AS THE GIVING TREE
Different Kind of Vocation

Once there was a tree and she loved a little boy. Every day the boy would come and gather her leaves and make them into crowns. He would climb up her trunk and swing from her branches and eat mangoes. They would play hide-and-seek. And when he was tired, he would sleep in her shade. The boy loved the tree very much. And the tree was very happy.

Time went by, and the boy grew older. And the tree was often alone. Then one day the boy came to the tree who said, "Come, Boy, come and climb up my trunk and swing from my branches and play in my shade and be happy." I am too big to climb and play," said the boy, "but I have no money." I am sorry," said the tree. I have only leaves and mangoes. Take my mangoes, Boy, and sell them in the city. Then you will have money and you will be happy." And so the boy climbed up the tree, gathered her mangoes and carried them away. And the tree was happy.

The boy stayed away for a long time. The day came again when the boy came back and the tree shook with joy and she said, "Come, Boy, climb up my trunk and swing from my branches and be happy." "I am too busy to climb trees," said the boy. "I want a house to keep me warm," he said. "I want a wife and children, and so I need a house." "I have no house," said the tree, "but you may cut off my branches and build a house." And so the boy cut off her branches and carried them away to build his house. And the tree was happy.

Again, the boy stayed away for a long time. When he came back, the tree was so happy she could hardly speak. "Come, Boy," she whispered, "come and play." "I am too old to play," said the boy. "I want a boat that will take me far away from here." "Cut down my trunk and make a boat," said the tree. "Men you can sail away and be happy." And so the boy cut down the trunk and made a boat and sailed away. And the tree was happy.

After a time, the boy came back again. "I am sorry, Boy," said the tree, "but I have nothing left to give you. I wish that I could give you something... lam just an old stump. I am sorry." "I don't need very much now," said the boy, "just a quiet place to sit and rest. I am very tired." 'Well," said the tree, straightening herself up as much as she could, "well, an old stump is good for sitting and resting. Come, Boy, sit down and rest." And the boy did. And the tree was very happy."

DIFFERENT VOCATIONS

In the last chapter of VOCATION CHALLENGES, we said that a vocation is not only feelings, neither is it a destiny, something one can possess like an object, and so forth. On the contrary, vocation is a Person alive in my life. Vocation is friendship with God. Vocation is an invitation to take part in his plan of salvation.
We wrote also that in every vocation there are three elements: the initiative of God; the person, who should give an answer in freedom; and the mission to serve our brothers and sisters in need.

Today, I would like to present a second step in this reflection. Once we are in openness to the will of God, and we have decided to fulfill our lives - with the strong desire to be happy - giving ourselves to others, the next question then comes up: What should I do? In which concrete way is God calling me? What kind of direction seems best suited to who I am as a man, as a woman? What could be my own contribution in the history of humanity? What was in the mind of God when he thought of me and uttered my name?

Usually, in talking about vocation we make two distinction: general vocation and specific vocation. The first is given to everybody: each human being is called without distinction of race, sex, social class and the like. The second is very personal and appropriated to each of us. God always finds different and new ways and means of calling us.

I. GENERAL VOCATION. LIFE and FAITH.

A. Our first vocation is to be and live fully. Life is a gift and a project. God has created persons to share his being, persons with the capacity to love, with dignity, truth and freedom. We belong to God. As children of God we are the center of the whole creation.
Man is the only being who is conscious of God's works and God's love. Perhaps in the routine of our activities or in the pendulum of our society, we fail to realize that life, a gift, is the most wonderful thing that is happening to us. Life springs continuously in me and around me.
At the same time life is a project to be completed, a germ for which we are responsible. Our vocation is to uphold life through all our deeds, especially in our relationships with others. Because we are children of God, the fountain of love, we are committed to life. He is "God of the living and not of the dead." We must fight any kind of degradation of life, both on a personal and social level. Our vocation is a commitment against fear, ignorance, vice, abortion, pollution, injustice, war, corruption, fanaticism, socio-political system of oppression. "God's glory is man fully alive."

B. The culmination of life is faith. Faith is life in Jesus Christ. The gift of life that we receive from God is not only natural but spiritual as well. By the mystery of his incarnation, deeds and words, death and resurrection, Jesus Christ destroyed sin and overcome death once and for all. Jesus showed us the true face of God: a loving father. The love of God that we have learned from Jesus is the kind of love that is merciful and exigent, it makes us grow, it unites us, it liberates us from slaveries, it is always true and constant.

Every man and woman is called to be saved by the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God. The whole of history is called to be reconciled in Jesus, the Alpha and Omega. Every person, culture, age and even religion is called to share in the redemption of Jesus, the Light of the World. Many times we don't know how this could be possible, but God is stronger than our limitations.Following Jesus 24 hours a day, everywhere and wholeheartedly, becomes our vocation. It is a call to believe in him and change to a new life: to be one with him in his values, options, mission and end. Trying to love as he did.

II. SPECIFIC VOCATIONS: LAY and CONSECRATED.
1. The layperson is a Christian committed to living the baptismal promises. The task of the layperson is the transformation of this world to the kingdom of God. In a very particular way the layperson is to be "the yeast and salt" of society. The vocation of the layperson is to bring the values of the Gospel to temporal realities. Their mission is the sanctification of history.

a) There is the vocation as Christian in marriage. It is the wonderful covenant of love between a man and a woman - as Christ loves his Church - in order to follow Jesus together, to help one another fulfill their lives and to responsibly bring up children, as a participation in the paternity of God. The Vocation of married couple is to serve God and neighbor by living out the holiness of the original and domestic church, the family.
b) There is the vocation as Christian layperson in the single life. This vocation is also an option to love and to serve others, it is far from egoism or bitterness. The vocation of single blessedness should always be in freedom and as fidelity to ideals and should be plentiful in charity and in holiness.

2. The consecrated person is a Christian who receives the call to be available with all his strength, qualities, intelligence, time, capability to love and creativity, in order to proclaim the kingdom of God, serving and loving others. Actually, from among the disciples Jesus Christ "separated" some of them to share a particular intimacy and responsibilities. The consecrated person doesn't renounce loving; on the contrary, it's because of love that he accepts this mission.
a) There is the consecration through the sacrament of ordination to the priesthood (bishop, priest, deacon). As in all the other sacraments, this one is a special presence of the Holy Spirit given to his church in order to realize her mission. It consists not only of the common participation in the only priesthood of Jesus Christ, but also in the ministry of unifying and presiding in the church.
The priest is a servant of the community and also a sacramental presence of Jesus the Good Shepherd, in the care of his flock. The specific vocation of the priest is in the service of announcing the Good News, of administering the sacraments in Jesus' name, and of leading the growth of charity in the Christian community.
b) There is the consecration through the evangelical vows of the religious life. The essential characteristic of this vocation is the free offering of a person to God in order to become a sign of the Resurrection in the midst of the idols of the world: money, power and pleasure. The religious (brother, sister, priest), living in community, decides to follow Jesus in his poverty, chastity, obedience, as witness of love against the hate of sin. The religious is committed completely to the values of the kingdom of God: transcendence, justice, peace, reconciliation, new relationships, truth, and so on. The vocation of the religious man or woman is the building here and now of the "new earth and new heaven."

PARABLE OF THE TREE
Like a tree, vocation has many branches. A layperson (married or single) could be a doctor, teacher, businessman or woman, engineer, nurse, employee, farmer, technical worker, journalist, etc. In the same way a consecrated person (priest or religious) could be a missionary, contemplative person, educator, catechist, social promoter, apostle among the sick, the poor, the orphan, etc. according to their motivations, capacities, formation, desires and personality. But we cannot confuse the branches with the trunk. It is not enough to decide on a profession or the name of a religious congregation in order to truly answer our vocation. We need to accept the challenge to give a meaning and purpose to our life, to confess our faith in following Jesus with our deeds and to love in a specific state of life according to the will of God. Only then can we make a decision "because it feels right in our hearts."
This attitude of openness brings us peace and joy, despite the many obstacles that we find. In fact we really suffer only when we love. Love is a struggle, and vocation is a matter of love.
At this point, we need also to stress that there are no first or second class vocations. All of them are holy and worthy. All of them are callings to love and be happy, and to serve and work for the salvation of humanity. All of them are ways to eternal life.
We come to know what life holds in store for us through signs, preparation, time, a deep and peaceful reflection, sincerity, prayer and discernment. We need to risk trusting in God and in ourselves.
In short, every vocation has to attain, as in the parable of the tree, that kind of crazy love that leads us to give till we forget ourselves.

PEACE