God Never Calls Us “Hey, You!”

God doesn’t call us “Hey, you!” God calls each of us by name. To know the name God calls us is the greatest thing you can discover. Assured that there’s a glimpse of God in each of us, let’s start figuring out that name.

            One way to talk about God’s name for us is “personal vocation.” My personal vocation means how I am being a facet of God, how I’m living very particularly an aspect of Christ’s life. It’s a more individual vocation, deeper than Christian vocation or vocation as a married, single, or religious person. Yet my personal vocation animates these other vocations. Your personal vocation (whether you were aware or not) was working in you before, during, and after your vocation as married, single, or religious. It’s what made you discern that state of life as good for you; it’s how you live out that state of life day to day.

            Personal vocation is our motivation; it’s when we feel “all there” and most ourselves. Perhaps it’s when we feel closest to God. Personal vocation means that God calls each of us to be an unrepeatable reflection of God. Mother Teresa’s personal vocation was “Jesus to Jesus.” And we know she was Jesus to others, and she considered everyone to be Jesus. One man named William found his vocation in his name: Will I am, meaning he always aimed to do God’s will.  Jesus’ personal vocation was wrapped up in “Abba,” His Father, as he was continually in communion with his Father.

            In these remaining days of Lent take some significant time in solitude to get in touch with yourself and God’s vocation for you. Who or what am I when I am not producing, pretending, or filling up my day with noise? Might you discover the unique gift you can bestow on the world? You will become a more ardent disciple of Christ. You will encounter the very source of your being.