"Every high priest is taken from among men and made their representative before God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring, for he himself is beset by weakness and so, for this reason, must make sin offerings for himself as well as for the people. No one takes this honor upon himself but only when called by God..."
Hebrews 5:1-4
Vocations
God calls each of us to a particular vocation in life.
The Catholic Church defines vocations as states of life including marriage, religious life, and priesthood, as well as a general vocation of all baptized believers.
Marriage
A vocation of marriage is God’s call for us to make a union with a person to help each other grow in holiness and love for God. One of the major goals of marriage is to get our spouses to heaven. When you hear about vocations,
it is usually associated with priesthood and the religious life, but marriage seems to be the vocation of the majority of people. Living a married life can be just as much a response to God’s call as becoming a priest, monk, or sister.
Religious Life
Religious life is a call to join a community for the love of God. A sister, brother, monk, or nun serves God and his people in a unique way through prayer and service.
Sisters and brothers are members of religious orders. They may run soup kitchens, teach, serve as missionaries, or fulfill many other needed tasks in
the world and in the Church. Monks and nuns typically stay in monasteries and convents. Their primary ministry is through prayer. While it may seem that they don’t do enough to help the Church, their prayer is vital in empowering the Church to fulfill its mission.
Priesthood
A call to ordained priesthood, whether in a diocese or in a religious community, is a calling to serve God and his people. What distinguishes priesthood most especially is that the priest performs the sacraments. In
this way, he brings Christ to the Church in a way different than any other person can.
Although priests have a special role in the Church, this does not mean that they are “better” Catholics than everyone else. Laypeople are called to holiness just as much as priests and religious are. However, the priest still plays a unique and important role, and his role should not be underestimated.
