VOCATIONA RESPONSE

TO GOD

THE CALL

• Today, we will talk about a call. • Each one of us has a call to be

Christians.

1) But who is calling?

2) How can we hear the call?

JESUS: “COME AND FOLLOW ME”

• Let’s see The Gospel of St. Matthew, to see what Matthew has to say about the Call.

• “As Jesus was walking by the sea of Galilee,

• He saw 2 brothers, Simon and his brother Andrew.

• They were casting their nets into the sea. They were fishermen

• Jesus said to them: “Come! Follow me!” • They left their nets at once, and followed

him. (Mt 4, 18-22)

“COME AND FOLLOW ME”• Jesus, saw another pair of

brothers: James and John.• They were in the boat with their

father, Zebedee, mending their nets.

• Jesus called them. • At once, they left their boat,

their father, and followed him.

JESUS: “COME AND FOLLOW ME”

• One more person was called. • He was hated by many.• Matthew 9:9• As Jesus was walking, he saw a man

named Matthew, sitting at the tax collector’s house.

• He said to him, “Come! Follow me!”• Matthew got up, and followed him.

JESUS IS CALLING• Now we know who is calling: Jesus!

• We can see that Jesus is calling us. • Now we have to see where he is going. That is the big

question!• If you and I want to understand our Christian call,

our Christian vocation, we will have to follow Jesus.• Let us see where he is going.

a) In Scripture, Jesus tells us that he would travel.b) He would travel up to the hillside, and he would talk to

people.c) Then, he would go down to the villages, and meet with

people there.

WHY DID JESUS TRAVEL?• Sometimes, he would walk up to the crowed

city.• Why did Jesus travel?

• Because he had to meet the people!• He wanted to reach out and meet all the

people:a) the lonely, the families, the children, the men and

women, b) the rich , the poor, the window, the sick, the sinner, c) those who were rejected, the foreigner.

• Jesus reached out to everyone!

JESUS WANTS US TO KNOW GOD• Why would he do this? Why?• Because Jesus wanted us to know GOD as a

Father. • Jesus knew something very important.

• No one , could be as poor as those who do not know that they are loved by God!

• No one can be as lonely as those who don’t know that they have a Father who loves them!

• No one,, can be in more need of healing than those who do not know that we have a God who forgives!

• You can have as many friends as you want, but the greatest Friend is God: The Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

JESUS ALSO TRAVELLED TO CALL THEM

• Jesus travelled to meet the people, “to call them.”

• How about us? • How do we live out our Christian call?

• Some of us live in farm lands, • or may be in a town or in a suburban

neighbor hood • or in a big city where the crowds are.

• Wherever you live, you live where the people are.

• You live where people need to be loved, • to be cared for, • to be noticed.

THERE ARE MANY IN NEED• Think of your school, your neighborhood.1. Is there someone in your home or in your

school who is sick?2. How do we treat people who are sick?3. Are we afraid to be around them?4. Do we go and talk to them?5. Is there someone lonely in your school?6. Children who play with no one during recess?7. Children who talk to no one during a school

day?

HOW YOU TREAT OTHERS

• What about those elder people, who are not our age?• Do we let them lonely—or do go to them and become

their friends?• Some people just go around their own kind,

a) With those who look like them do,b) Have their same age, c) have the same color, d) speak the same language, e) wear the same kind of clothes.

• I hope that you are not among them!• Jesus was not!

JESUS MINGLED WITH ALL PEOPLE

• Jesus mingled, • In fact, he mingled with all people: • the poor, the lonely, • the sick, or those with special needs.

• He love them so much, that he chose some, to be part of his team.

• We are called to be Christians, to follow Jesus and to go where he is going.

1. He is going to the Heart of his Father To the people of his Father.

2. The world needs to know Jesus. 3. People need to know that there is someone

who can love them, care and show kindness. • This is our Christian call!

MANY KINDS OF CALLING• We can keep our hearts, open and listen to

the call. • We know that there are many kinds of calling.

• God calls each of us to something special. • For example, he called your parents, too.

• God calls many people to the married life, • Being married is a very precious call from our

Lord because they are called to love each other as husband and wife.

• They are called to raise a family. • Marriage is Self-giving vocation. The person give

complete to others• This is a Sacrament of Service.

SINGLE CALLING• Single people are also called by God.

• You may know quiet a few single people in the parish.

• Some of them may be in a youth group, • Some may be helping to teach religious education.

• Some may be good citizens, or role models inspiring others with their lives

• Some may be professionals using their talents and God’s gifts to serve other into our society or around the World.

• Single Vocation helps us to express God’s love through good deeds and actions

RELIGIOUS CALLING• God may all someone to the priesthood, or

religious life. • Sisters who are members of religious

communities take wows of poverty, chastity and obedience.• Sometimes, they may sound hard, but they are

not hard because they are loving.• They know that loving and having a family and

kids is good, • But also they know that there is Someone more

loving and beautiful: He is God Himself.• This Vocation is a Self-giving and Service

Sacrament, they give completely to God.

ALL BELONGS TO GOD• CHASTITY means that religious Sisters or

Brothers love our Lord very much.• They always try to find Jesus in their lives, • and have him in their lives, more than anyone else.

• OBEDIENCE means that religious, let God plan their future. And he does! • He plans a wonderful future for them: to love him

and live with him forever.• VOW OF POVERTY means the religious don’t

want to have a lot of things because things are only distracting them.• Whatever is around them belongs to Jesus.

TO LOVE GOD & BE WITH GOD• So there are many ways to be called:

• to be married, • to be single • or to be a priest or religious.

• We cannot say that any one call is “the best” because the all have the same goal: • to love God and to be with God • and loving & heping others.

• The very best vocation is to be happy in your call.• God would like each of you to open your heart to

hear his call. • How can we discover his call?

1. Ask him, pray, always to do your best, 2. and discover the talents God gave you…