Vocation and adventure

KNOWING that everyone has a vocation, the next thing we have to do is to find out what precise vocation is meant for us. There are a number of possibilities. One can be an ordinary layperson, or be cleric or a consecrated person. One can choose from the many different spiritualities that are approved by the Church.

In this, we need to have a sense of adventure since we would be dealing mainly with things of faith, realities that are both spiritual and supernatural where there will be lights and shadows, facts and mysteries involved. These are realities that sometimes are beyond the reach of our senses, and even of our intelligence.

There will be no hard-and-fast rules in this regard. What we can count on would just be some indicators that can somehow tell us that God wants us to have this or that specific vocation. There is usually some kind of forceful confidence that one is meant for a particular vocation when he would finally meet it.

If one is more inclined to be working right in the middle of the world, seeking sanctity there and unafraid to deal with the dirt that is usual in that place, and even knowing how to convert the bad things there into ways to attain a degree of holiness, then most likely he might be meant to be a layperson.

Or, if one is more inclined to lead a more quiet life, far from the hustle and bustle of the world, then he might be meant for a contemplative life. We have to remember also that the specific vocation can come to us in very unexpected and dramatic ways. Just consider the vocation of St. Paul, for example. God can make dizzying twists and turns in our life just for us to discover our vocation. Still the possibility of being mistaken will always be there, and we should just know how to deal with it.

Let’s remember that what God has meant for us from all eternity can only be known at the end of time. In the meantime, we should just try our best to correspond as generously and heroically to whatever we think is what God wants us to be. What we have to avoid is to be complacent with respect to the issue of our specific vocation is concerned.

Thus, we have to learn how to go through this kind of terrain with the spirit of adventure and gamesmanship. We, of course, should try our best, employing all the powers we can count on, to succeed in this delicate endeavor. We have to be sincere and earnest in our efforts. God sees the true intent of our heart and judges and treats us accordingly.

But we should be ready to take it easy when in spite of our best efforts the result would still be a failure. We have to learn to move on, without getting stuck with the possible setbacks which can actually provide us with precious lessons. Again, let’s remember what St. Paul once said: “All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.” (Rom 8, 28)

Let us just enjoy things, which is actually what happens when we do things with love. Even if there are pains and sufferings involved, or mistakes committed, etc., if there is love, one will always have  good measure of peace and joy, marks that would tell us that God is with us and that we are somehow doing things right.

So, let’s just be sport and game in this business of discovering and pursuing the specific vocation meant for us. Nothing is lost and everything will just work out for the good as long as we are sincere and earnest in corresponding to what, in good faith, we think is our specific vocation.

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Fr. Roy Cimagala is the Chaplain of the Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise, Talamban, Cebu City (roycimagala@gmail.com)/PN