The calls to religious life, priesthood, or lay ministry are grounded in a much more fundamental vocation (calling), which is the call to holiness.
The Second Vatican Council taught that all the baptised are called to holiness – and this vocation is the foundation of all other vocations within the Church. We are human beings first and foremost, loved by God – everything we do after that is a response to God’s love.
God’s specific, personal vocation to each of us is really about belonging. It involves a courageous acknowledgement that we belong to God and a humble acceptance that we belong to a community – the People of God.
How we live out our life in relationship to God and our neighbours, what our role is, what we have been given our gifts for, is our vocation. Only when we discover what this vocation is will we be on the road to fulfilment and contentment.
Being brave enough to begin discovering the unique vocation God has given us in our world, in our community, in our Church, is a process called ‘discernment’. Whether one is called to be a lay minister, a sister, a brother or a priest – each of these roles of service in the Church are distinct, complementary and necessary. It is the ministry of the Redemptorist Vocations Director to help you discover if your vocation might be to become a Redemptorist Missionary.
