Revelation

I had a revelation about vocation today.

It may be obvious to others, and I myself have known it for a long while, but God made me acknowledge it in a new way today.

Before we can even begin to discern the way in which we may best serve Our Heavenly Father in this world, whether it be priesthood, religious life, consecrated single life or marriage, we must first realize our universal vocation to LOVE.

Without this, any path you set out on, no matter how well suited you are for the job, will be stale and ultimately fruitless.

The Lord tells us that apart form Him we can do nothing.  Not some things, not the same things but not as well, but NOTHING.

We have to bind ourselves to Him.  In binding ourselves to Him, fully becoming branches to His Holy Vine and members of His Mystical Body, we not only become members of Christ, but "members of one another."  Once this is done, we cannot help but love those around us.  We cannot help but see the blessings in every moment and rejoice in them and their Maker.  We cannot help but be undeniably joyful, even in the midst of suffering which will inevitably come.

Once we realize this Love which is our gift from Baptism, it will envelop us until "it is no longer [we] who live, but Christ who lives in [us]."  And if Christ lives in us, there is no path we cannot walk steadily and with joy.  In Him "we are more than conquerors."

Vocation begins with Love Himself.