“Call” is a loaded word in Catholic conversations. It is often used narrowly in reference to the specifically celibate summons to priesthood or religious life. Only occasionally do I hear laypeople discuss the work they do in terms of “call” and almost never have I heard a married person speak of his or her marriage in those terms. And yet, marriage is one of the two sacraments of vocation to which many are summoned by forces as mysterious and compelling as any other, and it is the source of every other blessing in the church.

In a profound sense, however, baptism is the ultimate sacrament of vocation, for it is under this sign that we acknowledge the “call” to be followers of Jesus and to journey with him along the way to new life. The call to be disciples trumps every other summons we may hear, and unless we incorporate each additional decision into that vocation, we find ourselves within a variety of awkward relationships, career directions and moral choices.

The stories of “call” appear throughout the Bible as if to demonstrate for us how it is done. Abram finds his call revealed to him in a starry sky. Moses is startled to recognize his call in a burning bush. Ruth experiences her summons through the love she bears for her motherinlaw. Elisha has a cloak thrown across his shoulders and understands at once that something incredible is being asked of him. One thing is for sure: When the call comes, however it comes, it is immediate, it is all consuming, and it is life changing.

And Jesus tells us, “Don’t look back.” Elisha was unusually fortunate to be given even a few hours to say his goodbyes to his family and to provide for them one last minute. He didn’t know what the summons would entail or where the journey would take him. All he knew was the identity of the one who called him. Evidently that was enough. He followed Elijah meekly into the pages of scripture and became known as the prophet with double the portion of his mentor’s authority.

Saint Paul describes the call of Christ as a summons out of slavery and into freedom. The worst thing we can do after receiving this freedom is to refuse to use it or, conversely, to squander it. It would be like receiving a double portion of grace and using it up in front of the TV. What constellations of possibility are open to us in the Spirit and how little do we make use of these opportunities?

Each of us is called! Few hear that call, like the voice of God calling in the night. Usually, we discover our call, like Elisha, while doing other things. For most of us our call comes as a persistent, inner prompting that can be easily drowned out by the lure of money, power, security, or fame. But we will never be totally happy until we hear and respond to our “innermost call.”

Discernment, learning to hear God’s call, is a skill every Christian needs to cultivate. What am I doing to cultivate the call in my own life and to help others to listen, hear and follow the promptings of God in their hearts? Do I work at making a friend, being a friend, and then bringing that friend to Christ?

DeColores!

Fr. Al Backmann