The mission of the ordained has been addressed since the time of Christ, and has been clearly articulated by John Paul II in the Apostolic
Exhortation Pastores Dabo Vobis (1992) and summarized in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The ordained are commissioned to carry on
the apostolic ministry until the end of time. As such they have a particular service to build up the Church, and to preserve its unity.
Preparation for this mission comes through the foundational sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and holy orders.
Three degrees of holy orders stem from this branch: episcopate (bishops), presbyterate (priests) and diaconate (deacons).
The mission of the laity has been addressed with great care in the documents of Vatican II and specifically in the apostolic
exhortation of John Paul II, Christofideles Laici (1988). “The laity is commissioned to seek the kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs
[the affairs of this world] and ordering them according to the plan of God.” (CCC 898) “The initiative of lay Christians is necessary especially
when the matter involves discovering or inventing the means for permeating social, political, and economic realities with the demands of Christian
doctrine and life.” (CCC 899) Preparation for this mission comes through the foundational sacraments of baptism, confirmation and, for some,
matrimony. The laity, given this comprehensive responsibility to help realize God's plan for the world, are depicted as the central and largest
branch of the tree.
There are many branches of the laity entrusted with the task of bearing fruit - but only the two distinct lay vocations
which are both discerned and chosen are depicted in the Vocation Tree: the married vocation, shown by the continuation of the broadest branch of the
tree, and the dedicated single vocation.
The mission of the consecrated stems from the words of Jesus in Matthew 19, in which he acknowledges that some will
choose not to marry for the sake of the kingdom of heaven, and encourages anyone who can to accept this particular gift of God. (Mt. 19:10-12;
vc 30 2,3) The apostolic exhortation of John Paul II, Vita Consecrata (1996), addresses the consecrated, those whose very mission is special
conformity to Christ, chaste, poor and obedient. The invitation to consecrated life is an invitation to accept the grace to leave behind
ordinary lives and to enter into a closer relationship of intimacy with Jesus. (CF. VC 16 1) Those comprising this branch of the tree,
with its many offshoots, support the life of the Church by making their own the way of life personally practiced by Jesus. Preparation for
this mission comes through the foundational sacraments of baptism and confirmation, and a non-sacramental consecration.
Those living the consecrated life are often addressed by the title “sister” or “brother” they often take a new religious name at the
time of their profession of vows; and those in particular religious families indicate the identity of that family by adding initials after
their names, such as “S.J.” for “Society of Jesus.” It comes as a surprise to many Catholics to learn that these characteristics - title,
new religious name, initials - while proper to forms of religious consecrated life, are not proper to all forms of consecrated life. Those
forms properly lived in the world (secular forms), such as consecrated virgins and members of secular institutes, do not use the title “sister”
or “brother” and do not take new religious names. And forms not identified with a particular religious family, such as consecrated virgins,
do not use initials after their names. We'll take a closer look at these distinct vocations within the family of consecrated life.
The distinct vocations of consecrated life are also depicted in the Vocation Tree. So varied are these forms in appearance, and yet each
radiates, in its distinctive form, a witness to the resurrected life to come. In the Gospel of Mark (12:25), Jesus observes: “When they rise
from the dead they neither marry nor are given in marriage.” Based on these words of Jesus, the Church explains that those who choose
virginity or celibacy now for the sake of the kingdom of heaven begin to live on earth the life that will be lived by all in the future
resurrection. These men and women stand as a sign of and a witness to the resurrected life to come, the union with God that is the telos
(intended end) of all souls.
And yet the distinctions among the various forms are important, especially for one discerning a call to consecrated life. A form might be
characterized by its relation to the world: a form lived apart from the world is known as religious consecrated life; the form lived in
the world and yet not of the world is known as secular consecrated life. Most forms are lived in community, but two are lived individually
under the direction of the bishop. Some forms are characterized by a more contemplative life and others by a more active life. Such a variety
of witnesses to the love of Christ as Bridegroom!
There are seven specific actualizations (flowerings) of consecrated life noted in Vita Consecrata.
A Tree Planted Beside Flowing Waters...
The Christian, responding generously to God's call, is like “a tree that is planted beside the flowing waters, that yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves shall never fade, and all that he does shall prosper”
(Ps 1:3).
Waters flow from the mountain of God, through the landscape of creation "filled and
subdued" by God's people (Gn 1:28), to continuously nourish the planted tree, the Church, mother to all
Christians grafted in through Baptism.
The family is the fundamental unit of the Church and society, and to
Christian parents is entrusted the duty of raising up children in the way of the Lord: to ensure
baptism; to provide fertile ground for cultivation of the distinct call of God to each child as s/he
follows Him on the path towards ordination, Christian marriage, or consecrated life; and to provide
education and counsel to foster the natural gifts of each child - gifts such as art, music, teaching,
medicine or discovery. Likewise, the family of the Church has the duty to build up one another in
love, to "not quench the smoldering wick," and to encourage one another to take the distinct part
each of us has to play in the Body of Christ (cf. Is 42:3). "God placed the parts, each one of
them, in the body as He intended. If they were all one part, where would the body be? But as it
is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I do not need you,'
nor again the head to the foot, 'I do not need you'" (1 Cor 12:18-21).
When the whole body is working together, as the Vocation Tree
depicts, creation's ability to burst forth with new life is fostered, and the Church becomes
the place where "even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest in which she puts her
young"(Ps 84:4). "Christ established and ever sustains here on earth his holy Church,
the community of faith, hope and charity, as a visible organization through which he
communicates truth and grace to all men." (LG 8 §1)
The word "vocation" is derived from the Latin word vocaré (to
call). Baptism is the fundamental vocation from which every other particular vocation is
derived. "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit." With these words and immersion in the baptismal waters, a person is born
anew - as a Christian - to follow Christ in a life of holiness, to follow the Lamb
wherever he goes. The baptized person is called to the perfection of charity, to pour
out himself or herself in love for God and others, remembering that it is the Creator
who has first loved them.
Artistically represented by the trunk and roots of the
tree, the baptismal vocation is shared by all Christians. From this beginning, "the
ways of holiness are many, according to the vocation of each individual...and the
paths to holiness are personal,"(Novo millenio ineunte 31) leading to the richness
of branches, leaves and fruit of the tree as each person fulfills his or her part in
the mission of salvation.
Love is always expressed in relationship, for God is Love
and He is Trinity - relationship of Father, Son, and Spirit (cf. 1 Jn 4:8). How a
person will love God and others is shaped, given context, by his or her state in
life vocation. Represented by the internal branch structure of the tree, the
intertwining of the state in life vocations of clergy, laity and consecrated strengthen
and support one another, building up the Church and enabling it to be fruitful.
Holy Mother Church offers these three state in life
vocations, depicted by the three main branches of the Vocation Tree: ordained, lay
and consecrated. Each has its own distinct mission, its own apostolic letter from
Pope John Paul II and its own preparation. All particular vocations in the Church
are derived from and lead back to these three.
The Second Vatican Council "teaches...that the
fullness of the sacrament of holy orders is conferred by episcopal consecration,
that fullness, namely, which...is called the high priesthood, the acme (summa)
of the sacred ministry.... Episcopal consecration confers, together with the
office of sanctifying, the duty also of teaching and ruling.... In fact...by
the imposition of hands and through the words of the consecration, the grace
of the Holy Spirit is given, and a sacred character is impressed in such ways
that bishops, in an eminent and visible manner, take the place of Christ himself,
teacher, shepherd, and priest, and act as his representative (in eius persona
agant)." (LG 21§2) "As Christ's vicar, each Bishop has the pastoral care of the
particular Church entrusted to him, but at the same time he bears collegially
with all his brothers in the episcopacy the solicitude for all the
Churches..." (CCC 1560).
"The function of the bishops' ministry
was handed over in a subordinate degree to priests so that they might be appointed
in the order of the priesthood and be co-workers of the episcopal order for the
proper fulfillment of the apostolic mission that had been entrusted to priests
by Christ." (PO 2§ 2). Through the sacrament of ordination, priests "are signed
with a special character and so are configured to Christ the priest in such a
way that they are able to act in the person of Christ the Head." (PO 2 § 3)
"They are consecrated in order to preach the Gospel and shepherd the faithful
as well as to celebrate divine worship as true priests of the New Testament."
(LG 28§ 1) They exercise in "a supreme degree" their sacred office in the
holy sacrifice of the Mass, where, "acting in the person of Christ and proclaiming
his mystery, they...make present again and apply, until the coming of the Lord,
the unique sacrifice of Christ offering himself once for all a spotless victim
to the Father."(LG 28§ 1) "All priests, who are constituted in the order of
priesthood by the sacrament of orders, are bound together by an intimate sacramental
brotherhood, but in a special way they form one priestly body in the diocese to
which they are attached under their own bishop...." (PO 8 § 1)
Deacons "receive the imposition of hands
'not unto the priesthood, but unto the ministry.' At an ordination to the diaconate
only the bishop lays hands on the candidate, thus signifying the deacon's special
attachment to the bishop in the tasks of his 'diakonia' (service).... The sacrament
of holy orders marks them with an imprint ("character") which cannot be removed and
which configures them to Christ, who made himself the 'deacon' or servant of all.
Among other tasks, it is the task of deacons to assist the bishop and priests in
the celebration of the divine mysteries, above all the Eucharist, in the distribution
of Holy Communion, in assisting and blessing marriages, in the proclamation of the
Gospel and preaching, in presiding over funerals, and in dedicating themselves to
the various ministries of charity." (CCC 1569-1570)
A primary vocation of the laity is to order families according
to the plan of God. "The vocation to marriage is written in the very nature of man and woman
as they came from the hand of the Creator. Marriage is not a purely human institution....
Since God created him man and woman, their mutual love becomes an image of the absolute and
unfailing love with which God loves man. It is good, very good, in the Creator's eyes. And
this love which God blesses is intended to be fruitful and to be realized in the common work
of watching over creation. 'And God blessed them, and God said to them: 'Be fruitful and
multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it.'" (CCC 1603, 1604) How critical is this vocation
of sacramental marriage and family life, and how under attack it is in today's culture!
Throughout the world, this fundamental unit is under attack, this microcosm of the Church,
this safe place where children can be raised and husband and wife live in fruitful and
selfless love. To the world and to the Church, the sacramental marriage offers a strong haven
of security and hope; it is the first presentation of God's love.
"Christ our Lord has abundantly blessed [married] love, which
is rich in its various features, coming as it does from the spring of divine love and modeled
on Christ's own union with the Church. Just as of old God encountered his people with a
covenant of love and fidelity, so our Savior, the spouse of the Church, now encounters
Christian spouses through the sacrament of marriage. He abides with them in order that
by their mutual self-giving spouses will love each other with enduring fidelity, as he
loved the Church and delivered himself for it." (GS 48 § 2)
The dedicated single person is the person who may be called to remain
unmarried for a particular purpose, such as meeting the demands of a medical or teaching
profession, serving as a missionary, or caring for an elderly or disabled relative. He or she
has not been called to marriage or to consecrated life. Although there is no formal rite of the
Church by which a person embraces the vocation to the dedicated single life, the Church
acknowledges and supports those living this vocation in charity.
Monastic Life in the East: "In its desire to transfigure the world and life itself
in expectation of the definitive vision of God's countenance, Eastern monasticism gives pride
of place to conversion, self-renunciation and compunction of heart, the quest for hesychia or
inner peace, ceaseless prayer, fasting and vigils, spiritual combat and silence, paschal joy
in the presence of the Lord and the expectation of his definitive coming, and the oblation
of self and personal possessions, lived in the holy communion of the monastery or in the
solitude of the hermitage." (VC 6 § 3) Open to men or women, this vowed form of religious
life may be lived in community or individually. Eastern monasticism is flourishing especially
in the Eastern Catholic Churches.
Monastic Life in the West: "Inspired above all by Saint Benedict,
Western monasticism is the heir of the great number of men and women who, leaving behind life
in the world, sought God and dedicated themselves to him, 'preferring nothing to the love of
Christ.' The monks of today likewise strive to create a harmonious balance between the interior
life and work in the evangelical commitment to conversion of life, obedience and stability, and
in persevering dedication to meditation on God's word (lectio divina), the celebration of the
liturgy and prayer. In the heart of the Church and the world, monasteries have been and continue
to be eloquent signs of communion, welcoming abodes for those seeking God and the things of the
spirit, schools of faith and true places of study, dialogue and culture for the building up of
the life of the Church and of the earthly city itself, in expectation of the heavenly city."
(VC 6 § 4) Open to men or women, this vowed form of religious life may be lived in community
or individually. Benedictine communities flourish as an example of the Western monastic form
of consecrated life.
"Men and women hermits, belonging to ancient orders or new institutes,
or being directly dependent on the bishop, bear witness to the passing nature of the present age
by their inward and outward separation from the world. By fasting and penance, they show that man
does not live by bread alone but by the word of God. (Mt. 4:4) "Such a life 'in the desert' is an
invitation to their contemporaries and to the ecclesial community itself never to lose sight of
the supreme vocation, which is to be always with the Lord." (VC 7 § 2) Open to women or men,
this vowed form of life, known as the eremitic form, is lived individually and under the direction
of the diocesan bishop.
"By their lives and mission, the members of these institutes
[completely devoted to contemplation] imitate Christ in his prayer on the mountain, bear witness
to God's lordship over history and anticipate the glory which is to come. In solitude and silence,
by listening to the word of God, participating in divine worship, personal asceticism, prayer,
mortification and the communion of fraternal love, these women or men direct the whole of their
lives and all their activities to the contemplation of God. In this way they offer the ecclesial
community a singular testimony of the Church's love for her Lord, and they contribute, with hidden
apostolic fruitfulness, to the growth of the People of God." (VC 8 § 1,2) Open to men or women,
this vowed form of religious life is lived in community. Carmelite institutes flourish as an
example of the contemplative form of consecrated life.
Distinguished from other forms of Consecrated Life, members
of secular institutes seek "to live out their consecration to God in the world through the
profession of the evangelical counsels in the midst of temporal realities; they wish in this way to
be a leaven of wisdom and a witness of grace within cultural, economic and political life. Through
their own specific blending of presence in the world and consecration, they seek to make present
in society the newness and power of Christ's kingdom, striving to transfigure the world from within
by the power of the Beatitudes. In this way, while they belong completely to God and are thus fully
consecrated to his service, their activity in the ordinary life of the world contributes, by the
power of the Spirit, to shedding the light of the Gospel on temporal realities." (VC 10 § 2)
Open to women or men, this vowed form of secular life is lived in community. Many secular institutes
flourish throughout the world as a form of consecrated life. More information may be found at
www.secularinstitutes.com.
", down the centuries, a variety of
other expressions of religious life, in which countless persons, renouncing the world, have
consecrated themselves to God through the public profession of the evangelical counsels in
accordance with a specific charism and in a stable form of common life, for the sake of carrying
out different forms of apostolic service to the People of God.... This is a splendid and varied
testimony, reflecting the multiplicity of gifts bestowed by God on founders and foundresses who,
in openness to the working of the Holy Spirit successfully interpreted the signs of the times and
responded wisely to new needs." (VC 9§ 1,2). In responding to the needs of their time, these
institutes might be engaged in the apostolic work of teaching, care of the sick or dying,
publishing, evangelization, or other works, always penetrating their apostolic work with
contemplation. Open to women or men, this vowed form of religious life is lived in community.
Many institutes of apostolic religious life flourish in response to today's needs, engaged in a
variety of apostolic works.
"It is a source of joy and hope to witness in our time a
new flowering of the ancient Order of Virgins, known in Christian communities ever since apostolic
times. Consecrated by the diocesan bishop, these women acquire a particular link with the Church,
which they are committed to serve while remaining in the world. Either alone or in association
with others, they constitute a special eschatological image of the Heavenly Bride and of the
life to come, when the Church will at last fully live her love for Christ the Bridegroom."
(VC 7§ 1) Open to women, this form of secular life is lived individually and is entered into
by the Rite of Consecration to a Life of Virginity for a Woman Living in the World. By the
Rite of Consecration, the diocesan Bishop consecrates the virgin as a sacred person in the Church.
More information may be found at www.consecratedvirgins.org.
Rooted in the baptismal vocation and given shape by the commitments
made in one's state in life vocation, one's personal avocations are concrete expressions of the
unique plan of God for each human person. While the Baptismal and State in Life vocations are
more about being, the personal avocations are more about doing. From all contemplation, from
all "being," the fruit of action is born. One's personal avocations include one's choice of
occupation, as well as the choices one makes daily among the many opportunities to make a real
contribution to a better world.
Personal avocations are depicted as the fruit and leaves of the Vocation Tree.
A particular avocation might flower from any of the states in life. For example, a medical worker
may be ordained, consecrated or a member of the laity. And although the work itself, carried out
competently, might look the same, it will be flavored by the distinctive mission flowing from
the individual's state in life commitment.
Some personal avocations are the fruit of a particular state in life, but most
are available to all. For example, holding a political office or acting as a lay ecclesial
minister are particular avocations of the laity.
Entertainer, Singer, Actor, fisherman, policeman, plumber, guard, pilot,
sailor:
Servant of God Pope John Paul II greeted many people during the Great Jubilee
of the year 2000, including youth, children, families, consecrated, ordained, artists, politicians,
elderly, laborers in factories and fields, athletes, teachers, journalists, military personnel,
workers, the sick and handicapped, prisoners and those in the world of entertainment. In the
apostolic letter Novo Millenio Ineunte (2001), he mentions all of these groups and his esteem
for their particular contributions to the Church.
In a document addressed specifically to them, John Paul II encourages the lay
faithful to "become actively engaged in their responsibilities in the professional, social,
cultural and political world" (CL 2,9) in order to be living witnesses to the Gospel in the
world. In multiple ways, the faithful have been encouraged by the Church to recognize their
professions and occupations as true vocations, given by God, and to allow their faith to
inform the daily decisions inherent in the carrying out of these labors.
Artist, Sculptor, Writer, Photographer, Poet, Musician, Calligrapher, Painter:
From John Paul II's Letter to Artists (1999): "None can sense more deeply
than you artists, ingenious creators of beauty that you are, something of the pathos with which
God at the dawn of creation looked upon the work of his hands."
Printer, Engineer, Laborer, builder, butcher, carpenter, dry cleaner,
landscaper, homemaker, electrician, architect:
From Laborem Excersens (1981), John Paul II's
encyclical on human work: "Man is made to be in the visible universe an image and likeness of
God Himself, and he is placed in it in order to subdue the earth.... Only man is capable of work,
and only man works, at the same time by work occupying his existence on earth. Thus work bears a
particular mark of man and of humanity, the mark of a person operating within a community of
persons.... The Church considers it her task always to call attention to the dignity and rights
of those who work."
Economist, Consultant, Stockbroker, Clerk, Banker:
Author Michael Novak,
in his book Business as a Calling: Work and the Examined Life By Michael Novak (The Free Press,
1996) references John Paul II in describing business people as those who embrace their vocation
as laity, utilizing virtues of diligence, industriousness, prudence in undertaking reasonable
risks, reliability and fidelity in interpersonal relationships, as well as courage in carrying
out decisions which are difficult and painful but necessary, both for the overall working of
a business and in meeting possible setbacks. Mr. Novak also points out three cardinal virtues
the business world fosters in the human person: creativity, building community and practical
realism.
Doctor, Dentist, Surgeon, Nurse, Therapist:
From the Charter for Health Care Workers (1995) published by the Pontifical
Council for Pastoral Assistance to Health Care Workers: "The Catholic physician's profession
requires them to be a custodian and server of human life.... This is their mission, and is
the fruit of a call or vocation that the physician hears, personified in the suffering and
invoking face of the patient who trusts in their care. Here the physician's mission to give
life is linked to the life of Christ, who came to give life and to give it in abundance.
(Jn. 10:10) Through their therapeutic ministry, physicians thus share in the pastoral and
evangelizing action of the Church. (Pontifical Council for Pastoral Assistance to Health
Care Workers 1995)
President, Politician:
Statesmen and politicians have also been given not
only encouragement, but a patron, as well. In an apostolic letter issued moto proprio, Pope
John Paul II: "There are many reasons for proclaiming Thomas More Patron of statesmen and
people in public life. Among these is the need felt by the world of politics and public
administration for credible role models able to indicate the path of truth at a time
in history when difficult challenges and crucial responsibilities are increasing."
("Proclaiming St. Thomas More Patron of Statesmen and Politicians," 2000)
Farmer, Landscaper, Hunter, Rancher:
Field workers and farmers are also
addressed. In a letter from Pope Paul VI to the president of the International Catholic
Rural Association, he notes that "respect for nature brings the rural worker close to God,
for it reflects his respect for and his worship of the Creator. Such an intimacy with God
and the collaboration with his plan for the growth of the fruits of the earth can be a
leaven in your spiritual lives. It can be especially attractive to young people, who find
such appeal in simplicity of life." (1975)
Professor, Theologian, Philosopher, Journalist, Teacher, Babysitter, Librarian:
The Second Vatican Council speaks of teaching as a vocation: "...of
highest importance is the vocation of those who help parents in carrying out their duties and act
in the name of the community by undertaking a teaching career. This vocation requires special
qualities of mind and heart, most careful preparation and a constant readiness to accept new
ideas and to adapt the old."(GE 1965, 5.2)
