commitments that they cannot sustain due to an immature/confused relationship with God.

For example, people coming from a troubled family background frequently look to a religious community to give them a sense of family. They are not consciously aware of their motivation.

Step number one in vocational discernment has two parts: 1) to understand and live the fundamental vocation in the Church: to accept salvation as gift and accept the call to holiness and 2) to appreciate the connection between living the fundamental vocation in the Church and choosing a specific vocation.

Vocational options

It is extremely important to move away from a limited understanding of vocation. In the context of saying yes to the fundamental vocation in the Church, there are specific options to consider:
1) The chosen single life;
2) Marriage and Family Life;
3) The Religious Life (the Consecrated Life);
4) Clerical Life.

It is possible to combine some of the options. For example, some priests are also members of a Religious Community. Similarly, those who have chosen the single life or the married life can be active members of what are being called “Lay Movements in the Church”. The options for pastoral service in each of the four categories, whether ministry is exercised individually or communally, are almost without limit.

Step number two in vocational discernment is to choose, in the context of the fundamental vocation in the Church, one of the four options.

There is an important conclusion to step number two: If a person is not living the fundamental vocation in the Church reasonably well, then the choice for one of the four vocational options will be proportionately weak and, without fundamental conversion, probably unsustainable.

Significant issues

The understanding of the various vocational choices in the Church, although helpful, does not automatically lead to informed and free decisions. Frequently, specific personal issues must be addressed.

In addition, it is a given that the requirements for living vocational decisions well for life must be reaffirmed continually. How is this done practically? Here are a few suggestions:

1) Psychological issues

Psychological “baggage” can still get in the way of decision-making and living in peace with self and others. Psychological baggage brings us into contact with the “prior life context” referred to earlier.

It is probably not pathological, but it must be processed. This issue applies to each of the four vocational options. Most marriages that fail do so because of psychological causes that have not been addressed.

2) Spiritual issues

Spiritual “baggage” must also be addressed. It is a very important part of the maturity process. As noted above a long-standing pattern of indifference or even resistance to living the fundamental vocation in the Church (salvation and holiness) can incapacitate people from making vocational choices.

Spiritual issues can be addressed by trusting the experience of the Church and being in dialogue with a competent spiritual director.

3) Growth factors

No matter what the vocational choice people make, they must reaffirm and protect their decision all the days of their lives. Holistic growth is at the heart of the process of reaffirming and protecting one's vocation. Growth means more than knowledge.

Remember the “THINK FOUR FORMULA” of catechesis – knowledge, formation, commitment and mission. Living the formula is intrinsic to the Christian life.

Conclusion

The responsibility of the Church is to encourage people to live the fundamental vocation in the Church. The Church must preach, teach and enable the people to respond to salvation and holiness. All believers must be helped to think about their lives in the categories of accepting salvation and striving for holiness.

The response to the four vocational options must flow from receiving the call in faith. “What is God asking of me?” is the lifelong question for a believer.

Unless this pastoral initiative is taken, we will be talking about vocation shortages (in each of the four categories) until the Lord returns in glory and choosing one of the four vocational options will be made without the proper context.