Friday, July 25, 2008

Prayer Leads One to a Calling - Vocation

Reading the following quote on Vocation from Gil Bailie's blog:
“It is the nature of a vocation to appear to men in the double character of a duty and a desire. . . . To follow the vocation does not mean happiness: but once it has been heard, there is no happiness for those who do not follow.” – C. S. Lewis
reminded me of our own need to realize that ones calling into vocation does not come from some deep and inner subconscious or yearning. Hans Urs von Balthasar, in his book entitled "Prayer" sums it up this way:
In obeying his calling a person fulfills his essence, although he would never have been able to discover this, his own archetype and ideal within himself, in his nature, by descending into the center of his natural being, his superego, his subconscious or super conscious, by studying his pre-dispositions, yearning, talents, his potential. Simon the fisherman could have explored every region of his ego prior to his encounter with Christ, but he would not have found "Peter" there; for the present, the "form" summed up in the name "Peter", the particular mission reserved for him alone, is hidden in the mystery of Christ's soul.

No comments: