Discovering Your Calling: A Journey of Faith and Discernment (Lesson Plan)
A Catholic vocation is a call from God to live out a particular way of life within the Church. It refers to the various ways in which a person can serve God and the Church, such as through the priesthood, religious life, marriage, or single life. The primary goal of a Catholic vocation is to help the individual to grow closer to God and to serve the Church and the world. Vocations are unique callings and gifts from God, and an individual discerns through prayer and guidance of the Church, what path is right for them. It is important to note that a vocation is not just a career or a job, but a way of living out one's faith and serving others.
The Catholic Church recognizes several different vocations, each with its own unique purpose and characteristics:
Priesthood:
- Diocesan Priest: A diocesan priest is a man who is ordained for service within a specific geographic area, usually a diocese or archdiocese. These priests are appointed by a bishop to serve the spiritual needs of the Catholic community in that area. They may lead parishes, administer sacraments, and provide spiritual guidance.
- Religious Priest: A religious priest is a man who is ordained for service within a religious congregation or order. These priests take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience and are typically not assigned to a specific geographic area. They may serve in mission work, education, or other forms of ministry around the world.
Religious Life:
- Priest: A religious priest is a man who is a member of a religious congregation or order and has been ordained as a priest. He takes the same vows as other members of religious life and is assigned specific duties and responsibilities within the order.
- Brother: A brother is a man who has joined a religious congregation or order and has taken vows, but who has not been ordained as a priest. He may be involved in various forms of ministry, such as education, healthcare, or social work. He may also perform manual labor or other tasks to support the community.
- Sister: A sister is a woman who has joined a religious congregation or order and has taken vows. Like brothers, sisters may be involved in various forms of ministry and perform manual labor or other tasks to support the community.
Deacon:
- Transitional Deacon: A Transitional Deacon is a man who is in the process of becoming a priest. He is ordained as a deacon and serves in this role while completing his theological studies. After a period of time, he is ordained as a priest.
- Permanent Deacon: A Permanent Deacon is a man who is ordained to a specific role of service in the Church, but is not on his way to becoming a priest. They are ordained for a lifelong commitment of service, assisting priests and bishops in liturgical and pastoral ministry, preaching, and other works of charity.
Married Life, Single Life, and Consecrated Life:
- Married Life: A married person lives out their Catholic faith within the context of a sacramental marriage. They are called to love and support their spouse, raise children, and serve the Church and society in their daily lives.
- Single Life: A single person lives out their Catholic faith without being in a marriage. They are called to love and serve others, and to use their gifts and talents to make a positive impact on the world.
- Consecrated Life: A person living in consecrated life has chosen to live out their faith in a particularly intense way by taking public vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. They are under the direction of the bishop of the diocese and may live in a community or individually. They may be involved in various forms of ministry, such as education, healthcare, or social work, or may perform manual labor or other tasks to support the community.
Objective:
In this lesson, we will be discussing Catholic vocations, which refer to the various ways in which a person can live out their faith and serve the Church. The objective of this lesson is to help students understand the different types of vocations and how to discern which one may be right for them.
Lesson Plan:
Begin by discussing the concept of a vocation and the different types of vocations (priesthood, religious life, marriage, single life, etc.).
Have students read and discuss passages from the Bible related to vocation.
Show a video or presentation on the different types of vocations.
Have a guest speaker come in to talk about their own vocation and how they discerned it.
Group Activity:
Divide the class into small groups and have each group research and present on a specific type of vocation (priesthood, religious life, marriage, single life, etc.).
Individual Activity:
Have each student reflect on their own interests, talents, and strengths and consider how they might fit into different vocations.
Reflection:
Have students write a reflection on what they learned about vocations and how it relates to their own life.
Prayer:
Dear God,
We come to you today with open hearts and minds.
We thank you for the gift of our vocations, and the unique ways in which we can serve you and the Church.
We ask for your guidance as we discern our own vocations.
Help us to hear your voice and to know your will for our lives.
Give us the courage to say yes to the path you have chosen for us, and the grace to follow it with joy and faithfulness.
We pray for all those who have already chosen their vocation, that they may be blessed in their service to you and to others.
We pray for those who are still searching, that they may find the peace and fulfillment they seek.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Amen.
Conclusion:
Summarize the main points of the lesson and emphasize the importance of discerning one's vocation. Encourage students to continue to think about and pray about their own vocation.
Note: The activities provided here are just a sample, you can adjust them based on the class size, student's level, school's curriculum and your own teaching style.
Image by wirestock on Freepik
