Called to Be Holy
A vocation is a call from God to share in his mission in the world. Everyone has a vocation. Sometimes this concept is referred to as “the universal call to holiness,” meaning that all people, everywhere, regardless of the vocation to which God calls them, are all called to be holy. It is in answering this call that we find joy. There are a variety of paths to achieve this holiness, but here you’ll find specific resources for help with discerning the vocations of the priesthood and religious life, though many of the same tools of discernment will also apply to the discernment of other vocations including Holy Matrimony. It is important all of us learn to listen to the voice of God and seek to follow his will!
Explore Your Vocation
Our vocation is our call from God to share in His mission in the world, and it is given to us for our salvation and to cooperate in the salvation of others. We receive our vocation at the moment of our Baptism, then we spend the next several decades of our life trying to discover what that call may be, asking questions like:
- Who have you created me to be, O Lord?
- How have you called me to love and serve?
- How will my heart be fulfilled?
- Who am I?
Here are some practical suggestions which are a good basis for a diligent discernment. Doing these things will not turn you into a priest or religious, but they are keys which move you toward the goal of becoming holy and more open to the grace of God at work in your life:
Daily Mass
If you are not going every day or cannot go every day, then start small. Just go one more time than you are already going to Mass each week, and then as you get used to that add another until you find yourself frequenting daily Mass.
Daily Rosary
If you are not currently in the habit of praying a rosary each day, just start with one decade and build up the habit from there.
Daily Holy Hour
Many people do not have the opportunity to pray a holy hour every day, so try to just spend 10-15 minutes of quiet meditative prayer each day, and maybe have a more extended period once a week of 30-45 minutes. (Our Praying with Scripture brochure gives helpful advice and scripture passages.)
Liturgy of the Hours
also called the Divine Office, it is considered the prayer of the Church. Five times a day priests and religious stop to pray Morning Prayer, Daytime Prayer, Evening Prayer, Night Prayer and the Office of Readings. Many lay people join in saying this form of prayer daily. If you are not familiar with it, there are apps and websites dedicated to explaining how to pray these hours. Maybe just start with Night prayer, the shortest and the most regular. You can access these prayers at iBreviary.
Frequent Confession
The Sacrament of Penance is considered the sacrament of discernment, because every time you go to confession you have to compare who you are with the person God is calling you to be. If you are seriously discerning a vocation to the priesthood or religious life, it is recommended you go to confession every 2-3 weeks, or at the very least once a month.
Learn More
Our Staff
Father Noah Morey
Director of the Office of Vocations
Anne-Marie Minnis
Coordinator of Events and Communication
Carmen Scheffman
Administrative Assistant
Contact Us
Office of Vocations
200 N. Glebe Road, Suite 901
Arlington, VA 22203
703-841-2514
