Vocations study guide exam
What does agape mean? Describe its characteristics.
Agape means unconditional love. It means that we should do acts of kindness such as charity in order to reach the same love for other people that Jesus has for us.
Who are the lay faithful?
All of the members of the church who do not take active roles like Bishop, Priest, or Deacon.
Give an example of the way baptism calls us to live our lives as followers of christ.
Baptism calls us to live our lives as followers of Christ through a life of discipleship and membership in Christ's body, the church. Baptism gives us the grace we need in order to say yes to whatever our call is.
What do we mean when we say that the bishops are called to teach, govern, and sanctify?
Bishops have to ensure that our resources and materials are used wisely, they must oversee and organize the Church, and they must preach the word of God.
What do we mean when we say that men and women in consecrated life are called to be eschatological signs?
By conforming their wholes lives to Christ and by focusing more exclusively on the things of Heaven.
How does the "fire of the Holy Spirit" show itself in our lives?
By our baptism, we are commissioned to set the world on fire by witnessing to and helping others recognize the presence of God's love. We do this by discovering God's will for our own lives in each moment and by living that out fully in the vocation to which we have been called.
Explain how marriage reflects Christ's love for His Church.
Christ gave his life to the Church, just as you should live with and for your spouse.
In what sense is Christian marriage unique?
Christian marriage is a relationship that resembles the Holy Trinity with man, woman, and God.
Describe the role of consecrated life within a Church.
Consecrated life is essentially a vocation to love. This love is a source of inspiration for the whole Church, and it contributes to the Church's vitality and strength.
Briefly describe the spirituality of consecrated virgins.
Consecrated virgins were consecrated by the authority of the diocesan bishop, and they live out their vocation directly under his guidance.
Briefly describe the central elements of the vocation of a deacon.
Deacons can Baptize, share the Eucharist, and witness marriage.
What does the word disciple mean, and how can we be disciples of Jesus in our everyday lives?
Disciple means learner. We can be disciples of Jesus by following the path that He has laid out for us. If we read the scriptures and follow the instructions in them, we can lead the life that Christ wants us to lead.
Why is a properly "love for self" important in any vocation?
Everyone has a dignity and grace bestowed upon them by God. This includes ourselves. We are children of God, and it would be disrespectful to Him if we did not see ourselves as such. Moreover, when we love ourselves, we can offer this love to others as well. We will never be able to truly love another person if we cannot love ourselves.
Describe the role of the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation in the discernment process.
Experiencing the forgiveness of God and receiving sacramental grace in the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation will strengthen your relationship with him and will help you to live your call to Christian discipleship.
How are hermits called to serve the church?
Hermits are baptized men and women who live alone in prayerful silence and solitude so that they focus constantly on God, with few distractions.
Give an example of Jesus' teaching on love from each of the four Gospels.
Mark's Gospel teaches that the golden rule is for us to love each other as we love ourselves. Matthew's Gospel tells us to love our enemies. Luke's Gospel teaches us to give our mercy to anyone in need of it.
What are some of the differences between a diocesan priest and a religious order priest?
Religious Order Priests belong to a religious order, while Diocesan Priests serve at the Parish where the Bishop places them.
compare and contrast religious communities with societies of apostolic life.
Religious communities contains women and men with religious schools and parishes, and many well loved saints. Apostolic life is a series of women that vow annually to serve God.
Describe some of the main elements of the ritual for ordination to the diaconate, priesthood, and episcopate.
Sit with normal church people and be called up by the bishop was to promises of celibacy, obedience, liturgy of the hours, and then performing the laying of the hands.
Why is celibacy a requirement for priests?
So that they can imitate Jesus Christ in his own chosen way of life, and so that they can devote themselves fully to the church.
How can a spiritual counselor or a spiritual director help in the discernment process?
Talking about your discernment with someone who is also close to God will help you see things from another perspective.
How is the calling of the Apostles still relevant to the Church today?
The Apostles established the Church that we know now, and our bishops are descendants of them through Apostolic Succession.
What are the evangelical counsels, and how are they a significant aspect of consecrated life?
The Evangelical counsels are vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. They are meant to imitate the poverty Christ experienced to become closer to Him.
What is the function of the Magisterium?
The Magisterium is the teaching office of the Church.
Name two significant people called by God in the Old Testament and describe the call of one of these in detail.
The Old Testament explains the call of Abraham, the father of our faith. God asked Abraham to leave his life of possessions and follow his lead to a new, unknown land. If Abraham follows the word of God, he is promised a nation of people for generations to come. God also calls to David, the son of Jesse. King Sual had been abusing his power greatly, and through the instructions of God, Samuel was sent to find a new ruler. He visited Bethlehem, where he found a man named Jesse with many sons. After meeting all of them, God did not find any he thought would fit the throne. Jesse then brought in his youngest son, David, in which God's spirit entered the boy, calling him to be the new king.
What was Christ's purpose in calling the twelve apostles?
The apostles were responsible for spreading the word of God when Jesus eventually had to leave.
How does the family of origin have the potential to influence one's future married life?
The mother and father teach a child how to interact with other people. Their love acts as the base for the way that the child will love in the future.
Why is the parish important to laypeople?
The parish is a layperson's spiritual home.
What is discernment?
The practice of listening for God's call in our lives and distinguishing between good or bad choices. It is the process we use to find God's will.
What does the universal call to holiness mean and what does it ask of us?
The universal call to holiness is to follow Jesus' path , the path of love without measure, as members of the church. It asks us to contribute to the building up of the church, making the church more loving, more compassionate, and filling it with more joy and goodness.
What responsibilities do married couples have toward each other, toward the children they may have & toward the wider Church community?
They are responsible for furthering their partner's journey and closeness to God. They should teach their children about God and help them develop a faith of their own. They are called to be a part of the community by being witnesses of God.
In what ways are the vocations of Holy Orders and consecrated life related?
They both take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
What does it mean to share in Christ's priestly, prophetic, and kingly mission?
They share the priest by participating in the life of the Trinity by offering every aspect of their lives as a spiritual sacrifice with Christ to the Father, in union with the Holy Spirit. They share the prophetic mission because they are called to serve as witnesses to saving power of Christ to the world. They share the kingly mission through service to others.
Why is relationship with others important in every state of life?
We build relationships that reflect the three persons in the trinity. These relationships we create help us build bonds with other people. We learn about ourselves and about others, and we learn to be understanding, to be forgiving, to show gratitude, and to feel joy.
What do we mean when we say that the laity has a vocation to be in the world but not of the world?
We have to live in the world, but we do not have to be focused on the affairs going on in the world. We should not covet worldly possessions, but put our attention towards God and the world to come.
What are some of the things we can learn about marriage from reading the Old Testament?
We learn God's clear plan for marriage to be a covenant between ourselves, our partners, and God.
What should be our attitude in seeking God's will?
We should be open-minded, we must have faith, we must be trusting, eager, and we must be joyful.
Is a Catholic allowed to marry a non-catholic? If so, under what circumstances and conditions?
Yes, as long as the person is christian. You may not have a mass at your wedding, though.
How is formation for ordained life different from a program of study at an ordinary college or graduate school?
You cannot decide on your own life if you are called ti Holy Orders. The vocation to ordained life is always a personal call from God but must also be confirmed by the Church. Where a training program focuses on learning how to do something, formation training involves becoming a certain kind of person.
What is the value of spending time each day in silence with God?
You create a space of clarity and openness towards God.
Why is marriage a covenant rather than a contract?
You make a promise to God that you will stay with your partner and help each other grow in your faith together.
Why is "The People of God" a good description, or name, for the Church?
"The people of god" is a scriptural title given to us by God himself when he revealed his plan that he would call Himself to a people. The universal church is the new people of God, entered into this faith through baptism. The universal church some together to form one family, with God being at the head.
What questions does a priest of deacon ask a couple prior to witnessing their wedding vows? Why are these significant?
1. Do you promise to stay faithful to your spouse? 2. Have you come here today on your own free will? 3. Do you promise yo bring children lovingly into the world? These questions reveal whether or not this marriage is legitimate.
Name three responsibilities parents have toward their children. How do these relate to the idea of the family as the domestic Church?
1. Parents must respect the dignity their children as humans. 2. Parents must love their children as unique children of God, created in His image and likeness. 3. Parents must educate their children about God.
Describe the process of planning a Catholic wedding.
1. meet with a priest. 2. set the marriage date. 3. do the pre-cane preparation. 4. plan the liturgy.
Explain the symbolism behind the ring a bishop wears.
A bishop is married to the Church, meaning he is completely devoted to it. Christ Himself was married to the Church.
Write a brief definition of the term consecrated life.
A life set aside for a sacred purpose.
What is Christian marriage?
A union between a Christian man and woman and God. A Christian marriage resembles the Holy Trinity.
How is a vocation both a call from God and a response to God?
A vocation is a call from God and a response to God because He is asking us to embrace a certain way of life and looks for our response to this question.
What does the symbol of fire mean in both the Old and New Testaments?
Fire is the sign of God's presence in the Old Testament and symbol for God's presence in our hearts in the New Testament.
Why should a dating relationship be based on friendship?
Friendship makes us comfortable to share our true selves with our partner. You are trusting and open with your friend, which is important to be with your partner.
Why is it impossible to reinterpret or redefine marriage?
God Himself defined marriage with the role of a husband and wife. These roles can only be played by a man and a woman, therefore two men cannot create a marriage just as two women cannot.
Why did God make you, and how can you serve him?
God made me to know him, love him, and serve him in this life, and to be happy with him forever in the next. We can serve God by serving one another.
Write a short outline of the history of consecrated life. Be sure to include the five major forms of consecrated life recognized by the church today.
History of consecrated virginity: 1. oldest form if consecrated life in the church. 2. Women in the early church were willing to forgo marriage to dedicate themselves to the church. 3. Manuscripts of these are from the sixth and seventh centuries. 4. Neither nuns nor religious sisters.
Briefly describe what is involved in the formation for the priesthood.
Human formation: focuses on strengthening the natural virtues. Spiritual formation: focuses on one's interior prayer life. Intellectual formation: Enables one to comprehend and articulate the mysteries of the faith. Pastoral formation: has the goal of showing a person how to have a priestly lifestyle.
Briefly describe the spirituality of married life.
Human marriage is only contract. It can be revoked, and ends when you die. But marital love lasts forever, and allows us to get a glimpse of the love we will see with God in heaven.
What for of consecrated life do you find to be most interesting, and why? What questions do you still have about this form of consecrated life?
I find hermits interesting because they live in complete solitude. They don't have anyone to talk to except God. -Do you ever struggle with being so alone? -When did you decide to do this? -Was it a challenge to leave everything from the world behind?
In what sense can the single life be considered a vocation?
If God calls you to live a life of abstinence, then you can focus more on things to serve Him.
Why is finding out "who you are" important to the discernment process?
If you don not know who you are and what you stand for, it will be impossible to find your place in the kingdom of God.
What do we mean when we speak of Christ as the High Priest?
In ancient societies, high priests were meant to be respected above all other people because they alone knew the will of the Gods. Christ is our high priest because he is God Himself. He is above all men, and He alone knows what our paths are.
Name two reasons why it is sinful to live together before marriage.
It encourages premarital sex and devalues the sacredness of marriage.
What is Apostolic Succession?
It is the line of direct succession to the current day Bishops from the Apostles.
What does it mean to say that ordination is permanent?
It means once you are ordained, you cannot go back to being a laymen because Holy Orders confers a special character.
What do you think it might mean for you to "set the world on fire?"
It means that I will stick up for my beliefs and my faith, and spread my ideas to everyone I meet.
What role does God's providence take in our lives and in our discernment of his call?
It might help you to recognize what God has already done for you.
Describe how the Old Testament concept of priesthood relates to the priesthood of Christ.
It was a prefiguring of the priesthood that christ himself established.
Why does the Church ordain only men?
Jesus himself only ordained men, so we can only ordain men because this is the power Jeus has granted us.
Explain how the Eucharist can help in the discernment process.
Jesus is here to nourish us spiritually. He allows us to become strong with his Word and his love.
Describe the Church's teachings on the permanence of marriage, and explain how teaching factors into the Church's practice regarding divorce and annulment.
Married couples make a promise to be with their partner for the rest of their lives. You cannot get a divorce in the eyes of God. The only time your marriage can be annulled is if it was never a true marriage to begin with.
What does it mean for a married couple to be open to new life? Why is this openness a serious obligation for all married couples?
Married people should be open to having a baby if that is what God wants. This means that they should not use any means of contraception.
In what ways are secular institutes unique among the various forms of consecrated life?
Members of secular institutes do not live together in a community. They live in their careers and come together to keep their organizations alive.
What is NFP, and how is it different from contraception?
NFP is natural family planning. This is when a woman keeps track of her ovulation cycle and chooses to have relations with her husband according to this. This is not contraception because it still allows the possibility of conception.
Name two significant people called by God in the New Testament and describe the call of one of these in detail.
Nathanael and Peter. Nathanael's friend Philip introduced him to Jesus. Gospel of John says: "Phillip found Nathaneal and told him, 'We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth'" He was not immediately convinced. He heard things about Nazareth, but not good things. "But Nathaniel said to him, 'Can anything good come from Nazareth?'", Phillip was persistent, "come and see". When Jesus saw Nathaniel coming, he said: "Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him. " Nathaniel then challenges Jesus and asks, "How do you know me?" Jesus tells Nathaniel that, even before Phillip found him, he had seen him under a fig tree. Immediately, Nathaneal becomes a believer: "Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the king of Israel." Jesus replies, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this." Jesus then tells of the triumph of God. Jesus knows and loves us. He finds us where we he wants us to be. Calls us from small things to great.
Is the permanent diaconate a new development in the church? Explain your response.
No. There have always been permanent Deacons, and it is even mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles.
What do we mean when we say that a bishop is endowed with the fullness of the Sacrament of Holy Orders?
Only Bishops receive the special outpouring of the Holy Spirit during their ordination.
What are some signs of situations that could indicate that a lay Catholic may be called to remain single?
People who feel they are called to living a life of complete service to God that would keep you from getting married, like being a missionary.
Who and what can help us to discover our strengths, weaknesses, abilities, and potential?
People who know us intimately, such as our family or our friends.
Why are priests called the coworkers of the bishop?
Priests assist the bIshops in heading the Church and teaching people the word of God. They help the Bishops carry out the mission given to them by the Apostles.
What does the Holy Spirit, through the sacrament of Confirmation, help us to do?
Through the sacrament of confirmation, the Holy Spirit marks us as sharing more completely in the mission of Christ.
Why does the Church encourage engaged couples to celebrate their wedding during a Eucharistic celebration?
To invite God into the celebration and covenant of marriage.
Is consecrated life primarily a call to personal holiness or a call to the service of the Church? Explain your response.
To the server go the Church. People who take these vows are essential to the Church.
