Vocations

The vocation is part of the mystery of the person, particularly in his relationship with God and his mission in life. We speak about a vocation when in a loving dialogue God invites us to occupy a special place in the building of God’s Kingdom.

What is vocation?

The vocation can be described as a permanent call God to each person and the people God as a whole. Call vital loving character, which leads to a response in the fulfillment of a mission, amid the challenges of a changing world, in God's saving plan.
The vocation is part of the mystery of the person, particularly in their relationship with God and his mission in life.
God's action, loving dialogue that invites a person to occupy a specific place in the building of his Kingdom.
This dialogue takes place in the depths of the human conscience, when you are alone with God.
In response, the person commits his life to a specific mission in and through the Church.
In this dialog, call-response, the man finds himself, he performs as a person and transforms the world implementing God’s Will.

A man
A man holding and reading the Holy Bible

Clues to discover

There are many clues, signs and signals that can help us when discerning our vocation:

  • • Deep down in your heart, what do you want in life?
  • • Do you feel this is helping you to grow and also contributes towards the welfare of others?
  • • Do you feel this is coming from God?

Happiness and peace are two signs that are usually associated with the development of ones vocation. Nevertheless, sometimes we also find fear and confusion, therefore it is very helpful to seek support in a series of meditations that have belonged to the church’s spiritual patrimony since the early times, these help us in the discovery and maturation of our vocation:

The gospel

Reading with faith the Holy Gospel gives us privileged means to get to know Jesus better, and also to get to know His mission within which I should understand my vocation. With the Holy Gospel all the Christian formation we could have in our Parish or in our youth group will be important.

The apostolate

A life of faith in our community and particularly serving to others within and from the Church, is one of the places for discernment. It is by entering the dynamics of following Jesus, of getting to know Him better, and of making ours His cause and mission that we can hear better His calls, particularly when serving those who most need it.

Self-Knowledge

The basis of discernment is knowing and accepting:

Our past, our potential, our limits, our hurts, our dreams and ideals, our emotions and feelings, our personality, our way of relating to others.

Prayer

It is in the intimacy of prayer where we can, deep in our hearts, enter that dialogue with God who loves us and who is calling us.

Accompaniment

One of the best helps for discerning a vocation is a series of confidential conversations with a trustworthy person experienced in the spiritual life. The Holy Spirit is working and calling us. In dialogue with a trustworthy person, we can gradually come to understand better and more clearly these movements of the Spirit within.

Discernment

Call to action discernment to know the work of God in us distinct from our desires or those we experience as a result of the presence of evil in our lives. this is a good personal knowledge, a search for God, the practice of player, all this pooled our spiritual guide.

The Church

The Church itself has a place when discerning our vocation. It is in the Church were we get to know Jesus, were we grow in our faith, were we experience conversion processes, were we carry out the sacraments, etc. The Church acknowledges ways of life that once the person has been baptised and has been confirmed in the faith he or she can carry out for his or her own good, the good of others and that of the church and of the world (sanctity): staying single, getting married, religious life and priesthood. It is the Christian community accompanying this process and the community itself, who through its ministers confirm our vocation.

A man holding and reading the Holy Bible

Marist Vocations

Jean-Claude Colin and the first Marists believed that Mary wanted a Society called after her, to act on her behalf in a world in crisis. This was the Mission she was entrusting to them, despite their limitations. This conviction inspired them to do great things for God in Mary’s name and under her direction.

Like Mary, we are called to be missionary disciples, bridge builders, instruments of reconciliation, bearers of the Good News, especially to the poor and youth.

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Marist Formation

Marist Formation

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Marist Training

Training as a Marist priest or brother takes place in formation houses in provinces and districts in the Society. The first stage of formation takes place, generally, in the unit the candidate comes from. Further stages on the training process - the novitiate and the theologate - are in an international context.

A little boy laughing while reading the Holy Bible

Accompaniment and discernment

One of the best helps for discerning a vocation is a series of confidential conversations with a trustworthy person experienced in the spiritual life. The Holy Spirit is working and calling us. In dialogue with a trustworthy person, we can gradually come to understand better and more clearly these movements of the Spirit within.

Young women praying

Pre novitiate

The training or “formation” process begins by joining the Marist formation community, generally for a period of around 2 years.
During this time Marist seminarians:
• Live as part of the Marist formation community
• Are introduced to the Marist life
• Work out whether they would like to go to the Novitiate and become a Marist
• Study at some university of religious center towards a Bachelor of Philosophy degree



A little boy laughing while reading the Holy Bible

Novitiate

When a Marist student decides he wants to continue his life as a Marist, he is asked to be admitted to the International Marist Novitiate. He makes this request to the Superior General of the Society of Mary, in dialogue with his formators.
Selected candidates will be invited to join with other youth from around the world in a one year novitiate.
At the end of the novitiate the novices make their profession as Marist and have the right to use SM (Society of Mary) after their name.

Young women praying

Preparation for mission

At the end of the Novitiate the newly professed Marists return to their own Marist unit to prepare themselves to go to the next stage. They will either finish Philosophy studies or start Theology studies (four years) in Rome.

Young women praying

Pastoral placement

At some stage, Marist seminarians do one or two years of pastoral placement, working in a ministry in their own Province or District, or even working overseas in one of the Marist missions.

Young women praying

Vows and Sacred Orders

Towards the third year of Theology studies, Marist seminarians may take their final vows and in the fourth year of Theology they might be ordained as Deacons. Once they return to their own Marist unit they would be ordained as Priests. After ordination, a newly ordained priest can expect to be placed in a supportive Marist community and occasionally gather with other newly ordained Marists either in his own province or district or in an international setting.