OTHER FORMS OF CHRISTIAN RESPONSE

TO THE CALL OF THE KINGDOM

Introduction:
As pointed out in the beginning of this course, God's first call for every person is to simply
follow and repond to the call of the Kingdom of God. God created us to be in relationship with Him
and with other persons, and that is His greatest desire for each of us. As our relationships with
God and others grow, God Himself continues to draw us deeper into our relationships, and calls us
to become more like Christ, to love Him more, and to love others through service. In all these
things, every person experiences God calling him or her to a particular vocation.
The word "vocation" comes from the Latin word vocatio, which means 'a calling'. Like
other Christian Churches, the Catholic Church recognises four main vocations: Priesthood,
Religious Life, Marriage and Single Life. In each vocation, the person lives a life of faith and prayer
to continually grow in relationship with God and others. The Church recognises that each vocation
is equal in the sense that no vocation is better or less then any other. However, because God calls
each person to a particular vocation - whether marriage, priesthood, religious life or single life - that
vocation (or Gods call) is deemed the best one for the person, and the one that will 'fit' that person
and make him most happy. God calls everyone to follow Him - there is no question about that!
The question now is, in what particular vocation is God calling ME to follow Him?
Since Marriage has already been highlighted in our past discussions, we will now look at
the other three vocations:

I. PRIESTHOOD:
A Catholic priest is a male ordained minister of the Church. Because they give their lives
in total service to the Church, priests embrace the gift of celibacy and commit to a life of prayer.
They proclaim the Good News, teach the Catholic faith, minister the Sacraments, work to build up
their local faith community and lead their faith community in worship. Most priests minister in a
parish setting, while others serve as chaplains to universities, hospitals, prisons, the armed forces
and other industries.
A. Roles of Priests in the Christian Community
1. Men with a mission
Priests are called to be forthright messengers of hope, strong community leaders and
spiritual guides for both the lost and the faithful.

2. Messengers of Hope:
Jesus Christ has had an incredible impact on the world. His teachings have shaped many
values held by our society, and his love has transformed countless lives. A critical part of a
priest's mission is to tell Christ's story of hope. That story brings comfort to those who are
weak and without a voice, and encourages and activates those who have the power to
make the world a better place. Jesus' message of hope is not always popular; people have
suffered for preaching the Gospel, but it is a powerful message that must be told.
3. Community Leaders:
One of the most satisfying things about being a priest is being part of a faith community
and being a pastoral leader. This occurs on a number of levels, including presiding over
communal worship of a faith community and joining with families at big moments like
weddings and baptisms. Priests are often called upon to enter the lives of people when life
is darkened with sadness and difficulty. Even in these difficult moments, a priest can
experience a profound satisfaction that he has been an instrument of God.
4. Spiritual Guides:
Since the beginning of Christianity, priests have been designated to assist people in
developing their spirituality. Nourishing the Catholic community with the Body and Blood of
Christ is a vital role for a priest. He also needs to explore ways of helping people make
spiritual sense of their lives in a dynamic and changing world. Before speaking into other
people's lives, priests need to be students of prayer themselves. A priest develops his
personal relationship with God, to learn the ways of God and to lead others on those
paths.
B. Qualities of a potential priest
1. Ministry
Open to what's new, what's different, what lies out of the comfort zone even
while being grounded in the familiar, in the routine.

Has an eagerness for the prophetic, a sympathy for the marginalized, a

challenging voice for the excluded, and a hunger for social justice.

Recognizes the importance of authority and institution helps nurture the sacred

within family, Church, and tradition.

Is focused on the Kingdom of God stretching from this life to the nex.t
2. Academic
To be admitted in a seminary, he should have completed secondary school or the
equivalent of Senior.

Has good study habits and exhibits an eagerness to learn.

3. Personal
Maintains a strong sense of individuality, demonstrates a generosity of spirit and
private integrity balanced with a commitment to community, family, and Church.

Enjoys a healthy capacity to live and value life with an equally healthy capacity
for asceticism, selflessness, and discipline.

Has a deep appreciation for sexuality and is able to defend its goodness coupled
with an equally strong defence of purity and chastity.

Is conscious of the world-community considering other nationalities and cultures.

Lives a responsible and independent life with an unabashed love for this world,
for its joys and its sorrows.

4. Spiritual
Is committed to and passionate about the Christian faith.
Cultivates a strong sense of the sacred the place of Christ in his life.
Has an eye and a love for the Word of God and seeks to live out the Gospel in
daily life.

Participates in the celebration of the Eucharist actively and regularly.

Has a growing commitment to personal private prayer.

Understands baptism as the first vocation of the faithful.

C. Basic Stages of Priestly Formation

Stage One
This time of enquiry and preparation allows the applicant and the vocations team to reflect
and consider the applicants suitability to be a priest and his readiness to enter the seminary
process.
Stage Two
The foundation year aims to immerse the student seminarian iseminarian n an
understanding of what it is to be a priest. In most seminaries, the foundation year likewise
prepares the student for the rigorous academic formation which will be required of him in the
suceeding years of formation.
Stage Three
This phase involves four years of studies in order to complete a bachelors degree in

philosophy or other related liberal arts subjects. A college degree is required before a seminarian
is allowed to have his pastoral ministry and pursue subjects in theology.
Stage Three
The pastoral stage is a year-long internship in a parish of the students home diocese. The
student reflects on the experience of ministry in order to expand his pastoral abilities.
Stage Four
While continuing to grow in pastoral experience in a parish or missionary are, this phase
involves four more years of studies in theology in order to prepare the student for the preaching
ministry. If the seminarian is doing his ministry in a far flung area, a student is sometimes allowed
by his bishop to pursue his theological studies through distance education or short-term intensive
courses.
Stage Five
This stage involves the last preparation for the priesthood by being ordained as a deacon.
This is an ordained ministry which involves presiding at sacramental liturgies: baptisms, weddings,
funerals. For at least six months the deacon will exercise this ministry whilst preparing to be
ordained a priest.
Stage Six
The newly ordained priest will continue to learn and grow spiritually through all the years of
his ministry.

D. The Difference Between a Diocesan Priest and a Religious Priest

A diocesan priest ordinarily serves the church within a well-defined area (a diocese). He
serves the people as a parish priest, but may also be involved in other forms of ministry: teaching,
chaplain in hospitals, prisons, campus ministry, etc. A religious priest, on the other hand, is a
member of a community which goes beyond the geographical limits of any diocese. A religious
priest seeks to live a vowed life within a community of men for mutual support and accomplishment
of some work. There is an emphasis in the community on shared ideals, prayer and commitment
to Christ. Religious priests work in a wide variety of ministries. Finally, unlike religious priests who
have professed vows of povertym chastity and obedience, diocesan priests make no vows. For
ordination, diocesan priests simply make promises of celibacy and obedience to their bishop.

II. RELIGIOUS LIFE

Religious life is a vocation known and respected in the church from its beginnings in the
Egyptian desert to the present moment when we find large concentrations of priests, sisters. and

brothers in urban deserts. The same call of Jesus to "come and follow me" grasps a person's
whole being so that one leaves whatever would hinder a positive response.
Since Vatican II, the term consecrated life has been used for this call to give oneself totally
to God and His people because it embraces all forms of this vocation. Besides enclosed
congregations of contemplative religious and institutes of men and women engaged in active
apostolates, consecrated life also includes members of secular institutes, consecrated virgins living
in the world, hermits, widows and widowers.
A religious priest, brother or sister (nun) commits his or her life to sharing in the life and
mission of their religious community. Religious priests, brothers and sisters embrace the call to
poverty, chastity and obedience, and nurture their call through a life of celibacy, faith, prayer and
service. Religious priests, brothers and sisters serve in areas such as education, health care,
parish, youth ministry, aged care, spirituality, pastoral ministry, social work, amongst the poor and
as a contemplative, and many will serve as missionaries in other cultures. Depending on the
religious order, they may dress in 'normal' clothes or in a habit.
A. Basic Stages of Formation for Religious Men and Women
The formation program involves several stages. While these vary from community to
community in name, length of time, and format, the following outline gives a general view of
formation programs.
Contact: A person of high school or college age or older who is interested in religious life but still
searching for the answer to the question, "What does God want of me?" could join a program of
"contact" with a religious community. This is usually a very flexible program whereby the person
meets with a priest, brother or sister on a monthly basis and shares in experiences of prayer and
community life with the congregation in which he or she is interested.
Candidate: A more formal relationship with the community occurs when a person becomes a
candidate. At this time they live with the community while continuing their education or work
experience. This period enables the candidate to observe and participate in religious life from the
inside. It also gives the community an opportunity to see if the candidate shows promise of living
the life of the community. A person may be a candidate for one or two years.
Novice: The novitiate is the next stage of formation. This is a special one-to-two-year period which
marks the person's official entrance into the community. Novices spend time in study and prayer,
learning more about themselves, the community, and their relationship with the Lord. At the end of
the novitiate, they prepare for temporary promises or vows.
Vows: Promises of poverty, celibacy and obedience may be taken for one, two, or three years,
depending upon the decision of the individual person. These promises are renewable up to nine
years. Final vows could be made after three years of temporary promises. A man studying for
religious priesthood also has seminary training, where his time is spent studying philosophy,
theology, the Bible, the teachings of the church, and the skills he will need to be a priest.

B. Religious Orders, Congregations or Communities

Religious groups were founded at a time in history when there was a specific need in the
Church. Founders had a specific spirit or charism they wanted to develop in their community (such
as christian education, preaching, hospitality, simplicity or unity). The charism, the specific
ministries of the community, and a varying emphasis on prayer and community life are the basic
differences among religious communities. All are alike in that their primary concern is to witness
and spread the Gospel message of Jesus.
C. Men Religious
1. Religious Brothers
As a man religious, a Brother is a lay Christian who commits himself to Christ and the
Christian community by vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Not only is he in service to the
community, he himself lives in a religious community which centers his life. It is from this root and
from his own interior life that he is able to meet the needs of the Church in ministries, such as
teaching, social work, technical skills, etc. The ministries of religious Brothers are varied and
reflect the traditions of a given community. Flexibility to meet current needs is one of the main
characteristics of the Brother's lifestyle. Examples of Religious Brothers are the De La Salle
Brothers and Marist Brothers.
2. Religious Priests
Some religious communities are "clerical". They include priests. What was said
immediately above about religious life applies equally to priests living in religious communities.
The religious priest takes vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience according to the spirit of his own
congregation. Being a priest, he is a minister for the Church of the sacraments. His work generally
depends upon the ministry appropriate to his community and may include. teaching, overseas
ministry, social work, pastoral ministry, chaplaincy, etc. A person who feels called to this life may
contact any member of a community with which he is familiar. Examples of Religious Priests are
the Jesuits, Franciscans, Dominicans, Benedictines, Cistercians and Carthusians.
D. Women Religious
A woman religious is a lay person who commits herself to Christ and to the Church by
vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. She lives in a religious community that follows a
constantly renewed tradition, patterned on the life and teaching of the founder / foundress of the
community. The work she generally does will depend upon the ministries of that community as
influenced by the needs of the Church and its people in areas such as teaching, social work,
administration, technical skills, nursing, etc. The role of women in the Church is constantly

developing and expanding. A significant part of that renewal is occurring in the faith communities
of women religious. Prayer and work are part of the tradition of all communities but they are
accented differently so that some communities are primarily contemplative while others are more
active. Examples of Religious Women are Assumption Sisters, St.Paul Sisters, Daughters of
Charity, Sisters of Charity, Benedictine Sisters, Dominican Sisters and Franciscan Sisters.
D. Associate Membership
Many religious congregations have associate programs. Associate members are men and
women who feel called to the mission and charism of a particular congregation but not to the
vowed life. Associate members participate in the spiritual life and some time in the ministry of a
particular congregation. The requirements of associate membership are different in each
congregation.

III. SINGLE LIFE:

A person called to single life comes to believe that remaining single is the true and right
way to faithfully live his or her baptismal call. Single men and women embrace the gift of celibacy
while living alone, with a family or with others who are single. They are able to devote time and
energy in service of others, and may serve in their parish community or in the Church in a number
of different ways.
If you type the words "single people" in any internet web search engines, you will be
flooded with websites on dating, mate finders, chat rooms and other services. Our society has
almost equated being single to people who are constantly looking for someone to be with.
Is this who single people really are?
Every newspaper has personals classified ads which runs slogans like: "Where single
people meet; Meet singles like you; Find a date, friend or more, Find someone near you; Singles
ready to mingle." They even have created their own "language." Often you will find in personal ads
abbreviations like, swf (single white female) swm (single white male), sam (single asian male), saf
(single asian female), ltr (long-term relationship).
Shouldn't all relationships strive for a long term and not just a temporary term?
There are even sites for Christian singles who are looking for Christian partners. This
makes us wonder whether being single is really some kind of a curse that nobody wants to be
today. But that is not the case because there are single people who deliberately chose to be
singles as they have discerned that is their vocation: single blessedness.
Somebody asks, "What is blessed about being single? Isn't single blessedness an
oxymoron?" It really depends on how blessedness is understood. If it is understood as having

children or being with someone then being single is definitely not being blessed. If being blessed is
understood as having abundant material possessions then most single people who are financially
stable are indeed blessed.
But in our Christian understanding, being blessed does not only mean being blessed with a
wife or husband or with children or being blessed with financial security. Being blessed has a
multitude of faces. Being blessed is primarily being in a faithful relationship with Christ, who rose
from the dead.
Like being married, the state of being single has its own difficulties, challenges and
consolations. Like a married couple, single people come with their own spiritual needs. As a
community of believers and followers of Christ they too are entitled to be given appropriate pastoral
care.
But is this the case? Isn't this the function of young adult groups? In a way it is part of the
ministry of young adult groups: To provide a faith-filled and healthy environment that will nourish
their faith. But not all singles are young adults and not all young adults are singles. Some singles
have never married while others are divorced or widowed. These singles come from all age
groups, which means they have different spiritual needs.
Often a church community is pre-occupied caring for the well being of the families, for
obvious reasons: the family is the fundamental unit of the Church and society. But this does not
mean that people with families are the only ones who should receive pastoral care. For example,
how often do we pray for them publicly and without labelling them sometimes as "the lonely"? It
may be a reality of their lives - which gives us more reason to care for them - but it is not always
the case. Some of them are not lonely.
Families, young adults, children, the bereaved, the sick, and yes the single people all
come with their unique and special spiritual needs. Some of these needs may be the same. But
some of these needs cannot be addressed in one sweeping way. Sometimes different strokes are
needed for different folks. What is sure, we are all called to care for everyone.

Prepared by: Fr.Francis Xavier R. Salcedo

REFERENCES:
Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994)
http://www.catholicpriesthood.com

http://www.vocations.com
http://www.wcr.ab.ca/columns/renatogandia/2004/renatogandia051704.shtml