Responding to a vocation takes guts. Whether it’s a calling to marriage with that special someone, to the silence of the cloister as a religious brother or sister, or to serve in the priesthood, answering to God’s call requires an “all-in” type attitude. Fr. Barron has teamed up with Spirit Juice Studios in order to showcase several aspects of the vocation to the priesthood which helps one to see how this call to service is authentically heroic.
While listening to the seminarians who give their testimonies throughout the video, a few questions popped into my mind that can help you along the vocational path …
Heroic Priesthood | Bishop Barron
3 Questions To Ask As You Discern Your Vocation
First things first….
1. “What are you doing with your life and why?”
The answer to this first question seems like it should be pretty obvious but many times…well… it’s just not. On one hand, it is frequently much more simple to float along with the current; or on the other, to plan away every last hour of life until one retires. The first step towards living a heroic life for God is opening up to reality as a whole. It’s about letting yourself actually be in the world with all it entails and not insisting on trimming off all of the aspects that you uncomfortable with or that are confusing. Jesus doesn’t confine himself to a corner of reality in order to avoid complications, in the Incarnation he insisted on “full-contact.“ Practically speaking, it’s about wanting to be where the spiritual and material needs are.
2. “Are you listening, because I am calling?”
Life is always a response. When the person is created, he is called into existence; he is placed into a specific set of life-coordinates without anyone having asked his permission. It is in these circumstances that God continues to speak, he continues to invite one to a more full and beautiful existence. Having seen the significance of God’s part in one’s existence it’s important to note that when one plans his life without taking into account God’s perspective, it’s like ignoring him by default: “No God don’t worry, I’ve got this one figured out.”
3. “Who are your trend-setters?”
The world is full of exemplary individuals. The people that excel, who stick out because they live out some aspect of life to perfection, who attract attention and imitation. These are the models. In the world, there are many types of models who set the standards for the way a person might choose to live, but it is still up to each individual to choose whom he is going to be like. The key to the Christian life is pretty simple in this sense. It’s all about following Christ; it’s about taking his thoughts, words and actions seriously. It’s about following his trends and living with his style. For people that have walked this Way, look to the saints throughout the centuries up until today.
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