Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church

12704 Foothill Blvd., Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91739

 Main Phone # (909) 899-1049  Fax # (909) 899-3229

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What Does the Church Teach on Vocations?

Familiaris Consortio - Apostolic Exhortation of John Paul II:

The Teaching That Virginity or Celibacy is a Higher State Than Marriage

16. ...Virginity or celibacy, by liberating the human heart in a unique way, "so as to make it burn with greater love for God and all humanity," bears witness that the Kingdom of God and His justice is that pearl of great price which is preferred to every other value no matter how great, and hence must be sought as the only definitive value. It is for this reason that the Church, throughout her history, has always defended the superiority of this charism to that of marriage, by reason of the wholly singular link which it has with the Kingdom of God.

In spite of having renounced physical fecundity, the celibate person becomes spiritually fruitful, the father and mother of many, cooperating in the realization of the family according to God's plan.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church:

1656 In our own time, in a world often alien and even hostile to faith, believing families are of primary importance as centers of living, radiant faith. For this reason the Second Vatican Council, using an ancient expression, calls the family the Ecclesia domestica. It is in the bosom of the family that parents are "by word and example . . . the first heralds of the faith with regard to their children. They should encourage them in the vocation which is proper to each child, fostering with special care any religious vocation."

2232 Family ties are important but not absolute. Just as the child grows to maturity and human and spiritual autonomy, so his unique vocation which comes from God asserts itself more clearly and forcefully. Parents should respect this call and encourage their children to follow it. They must be convinced that the first vocation of the Christian is to follow Jesus: "He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me."

2226 Parents have the mission of teaching their children to pray and to discover their vocation as children of God.

On the Renewal of Religious Life - Documents of Vatican II

24. Priests and Christian educators should make serious efforts to foster religious vocations, thereby increasing the strength of the Church, corresponding to its needs. These candidates should be suitably and carefully chosen. In ordinary preaching, the life of the evangelical counsels and the religious state should be treated more frequently. Parents, too, should nurture and protect religious vocations in their children by instilling Christian virtue in their hearts. Religious communities have the right to make themselves known in order to foster vocations and seek candidates

Canon Law

Can. 219 All Christ's faithful have the right to immunity from any kind of coercion in choosing a state in life.

Can. 233 §1 It is the duty of the whole christian community to foster vocations so that the needs of the sacred ministry are sufficiently met in the entire Church. In particular, this duty binds Christian families, educators and, in a special way, priests, especially parish priests. DiocesanBishops, who must show the greatest concern to promote vocations, are to instruct the people entrusted to them on the importance of the sacred ministry and the need for ministers in the Church. They are to encourage and support initiatives to promote vocations, especially movements established for this purpose.

Can. 574 §1 The state of persons who profess the evangelical counsels in these institutes belongs to the life and holiness of the Church. It is therefore to be fostered and promoted by everyone in the Church.

              §2 Some of Christ's faithful are specially called by God to this state, so that they               may benefit from a special gift in the life of the Church and contribute to its               saving mission according to the purpose and spirit of each institute.

Excerpts from the Letter of the Holy Father John Paul II To All Consecrated Persons Belonging to Religious Communities and Secular Institutes On the Occasion of the Marian Year

Meditating on what happened at the Annunciation, we also think about our own vocation. A vocation always marks a sort of turning point on the path of our relationship with the living God. Before each one of you a new perspective has opened up, and a new meaning and dimension have been given to your Christian existence...

Before it becomes an accomplished fact within an individual, before taking on the form of a choice and personal decision, a vocation refers back to another choice, a choice on the part of God, which has preceded the human choice and decision. Christ spoke of this to the Apostles during his farewell discourse: "You did not choose me, but I chose you" (Jn. 15:16).

...Each one of you, dear brothers and sisters, is able to realize how deep and supernatural is the reality which we experience when we follow Christ, as he invites us with the words "Follow me." Then the truth of St. Paul's words, "Your life is hid with Christ in God" (Col 3:3), becomes real and clear for us. Our vocation is hid in the eternal mystery of God before it becomes an accomplished fact within us, before it becomes our human "yes," our choice and decision.

...Let us present ourselves at Christ's Cross next to his Mother. Let us learn our vocation from her. Did not Christ himself say: "Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother" (Mt 12:50)?