This Series will focus on marriage. I will share some of the ups and downs that my husband and I have gone through, things we have learned, and advice that we have been given that I think is beneficial for others to hear!
In the Catholic community, the term “vocation” comes up often.
“What is your vocation?”
“Have you discerned your vocation?”
“What vocation is God calling you to?”
For those of you who may not know, a simple definition of “vocation” is the lifestyle, career, or path that God is calling you to. Your vocation could be to religious orders, married life, single life. Your vocation could be as a teacher, doctor, musician. Your vocation could be as a father, mother, sibling.
Your vocation is what God is calling you to do, how He is asking you to share the Gospel with the world, how He is asking you to serve Him.
I am part of a group of wonderful women who are doing a Blessed is She study together. We are reflecting on the mysteries of the Rosary, and this week’s mystery and questions got me thinking about my vocation.
We looked at the Third Luminous Mystery: The Proclamation of the Kingdom. Jesus calls Simon and Andrew to leave their nets and to follow Him. Jesus calls them to the vocation of discipleship.
One of the discussion questions from our session asked us to reflect on how we can draw closer to Jesus in our specific vocations today. That question got me thinking about my life today.
What is my vocation right now?
My vocation is to married life. To be a wife to Nathan, and to get us both to heaven.
What is not my vocation right now?
My vocation, right now, is not to be a mother. That does not mean that I will never be a mother, that it will never be my vocation. But it does mean that I should not be focusing on the vocation I don’t have, and instead focusing on the vocation that I do have.
God will call us to many vocations in our lives. In this moment, my vocation is married life. In the future, I may have the added privilege of having the vocation of motherhood. But while I wait for that vocation to come, I can’t ignore the vocation I do have.
Now, going back to the question from the Study, how can I draw closer to Jesus in my specific vocation? How can I draw closer to Jesus through my vocation of marriage?
As I reflected on this question, I realized that recently, I haven’t been focusing on my vocation to marriage. I have been preoccupied with my lack of motherhood vocation.
If I want to draw closer to Jesus through my marriage, I need to include Jesus in my marriage. More than that - I need to put Jesus at the centre of my marriage. Jesus can’t stay in the background of my vocation. If you want to fulfill your vocation the way that God wants you to, we need to put Jesus in the middle of our vocation, no matter what it is. If your vocation is to be a teacher, a religious sister, a spouse, a parent, we need to keep Jesus at the centre. That will look differently for everyone, and it may not happen overnight.
For me, keeping Jesus at the centre of my marriage looks like me praying daily for my husband. It is praying daily with Nathan, whether it’s through personal prayer, novenas, or the rosary. It is praying for wisdom and guidance when making big decisions that will impact our marriage. It is praying for patience in the small, everyday struggles and frustrations. It is praying for peace and hope in moments of difficulty and heartache.
Regardless of what your vocation is, how can you keep Jesus at the centre of it? How can you serve Him through your vocation? How can you draw closer to Him? How can you share His message with those around you?
Jesus never promised that our lives as Christians would be easy, but He does promise that it will all be worthy the struggles.
Live our your vocation the way God is calling you to.
Comments