The Christian Vocation

The word vocation comes from the Latin ‘vocare’, meaning ‘to summon or to call’.  A vocation is a calling from God which is understood through our relationship with God and our communities. As baptised Christians, all of us are called by God to become someone special, to do something special.  Everyone has a vocation! Each of us is called to reach out to God's people in love and to find happiness and peace in doing so. This is our vocation. As Cistercian Monk and Abbot, Basil Pennington has said, ‘Every vocation is a call to grow in love and express it in a particular context.  Every vocation is a call to serve in love…’ 

What is your vocation?

There are many and diverse ways through which we can deepen our commitment to God and God’s people, and the big challenge is to discern how best we can do this. Each person has special gifts and talents, and these have been given to us to discover, develop and share with others. Service is the vocation that is common to all Christians.

Each person is called to live out that call to service through a particular vocational lifestyle. Marriage is a vocation where God calls two people into a life-long relationship of commitment and fidelity.  Parenthood is a vocation that God calls individuals and couples into in order to raise and nurture children.  Others are called to develop and share their God-given talents with others as single men and women, or as priests, sisters, brothers or deacons. 

A common misunderstanding of vocation is that it is a job, or an occupation. Work, or ‘ministry’, is certainly a part of every person’s life, vocation is not primarily about what we do. Rather, it is about who we are. 

Is your heart - your vocation - ‘Josephite’?  

What might help you become your ‘best self’? … To experience life in its fullness? … To bring life to others? … To really make a difference in your small part of the world? Becoming a Josephite could make a huge difference in your life!

If you feel drawn to the Josephite Charism, God could well be calling you, as a single or married person, to be a Josephite - as a Sister, Josephite Associate, or Volunteer!

Seeking further information?

The following websites sites provide valuable information and links for those wishing to explore the possibility of their future Vocation, and for teachers and students wishing to find out more about Vocational options.

Catholic Vocations Ministry Australia

NewCathol Z

ealand Vocations

Catholic Vocations New Zealand