The Experience of a Vocation

The Experience of a Vocation

The Experience of a VocationPersonal VocationOur Lady of Mercy Catholic High SchoolFr. Llane BrieseBIBLICAL MODELSSection OneBiblical TextsThe Bible is overflowing with examples of people whom God chooses for a particular purpose.Some of these have a recorded vocation story in the Bible:Abram (= Abraham)MosesGideonSamuelIsaiahMary

Parts of a Vocation NarrativeThe Event: The appearance of God (often in a theophany or angelophany).The Name: The person is called by name.The Only God: The specific identification and intervention of God.The Way: God points our a halakah to the person.The Struggle: The obstacles which the halakah must negotiate.Group Work: Biblical ExamplesIn the following groups, use the chart you received to find the five parts in your assigned Scripture passage. You will share your findings with the class and turn in the chart for a classwork grade:Abram: Jake, Velicity, MalcolmMoses: Kelly, Essai, JaTaraGideon: Delfayeo, Auriel, AnaSamuel: Giovanna, Violet, PaulIsaiah: Nastasia, Jai, DavidMary: Caleb, Taylor, KyleElements of a CallSection TwoReceiving a CallIn all the cases studied in the Bible, the person received an individual call from God.Logically, a vocation entails three elements:ListeningProcessing (=Discernment)RespondingThe Common Denominator is FAITH!Genesis 15:6(Abrams Faith in the Lord)A most essential verse in the Bible.Hebrew: English:And he believed in the LORD, and he accounted it to him as righteousness.2 Ingredients:BeliefAction (= the Obedience of Faith)

Romans 1:1-7(Pauls Introduction)1 Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised previously through his prophets in the holy scriptures, 3 the gospel about his Son, descended from David according to the flesh, 4 but established as Son of God in power according to the spirit of holiness through resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 Through him we have received the grace of apostleship, to bring about the obedience of faith, for the sake of his name, among all the Gentiles, 6 among whom are you also, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ; 7 to all the beloved of God in Rome, called to be holy. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.Romans 1:16-17(Pauls Thesis Statement)16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel. It is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: for Jew first, and then Greek. 17 For in it is revealed the righteousness of God from faith to faith; as it is written, "The one who is righteous by faith will live."Pauls Citations of Gen 15:6 in Romans and GalatiansGal 3:5-7: Does, then, the one who supplies the Spirit to you and works mighty deeds among you do so from works of the law or from faith in what you heard? 6 Thus Abraham "believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." 7 Realize then that it is those who have faith who are children of Abraham.

Rom 4:1-3: 1 What then can we say that Abraham found, our ancestor according to the flesh? 2 Indeed, if Abraham was justified on the basis of his works, he has reason to boast; but this was not so in the sight of God. 3 For what does the scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.Pauls Applicationsin Gal, 1Cor, and Rom, Gal 5:13-14: For you were called for freedom, brothers. But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather, serve one another through love. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

1Cor 13:13: So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.Pauls Applications in Gal, 1Cor, and RomRom 5:1-5: Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access [by faith] to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, 4 and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us.

Excursus: The Background of The Epistle to the HebrewsWritten to a Jewish Christian audience.A homily using the example of Christ to encourage the audience to persevere in faith.Seeks to correct Christians who wished to re-embrace Jewish practices and who were in danger of apostasy due to a weariness in living the Christian life.Main emphasis: The superiority of Christ and the replacement of the OT sacrifices.

Hebrews 11:1, 8-10(The Faith of Abraham)1 Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. [] 8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; he went out, not knowing where he was to go. 9 By faith he sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise; 10 for he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and maker is God.Hebrews 11:3912:2(Appeal for Faith and Perseverance) 39 Yet all these, though approved because of their faith, did not receive what had been promised. 40 God had foreseen something better for us, so that without us they should not be made perfect.12 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us 2 while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God.ConclusionHearing the Call Requires FaithResponding to the Call Requires:Hope in eternal life (Living for Heaven)Perseverance because the world is hostile to the Gospel (martyriatestimony, witness)The Destination of All Calls is LoveCf. St. Therese: My call is love.A Call to Love(Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est)Section ThreeTwo Kinds of Loveagape: A descending love, one which desires to serve and seeks the good of the person being loved. Finds its end in the happiness of the other.

eros: An ascending love, one which is captivated by the person being loved and seeks ones fulfillment in the person being loved. Finds its end in ones own happiness.

What is the antonym of love?The Antonym of LoveUse = Commodification of the PersonEros, reduced to pure sex, has become a commodity, a mere thing to be bought and sold, or rather, man himself becomes a commodity. This is hardly man's great yes to the body. On the contrary, he now considers his body and his sexuality as the purely material part of himself, to be used and exploited at will. Nor does he see it as an arena for the exercise of his freedom, but as a mere object that he attempts, as he pleases, to make both enjoyable and harmless. (DCE, no. 5)Also the basis for the Churchs interest in social justice and staunch advocacy for humane working conditions and a living wage.Deus Caritas Est, no. 5Man is truly himself when his body and soul are intimately united; the challenge of eros can be said to be truly overcome when this unification is achieved. Should he aspire to be pure spirit and to reject the flesh as pertaining to his animal nature alone, then spirit and body would both lose their dignity. On the other hand, should he deny the spirit and consider matter, the body, as the only reality, he would likewise lose his greatness. [] Yet it is neither the spirit alone nor the body alone that loves: it is man, the person, a unified creature composed of body and soul, who loves. Only when both dimensions are truly united, does man attain his full stature. Only thus is love erosable to mature and attain its authentic grandeur.