1. Chapter Two God’s Plan for Your Life

2.  “Finding a calling” is different from “finding a profession”  A profession is associated with a career  Career: A chosen occupation that is more likely to express one’s talents than a job While one might have several jobs, people tend to change careers less frequently Finding a Calling

3.  While thinking about future professions, it is also important to choose a course of life based on vocation  The word vocation comes from the Latin word vocare, which means “to call”  The primary Christian vocation is to love and serve God by loving and serving other people Finding a Calling

4.  Laity All of the baptized faithful except those who have received the sacrament of Holy Orders Seek the kingdom of God by engaging in daily, worldly tasks and directing them towards God’s will Finding a Calling

5. Married people Finding a Calling Share a love for each other and raise a Christian family PriestsDedicated to the service of the Church Bishops Entrusted to teach, sanctify, and govern the Church in the name of Christ Religious sisters and brothers Engage in missionary work dedicated to community

6. Created in God’s Image A person’s vocation is much different from having a job or choosing a career. The risks are greater but so are the rewards.

7. Journeying to Perfection  Besides choosing a college and an academic major, you will face other decisions involving a particular Christian vocation Will you enter the ordained priesthood? Will you be married? Will you be a religious sister or brother? ? ? ?

8. Journeying to Perfection  The universe, including each person, is “in a state of journeying” toward an ultimate perfection  Divine Providence: the ways in which God guides his creation towards perfection Jesus tells us to put our trust in divine providence, the will of God Trusting in God means we depend on him for every detail of our lives

9. Journeying to Perfection  The more we seek God’s plan for us, the more we advance toward perfection  When we resist God’s plan for our desires we go backward. We are given free will, the choice to shape our own lives and direct ourselves to the goodness that God intends. Because this choice is free there is a possibility of going astray and committing evil acts

10. Discernment through Prayer  Constant and consistent prayer helps us determine what God intends for us.  Types of Prayer Meditation Contemplative Vocal

11.  Discernment: name for a process of prayer that incorporates many types of prayer Helps us determine what God intends for us Calls us to look at many sides of decisions considering all of the different alternatives Involves praying over a decision and asking for guidance from the Holy Spirit, then making a decision and evaluating it Discernment through Prayer

12.  A first step for discernment is finding a time and place to center prayer Discernment through Prayer  This is done with the purpose of finding God within the depths of yourself

13.  As a child you may have been taught that prayer is “talking to God”  However, prayer is a dialogue with God in which the most important part is listening to what God has to say to you  Other sources of prayer: Sacred Scripture Liturgy of the Church Practice of Virtues 1. 2. 3. Discernment through Prayer

14.  Steps of Discernment: Discernment through Prayer Step One: Find a quiet place to pray. Relax and find a comfortable position. Close your eyes and become aware of God’s presence. Step Two: Select a special word that makes you think of God and recite this word over and over in order to keep distractions away. Step Three: Thank the Lord for his presence, tell Jesus of your love for Him and ask the Holy Spirit to remain with you always. Then slowly recite an Our Father.

15. Planning for a Vocation  A discernment process is not intended to predict what may end up being your ultimate vocation, only to begin the journey to a particular vocation while allowing God to direct and guide you.  Prayer is the most essential element of this process  Three steps of planning:  Dream and imagine  Gather information  Pray over the options

16.  Discernment is really a prayerful pondering or deliberation of the many options available to you in life. Planning for a Vocation  The more you pray and think about the many options in life, the more likely a sense of direction will emerge

17. Exploring Christian Vocations  Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist are intended for our personal holiness and salvation  They provide us with the graces we need to live a life in Christ and evangelize the world with our words and actions

18.  Holy Orders and Matrimony are directed to the holiness and salvation of others  These sacraments are also called Sacraments at the Service of Communion Exploring Christian Vocations

19.  Committed Single Life Single people can have a dedicated devotion to their career They have a greater opportunity for silence and solitude leading to a deep prayer life Single persons are free to love all and have deep friendships with many men and women Loneliness is a large challenge faced by single people Living a chaste life is also difficult in this day and age Exploring Christian Vocations

20.  Consecrated Life Those who have made a commitment to follow Christ and give themselves to God above all other things Teaching and the operation of Catholic education has been one of the primary ministries of religious Many are involved in various types of service to the Church The most common characteristic is belonging to a community Contemplative religious spend their days in solitude and silence, praying, studying, and doing penance (eremitic life) Active religious are out in the world participating in active ministries

21. Exploring Christian Vocations  Other types of Consecrated Life Consecrated VirginsWomen who live a life of perpetual virginity but remain lay women and support themselves Support clergy through prayer and sacrifice Secular Institutes Forms of consecrated life for single lay people and diocesan priests Profess evangelical counsels but do not take public vows or live in communities

22. Exploring Christian Vocations  Other types of Consecrated Life Societies of Apostolic Life Members do not take public vows but engage in many good works for the church Example: Knights of Columbus

23. Exploring Christian Vocations  Marriage Modeled after Christ’s union with the Church Man and woman work in their marriage to duplicate for each other the committed and eternal love that God has shown to them  Priesthood Holy Orders confers a sacred power on the priest for the service of the faithful Conferred only on baptized men following the example of Jesus

24. Vocabulary  Career  Laity  Divine providence  Free will  Centering prayer  Seminarians  Evangelical counsels  Eremitic life  Vocation director  Messianic secret  Religious novices  Sacraments at the Service of Communion