Preparing at Home to Celebrate the Call of God in Our Lives on Vocation Sunday

Vocation means ‘call’ and as Christians we know that God calls in many and various ways. Throughout this week we invite you to read the meditations and choose to do one or more of the following activities related to God’s calls in our lives. Feel free to create your own meaningful activity as well. Close with a spontaneous prayer of thanks for the particular call of God for that day. (The quotes are taken from the Catholic Youth Bible.)

Monday, The call to life and love (the human vocation) 
The first call that we receive from our Creator is the call to life and love; in God’s image we are created. In Gen. 1:27 we read, “So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” God’s message to us in the first chapter of the Bible: You carry God’s image within you. You are very good! Don’t let anyone ever convince you otherwise. (CYB)

• Bake an “Everyone’s Birthday cake” and have everyone blow out the candles. Talk about what you enjoy in life or what gives life and what takes it away- at home and around the world.
• Plant something and nourish the new life, or go for a walk and enjoy creation.
• Share baby pictures and stories ( Mom and Dad too, and Grandpa and Grandma). Give thanks for being a son or daughter, connected to a family, then connected to the family of God. (call Mom and/or Dad to say thanks for life).

Tuesday, The call to follow Christ (the Christian vocation)
In John 10: 3-4 we read, “He calls his sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.” We are so fortunate to know the Good Shepherd, Jesus, and to be able to listen to his voice like the first disciples did. 

• Share a favorite story of Jesus by reading from the Gospels, and do a ‘Jesus’ craft  i.e. make a twig cross
• Talk about your baptism and what it means to you; light your baptismal candle and renew your promises to follow Jesus.
• Do something that Jesus would do or talk about the most challenging thing that you have done as a follower of Jesus.

Wednesday, The call to be Church (the Church or ecclesial vocation)
In Eph. 5:25 we read, “Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her.” We are the church, the People of God, the Body of Christ- the people for whom Christ gave his life! He calls us to do the same - to give our lives for others by witnessing to our faith and carrying on the mission of Christ. An awesome challenge!

• Talk about when it was a joy or a challenge to carry out the four-fold mission of the Church. When was worship a joy? When did you enjoy doing a service? When was it a challenge to build community? When was it a challenge to witness to your faith?
• Name people you know from the Church; pull out the parish directory
• Share about how you are being called to carry on the mission of the Church at this time in your life.

Thursday, The call to a Christian lifestyle (single, married, consecrated, ordained)
At some point in our lives, we are called to discern the particular lifestyle vocation which will fit us; besides being the ‘right fit’, we also have to have the ‘right motivation’ and the ‘right desire’ for the particular vocational lifestyle. Each lifestyle comes with the special network of commitments, relationships and responsibilities. The call comes from God and we look to Jesus to show us the way.

• Celebrate your commitment day or anniversary; bless one another in your various vocations 
• Invite someone called to a different vocation for supper; share about personal vocation and state in life.
• Watch a video of someone called to one of these vocations. Talk about the challenges and joys of the various lifestyle vocations. 

Friday, The call to your personal vocation
In Isaiah 49:1,6b we hear, “The Lord called me before I was born, while I was in my mother’s womb he named me...I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” God has a unique, loving call for each of us. Ultimately, God’s call and our response come together in our personal vocations. Fostering a vocation culture is about empowering people to identify and respond to the mission to which they are being called.

• Identify each other’s gifts in your family and how you are using them. 
• What do you want to be when you grow up? What is your dream?
• How are you being called to serve God at this time in your life?

Thank you to the Diocesan Vocation committee for coming up with these creative ideas.