In the fulfillment of your duties, let your intentions be so pure that you reject from your actions any other motive than the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

St. Pope John Paul II

One of the gifts I cherish the most is God’s mercy in continuing to call us to himself despite our recurring moments of infidelity to prayer. The repercussions of not seeking to steep into the silence of His presence or the richness of his Word are significant. . . but his love is much, much greater. So, in truth there is really no worthwhile reason for delaying a full immersion into the only relationship that can open the doors to perfect love.

We rightfully place emphasis on discovering what God’s will is for our life. we aught to pursue that great desire he has put in our hearts, whatever it may be. But as most discerners would agree, we can sometimes get lost in the midst of our search. And when we steep too deep in search of our vocational fulfillment without the help of grace we become blind to our first calling, our universal mission as sons and daughters of the Father.

Our mission as Christian Catholics was never meant to take a back seat to the personal call we pursue; even if we find ourselves neck deep in actively discerning our vocation to marriage, priesthood, or religious life. I understand how easy it can be to get lost in the waters of uncertainty and to dedicate every waking hour to discovering what God wants for our life. This can evolve into a full time “job” at times. And yet, we forget that this vocational call is meant to aid us in our mission of loving God and neighbor, of saving souls, of glorifying God by our lives. It was never meant to replace it.

Our response to any vocational call has the great and beautiful capacity of becoming an expression of love toward the God who first loved us, it has the potential of becoming a “yes” to His original invitation of a life of holiness and intimacy. . .a life of perfect love. Finding our personal vocation “has nothing to do with inventing ourselves or creating ourselves out of nothing. It has to do with finding our true selves in the light of God and letting our lives flourish and bear fruit. . .your vocation inspires you to bring out the best in yourself for the glory of God and the good of others.” (Christus Vivit, 257)

And so it is right to remember our purpose in life because only then can we put all else in perspective, including our personal call. We are first and foremost called to intimacy with Jesus Christ and from there flows all else, from there we find ground for discovery and fulfillment. If we can accept this primary mission and receive the quenching embrace of a God who loves us, we can step out with confidence and zeal, not seeking to find our identity in a personal vocation but to share the gift of who we are as sons or daughters of the Father, with our future spouse, future religious family, future priestly brothers in Christ.