Vocations are meant for service. Young people must know that they have been created for a divine purpose in God’s divine plan to serve others. The Church teaches that everyone has a vocation, and each of us has a responsibility to properly discern it. I like to think of vocations on three levels. The first level is the call to holiness. Every person has a vocation to holiness, what Vatican II affirmed as the “universal call to holiness.” Regardless of one’s state in life or who we are or what we do, we are all called to be saints — to live out the life of Christ heroically in everything we do. This call is universal because it transcends language, culture, geography, profession, etc. The pope has the same call to holiness as a college student. The second level is the “state in life” vocation, which consists of priesthood, religious and consecrated life, permanent diaconate, marriage, and the single life. These must be specifically discerned through prayer, spiritual accompaniment, study, a discovery of one’s gifts and an openness to share them. Finally, one’s vocation can also include a “career,” although a vocation can never be limited or reduced to a job. If lived well and for the purpose of glorifying God, one’s work as an educator, doctor, lawyer, entrepreneur, etc., can be a means to holiness.

When young people discover their vocation and realize that God has a unique plan for their lives, they come alive. The world needs young people who are fully alive. I have seen it first-hand with our students. We form them in the faith and give them opportunities to serve and put their faith into action. That combination stirs something deep inside them. With the Holy Spirit and a little encouragement, a transformation happens in their lives and in the lives of others. Because ultimately, our vocations are not just meant for us. We receive our vocations from God in order that we may become holy and sanctify the world around us — to become light so that God can be known, loved, and served in a world that hungers for God. St. Catherine of Siena stated it best: “Be who God meant you to be, and you will
set the world on fire.