This weekend we continue our message series on God's Plan for my life. God has a plan for your life. And when you become “who God meant you to be”, St. Catherine of Siena reminds us, “you will set the world on fire.” Whether single or married, religious or lay, God calls you to a purpose greater than you can imagine, a purpose that perfectly utilizes your unique gifts. In this series we learn about the ways God calls us to build His Kingdom through our vocation. Explore how you are called as we discuss personal vocation and how it can change over time, Christ-centered marriage, the priesthood, diaconate, consecrated life, single life and how we can discern God’s call by removing obstacles. Will you answer God’s call?
When we think of vocation we most often think of a life vocation like marriage, priesthood, religious life or the diaconate. A life vocation is the way that God created us to love and be loved. However, each of us has a personal vocation. A personal vocation is God’s call to each person to live the unique life of good deeds that God has prepared for him or her. Personal vocation cannot be reduced to vocation as one’s state in life, but rather includes it and is relevant for every free choice one makes. A personal vocation is that special identity and mission that God has given to us. For example, my personal vocation is to bring hope to the hopeless and healing to the miserable. I came to the realization of that personal vocation through prayer and the words of others. The revelation of our personal vocation begins when we ask God to reveal our personal vocation. It is confirmed through others. I have always desired to be hopeful and to bring healing to people. People have experienced an increase in hope and healing from my ministry.
In this weekend's Gospel we hear, ""Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch." Simon said in reply, "Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets." When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that the boats were in danger of sinking. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man." For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men." When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him". Our personal vocation is the way that we help people to come to know God. Our fear blinds us to our personal vocation so as we let go of fear our personal vocation is better revealed.