By Father Joshua Nevitt
In the beginning of November, two celebrations of calling take place on the Church calendar: All Saints’ Day is Nov. 1, and National Vocation Awareness Week is Nov. 3-9. Both of these observances invite us to reflect on God’s call in our lives.
All Saints’ Day is the feast day of all those in heaven. Not only canonized saints are celebrated this day but the “great multitude which no one could count.” (Revelations 7:9) The word “saint” comes from the Latin sanctus, meaning “holy.” All Saints’ Day is a reminder that holiness is not something unreachable. Holiness is attainable in the ordinary and everyday events of our lives. Holiness is the goal of every Christian life.
Spiritual writers call the invitation from God to be holy the “universal call to holiness.” Universal meaning everyone is called. As the Church in the United States celebrates National Vocation Awareness Week, we reflect on the particular call to the priesthood, consecrated life or diaconate. We promote vocations through education, and we pray for those who are considering this way of life.
Another word for call is “vocation,” from the Latin vocare. In the past, it was common to use the word “vocation” to refer only to priests and nuns. The reality is that every Christian is called. Called by God. Called to holiness. Called to be a saint. As such, we also reflect on the particular state of life to which God calls each person. This can be as a married person, as a consecrated single person, or in a religious vocation as a seminarian, priest, deacon or sister. No one vocation has a monopoly on holiness. Rather, God uses each one, in a unique way, to make us holy.
In his apostolic exhortation “Gaudete et Exsultate (Rejoice and Be Glad),” Pope Francis writes, “Are you called to the consecrated life? Be holy by living out your commitment with joy. Are you married? Be holy by loving and caring for your husband or wife, as Christ does for the Church. Do you work for a living? Be holy by laboring with integrity and skill in the service of your brothers and sisters. Are you a parent or grandparent? Be holy by patiently teaching the little ones how to follow Jesus. Are you in a position of authority? Be holy by working for the common good and renouncing personal gain.” (14)
This weekend in your parishes, you may hear a priest or seminarian speaking about their own experience of following God’s call to holiness. Your priest or that seminarian may invite young people in your parish to consider whether God may be calling them to holiness through the vocation of priesthood or religious life. Hearing these stories can lead you to ask, “How is God calling me to be holy in my daily life?”
Father Joshua Nevitt is the associate director of vocations for the Diocese of Camden.
More Online
Check out the upcoming Nov. 4 episode of Talking Catholic as Father Adam Cichoski, diocesan director of vocations, and Bishop James Massa, rector of Saint Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers, discuss vocations.
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