God Calls Us to be Holy Chapter 17

We Follow God’s Plan for Our Lives Have your ever put together a model airplane or house? When you first open the box, the many pieces and parts might look like a confusing mess. If you follow directions, the pieces begin to take shape. Eventually you will have a finished model that you can be proud of, one that looks as it is supposed to.

We Follow God’s Plan for Our Lives Our lives are like this. God gave us many gifts. We may not know what to do with it all first, but God has a plan for us. If we follow this plan, we will become what God wants us to be. At Baptism, God gave us his grace to help us live according to his plan.

All Are Called to Holiness God wants us to be with him, to be happy now and forever. This is why he calls us to become holy. The goal of our lives is to reach holiness. Holiness is sharing God’s life by becoming like God. Holiness is loving God and his people.

It is being whole and acting toward others as Jesus would. It is the most important goal of our lives. Jesus is the holy one. He is perfect in his love for his Father and for all people. To be holy is to be like Jesus. It is to be filled with the Holy Spirit. It is to be a saint!

All Are Called to Holiness To be a professional athlete is a high goal. Those who succeed examine their talents and decide how to use them. Experienced people train the athletes. They study how others succeeded. They practice and sacrifice for many years, and they never give up trying to reach their goal.

All Are Called to Holiness We are all called to be holy. God has given us the talents we need to reach that goal. He gave us the Holy Spirit to help us listen to his Word and keep it. We have the lives of Jesus and the saints as examples. We celebrate the sacraments and the Eucharist.

All Are Called to Holiness We pray, sacrifice, serve others, and do what is good. We take responsibility for helping to make the world a place where all have what they need to live. We are faithful until God calls us to live in his love forever. Then we are received into heaven as saints!

God Gives Special Calls God’s call to holiness is for all his people, but the call can be different for each of us. God invites us to become holy by choosing and following a certain way of life. Possible life choices: – married life – the single life – the religious life – the priesthood

God Gives Special Calls The call to a way of life is a vocation. You have studied the Sacraments of Initiation and the Sacraments of Healing. There are also the Sacraments at the Service of Communion.

God Gives Special Calls These two sacraments give help to people who follow two very demanding vocations. These sacraments are the Sacrament of Matrimony and the Sacrament of Holy Orders.

We Discover Our Vocations To discover our vocations, we need to pray. We need to ask God to show us which way of life he wants us to follow. God will let us know the way if we listen to the Spirit. God will also give us the courage to follow his will.

We Discover Our Vocations Sometimes God’s call comes through other people, such as priests, deacons, brothers, sisters, parents, or friends. They may inspire us to follow them in their vocations. We may talk with them about their choices and ask them to help us know our own. We may also hear God’s call through the things that happen in our lives.

We Discover Our Vocations Maybe God will put a great desire in your heart for one vocation. God calls in many different ways. We will hear God’s call if we open our hearts to listen with love.

We Prepare for Our Vocations We can do things now that will help us to get ready for vocations. We can be alert to the needs of others and help them. We can responsible in doing our duties. We can learn what our talents are and develop them as best we can. We can pray and celebrate the sacraments.

A Moment with Jesus It takes a lifetime to reach holiness. The Holy Spirit is there to help us along the way. Pause for a moment and silently read this passage: – The Spirit brings... Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Galatians 5:22-23

The Religious Vocation God calls some people to the religious life. These are the religious sisters and brothers and priests who belong to a religious order, or community. They are called to love and serve God and God’s people in a unique way.

The Religious Vocation Jesus told us: “And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life.” Matthew 19:29

The Religious Vocation Religious make public promises to God called vows. In these vows, they give themselves to God and the service of his people. They offer their love to God by faithfully living their vows. Religious pray regularly and celebrate the sacraments often.

The Religious Vocation They are helped by the other members of their communities. Together they pray, work, eat, and enjoy good times. They share their joys and sorrows as well as their love for God and others. Some religious show that they belong to a certain community by what they wear.

The Religious Vocation Some wear special clothing, called a habit. Others wear an emblem, a pin, or a ring. Religious witness to Christ’s love in a distinctive way. Their life of prayer reminds us of God’s presence and brings us God’s blessings. They help us to know God’s goodness and love. Their works show Jesus serving people in our world today.

The Religious Vocation The ministries, or apostolic services, of those in religious life may vary. Some devote their lives to prayer but also spend a few hours each day serving God by working as carpenters, farmers, or cooks. They may make altar bread or vestments. Some teach, and some work in ministries of health care and social services.

The Religious Vocation Religious who are ordained ministers witness to Jesus by giving priestly service to the Church. All religious work to promote peace and justice through their prayer and service. Their work may differ, but all religious live the Gospel message and serve God’s kingdom.

The Single Vocation Many Christians are called to live unmarried without joining a religious community. They are single people. Some may choose never to marry. Others have not yet married. Some are single because their marriages ended due to separation, divorce, or the death of a partner.

The Single Vocation Single people without children have fewer family duties. They are freer to deepen their spiritual life and minister to others. With their gifts they can support activities and programs that care for others’ needs and lead people to God. Single people can find joy in loving and serving others.