Our Ministry of Healthcare Our work as vocation How we describe our work The next slide starts the conversation…

Being “On call” Alert in multiple ways to how others are trying to reach us Tuned into many different modes of communication Cell phone Pager E-mail Treo Blackberry

Your specific role in healthcare Job – Career – “Call” Being a “transforming, healing presence” adds unique dimension to what you do: are you alert to it? Job- earn a paycheck, one of the ways you interact with the world Career- includes job but has connotation of progressing toward some goal or level of achievement Call or vocation – includes a dimension of relationship to someone or something outside your self; Work becomes means of fulfilling a higher purpose

Healing ministry of Jesus Not limited by time or space Carried out today by those who are His followers Part of the Universal Call to Holiness link to Gospel stories Baptism gives us all a share in call to holiness Holiness may be a word that you do not readily associate with yourself

Universal Call to Holiness All Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of love…by this holiness a more human manner of life is fostered… Constitution on the Church, #40 Extraordinary and fundamental shift in understanding about role of laity

I believe that lay leaders… of Catholic institutional ministries have responded to God’s call, first in choosing a helping profession, …whether there is a conscious awareness of this or not. They have responded again to God’s call when they accept roles of leadership, assisting communities of people to live their vocations more fully … Called and Chosen by Zeni Fox How a contemporary writer expresses this call…

Reflections A recent work experience that I would characterize as “living out my vocation” is … What helps you to be deliberate about seeing your everyday work in the context of a transforming, healing presence? Share with one other person – should limit Q’s to two?

“Re-calling” who we are We never tire of hearing certain words – they continue to move and influence us Our vocations require hearing the call again and again through a personal connection with our God I love you – words that always stir our hearts Each of us must ask how we can be in touch with the call to holiness, the call to ministry in our daily lives

Here I Am Here I am, Lord Is it I, Lord? I have heard you calling in the night. I will go, Lord, if you lead me. I will hold your people in my heart.