A Reflection on Vocation

​A Reflection on Vocation

by Mary Harnden, Luminaries, Lake Jackson, Texas 

Google says, “Vocation in a religious context is how God calls you to serve Him in the world. God calls you through Baptism and Confirmation to serve Him in a specific way of life. You can follow God's call as a single person, married person, ordained priest or a vowed religious.”

We live by Five Dimensions in the Theresian Way of Life. I will share my reflection on the Vocation Dimension. In summary, l love and feel very blessed to have the opportunity to share my passion and vocation as a physical therapist.
I was fortunate to find my calling at age 16. I was a student athlete frequently in the training room with injuries. I knew at that age I felt called to help people and I was looking into the medical field. Through lots of prayers of discernment being a Physical Therapist became my passion and I still love it 41 years later. In our practice, we provide heart to heart care and hand to hand contact. In helping one person at a time, we change the world. We have no idea the power of a smile, a hug, listening, and being the facilitator of God’s healing. I have been so fortunate to love what I do and being able to be of service to others and share God’s love.

Some would say, that is your career, but a vocation is more than a career. Through my vocation as a physical therapist God invites me to love and give myself to others. As Theresians we have many vocations: mother, wife, teacher, professor, lawyer, doctor, musician, artist, engineer, counselor to name a few. Theresians are responding to God’s call in their multiple vocations as we live out Gospel values.

Our community’s name is Luminaries. I love the image it reflects of people with lights of Christ inside them, glowing with love and compassion for others. Sometimes our light is super bright with joy and encouragement or a shining light of God’s love as an active listener. At other times we need the Paschal light shared to reignite the fire of the Holy Spirit seen at the Easter Vigil when they light the Easter Candle and we share the light with each other. In our community, I feel so close to God with the circle of love, the dialogue or sharing, and learning and the prayers and support we feel as we gather. Yes, we share our spirituality and are educated in community, and through our experience we minister to each other through our vocation. We are all called most deeply to share God’s love through service in our unique vocations. We have a special opportunity this September to share our gift of Theresians at our International Gathering in Houston. Go out and witness the gift of Theresians in your vocation, your church, your family and friends, and the strangers you meet at the grocery line. I pray we are blessed by your efforts with abundance of attendance to the International Gathering.

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