“‘I am the good shepherd.

A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

A hired man, who is not a shepherd

and whose sheep are not his own,

sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away,

and the wolf catches and scatters them…

I am the good shepherd,

and I know mine and mine know me,

just as the Father knows me and I know the Father;

and I will lay down my life for the sheep.’”

This is Vocation Sunday. We all have a vocation! A vocation is a calling from God. You have one. I have one. Every single person is called by God to some specific purpose. Now, God is both just and merciful. He respects our free will and choices. If we miss the call from God, God adjusts and calls us to something new. A decision on our part, for good or ill, is never the end of God’s call. He is persistent, consistent, faithful, and loving. God knows our potential and ultimate destiny. He always calls us to the best of what we can be. God is calling you to fulfill his purpose. How does this work?

My own call developed through three initial distinct fazes. I remember being asked as a child, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” My response, very early, was, “A fireman, an architect, or a priest.” A little later, I would ask my mom, “What should I do when I get older?” Her response was always the same, “You can be whatever you want to be.” God, likewise, always begins with us. What are we passionate about, what lights our fire, what are our talents and abilities? God has created us and the things we are capable of, he knows well. God calls us to the fullest of our potential and to what will fulfill us most. God’s call is not an abandonment of who we are, but a fulfillment of who we are. We do not lose anything in God’s call, but gain everything. The call from God may involve sacrifice, or will involve sacrifice, but it is a death to our false self and a realization of who we truly are. God calls us to the fulfillment of who we most truly are created to be. 

In high school, I was very driven to succeed, but I also developed a sense of service, and the question I began to ask was, “What difference will my life make?” God starts with us, but turns the call toward the direction of others. We do not live only for our selves, but for the good of others. Admittedly, with some ego still involved, I developed the goals of getting married, halving kids, earning a million dollars by the time I was thirty, and becoming President of the United States. I seriously thought of where I could make the most difference, and being president seemed to have the potential for the greatest good for others. It played a significant role in my decision to go to the Air Force Academy. I wanted my life to affect change for the better. God calls us to make a difference in this world. 

In college, as my faith in God deepened and my ego diminished, I began to ask a new question, “God, what do you want me to do with my life?” Have you, wherever you are in life, ever asked that question? It made all the difference for me and opened a new horizon of possibilities. For me, it opened the possibility of priesthood. God calls each and every one of us to who we truly are, to the difference we can make for others, and to the purpose he intends. Our call may surprise, but always fulfills. In all calls by God, we are to emulate the Good Shepherd, who laid down his life for the sheep. May your life and mine, in God’s call, bring life to others. Alleluia!