Saturday after the Exaltation of the Cross; Post-feast of the Exaltation of the Cross; Holy Martyrs Trophimus, Sabbatius and Dorymedontus (276-82)
1 Corinthians 1:26-29; John 8:21-30
Read 1 Corinthians 1:26-29
The Holy Apostle Paul in today’s epistle to the church at Corinth reminds them to consider their call. This call is what we refer to as a vocation. All of us as Christians have what we might call a general vocation that we receive from our baptism: to proclaim the Good News of the Risen Christ; to bear witness to Christ to others through our words and actions; and, to grow in holiness that we might be united with God. God calls all of us, every human being, to live our lives fully and to make full use of the gifts He has given us regardless of whether we are wise, powerful, or of “noble birth” or high social status. We live this general vocation out through our life in the Church, both sacramentally and in the fruits of the sacramental life that include charity and the pursuit of justice.
Beyond our general vocation as Christians, what is our particular vocation? How can we come to know it? We glorify God in striving to be fully who He calls us to be. We come to know this through Christ who shows us what it means to be truly human will also being truly God. Our role is to discern, to listen clearly to how He reveals Himself to us. This revelation can come in various ways, notably in personal prayer and in reading the Holy Scriptures. Additionally, God can use those who love and care for us to reveal certain things to us about ourselves, who we are, and who God is calling us to be. The Church as the Body of Christ is the community of the baptized. Through this community, Christ is made present in the Holy Eucharist which unites and draws His body together enlivened by the continuing presence of the Holy Spirit. It is this same Holy Spirit that acts among all the members of the Body of Christ constantly revealing to us who we are in Christ.