THE FOUR CRUCIAL HUMAN VOCATIONS
1. Imago Dei Vocation; 2. Incarnational Vocation; 3. Familial Vocation; 4. Sociopolitical Vocation;
(The first four vocational states are of nature and apply to all men. There are an additional three Christian vocational states, see below, that build upon these vocations. All the vocational states, be they natural or super-natural, are integral one to another and reciprocally impact each other.)
1) Imago Dei Vocation
The Imago Dei or psychomoral vocation entails the human person's call as a rational-volitional being made in Imago Dei (God's image). Here the psychomoral development of the human person is addressed, promoted, and, if necessary, treated according to the timeless Thomistic anthropology of the Church that is found in Psychomoralitics.
2) Incarnational Vocation
The incarnational vocation entails the human person's call as an imago Dei enfleshed. Here man's existential vocation as a mortal being in this “valley of tears” and his human incarnational status as either male or female is explicated and embraced in accord with philosophical truth and physiological givens.
3) Familial Vocation
The familial vocation is based on God-given gender and its ensuing dynamics, especially as per wife-mother and husband-father. Via the familial vocation and in the familial realm both the preceding imago Dei and incarnational vocations unfold essentially. So too, the following fourth vocation is ordered to the familial realm. The subsequent Christian vocations too properly either unfold in or are ordered to the familial realm. Thus the family is given primacy in the education and formation of the human person.
4) Sociopolitical Vocation
The sociopolitical vocation is as a member of the community of families and the secular political body via personhood and family. The sociopolitical is properly ordered toward the well-being of the individual and the family. The sociopolitical order, according to the principles of subsidiarity, begins with the grassroots community of families and extends therefrom.
THE THREE CRUCIAL CHRISTIAN VOCATIONS
5) Crucial Christian Vocation
The crucial Christian vocation is the call to holiness. Building upon the natural vocations and accord with the traditional spirituality of the Church, here the spiritual development of the Christian as one called to embrace the Cross, undergo purgation and remission of sin, experience grace and sanctification, and thus give glory to God is facilitated.
6) Ecclesial Vocation
The Ecclesial Vocation entails the vivification of the Christian's informed Catholic conscience and his assent to his absolute right to do his duty to God as per that conscience so informed. Here the Church provides the truth and it is then incumbent upon the Christian to be true to that truth. Note well, that here it is the members of the Church that must be reformed not the Church herself, which remains always the Spotless Bride of Christ.
7) Individual Christian Vocation
The Individual Christian Vocation entails the specific means in which the Christian achieves his Crucial Christian Vocation (see above). Here the Christian is aided in discerning and living one of the three fundamental Christian vocational states: that of Christian laity, vowed religious, or priestly orders. Each fundamental Christian vocational state has its particular means of self-abnegation (its specific cross) and charism as per the fulfillment of the Crucial Christian Vocation of sanctification and competency in the Ecclesial Vocation
1. Imago Dei Vocation; 2. Incarnational Vocation; 3. Familial Vocation; 4. Sociopolitical Vocation;
(The first four vocational states are of nature and apply to all men. There are an additional three Christian vocational states, see below, that build upon these vocations. All the vocational states, be they natural or super-natural, are integral one to another and reciprocally impact each other.)
1) Imago Dei Vocation
The Imago Dei or psychomoral vocation entails the human person's call as a rational-volitional being made in Imago Dei (God's image). Here the psychomoral development of the human person is addressed, promoted, and, if necessary, treated according to the timeless Thomistic anthropology of the Church that is found in Psychomoralitics.
2) Incarnational Vocation
The incarnational vocation entails the human person's call as an imago Dei enfleshed. Here man's existential vocation as a mortal being in this “valley of tears” and his human incarnational status as either male or female is explicated and embraced in accord with philosophical truth and physiological givens.
3) Familial Vocation
The familial vocation is based on God-given gender and its ensuing dynamics, especially as per wife-mother and husband-father. Via the familial vocation and in the familial realm both the preceding imago Dei and incarnational vocations unfold essentially. So too, the following fourth vocation is ordered to the familial realm. The subsequent Christian vocations too properly either unfold in or are ordered to the familial realm. Thus the family is given primacy in the education and formation of the human person.
4) Sociopolitical Vocation
The sociopolitical vocation is as a member of the community of families and the secular political body via personhood and family. The sociopolitical is properly ordered toward the well-being of the individual and the family. The sociopolitical order, according to the principles of subsidiarity, begins with the grassroots community of families and extends therefrom.
THE THREE CRUCIAL CHRISTIAN VOCATIONS
5) Crucial Christian Vocation
The crucial Christian vocation is the call to holiness. Building upon the natural vocations and accord with the traditional spirituality of the Church, here the spiritual development of the Christian as one called to embrace the Cross, undergo purgation and remission of sin, experience grace and sanctification, and thus give glory to God is facilitated.
6) Ecclesial Vocation
The Ecclesial Vocation entails the vivification of the Christian's informed Catholic conscience and his assent to his absolute right to do his duty to God as per that conscience so informed. Here the Church provides the truth and it is then incumbent upon the Christian to be true to that truth. Note well, that here it is the members of the Church that must be reformed not the Church herself, which remains always the Spotless Bride of Christ.
7) Individual Christian Vocation
The Individual Christian Vocation entails the specific means in which the Christian achieves his Crucial Christian Vocation (see above). Here the Christian is aided in discerning and living one of the three fundamental Christian vocational states: that of Christian laity, vowed religious, or priestly orders. Each fundamental Christian vocational state has its particular means of self-abnegation (its specific cross) and charism as per the fulfillment of the Crucial Christian Vocation of sanctification and competency in the Ecclesial Vocation