Stop Being “Open” to God’s Will. It’s Time to ASPIRE to It.
If you’ve ever talked with a vocation director, you’ve probably heard this familiar question: “Would you be open to God’s will for your life?”
After six years serving as a vocation director, I realized something critical about that phrase: it suggests something completely wrong about your vocation. Asking if someone is merely “open” to the priesthood, religious life, or marriage carries a subtle, hidden presumption – that God’s plan is something you begrudgingly accept rather than something you actually want.
I am not asking you to be open to God’s will for your life as if it were something you don’t want. I am urging you to ASPIRE to God’s will for your life because it will answer the deepest longings of your heart.
Think about it from this perspective – we have several large universities in our diocese with spirited fan bases and loyal alumni. When they talk to prospective students, they don’t ask, “Would you be open to going to Texas A&M?” or “Would you be open to going to UT?” They say, “You have to go! You’d be missing out if you didn’t!”
Why would we treat our God-given calling with any less enthusiasm?
On August 28th, the feast day of St. Augustine, Austin Vocations is officially launching the ASPIRE Campaign. Vocational discernment isn’t meant to be passive or hesitant; your holiness is worth a proactive, zealous pursuit of the life that God made you for.
Run to Win the Crown
St. Paul gives the analogy of an athlete seeking to win the race to describe how worthy of pursuit holiness is:
Do you not know that the runners in the stadium all run in the race, but only one wins the prize? Run so as to win. Every athlete exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one (1 Corinthians 9:24-25).
As impressive as an Olympic victory is, that gold medal will eventually tarnish and fade, and the accomplishment will be forgotten. But the crown of heaven never fades, and those who win it will never be forgotten. ASPIRE is about running to win the greatest prize: holiness now and heaven for ever
Don’t settle for passive openness to God’s will. Your calling isn’t a burden to endure – it is the fulfillment of your heart’s deepest longings. Run so as to win. ASPIRE to your vocation.
Ready to Start Aspiring?
Whether you are seeking holiness, discerning your vocation, or already living it out, ASPIRE is for you. The ASPIRE Formation Series will help you grow in friendship with Christ and follow where He leads. Receive practical reflections, encouraging guidance, and actionable steps right in your inbox each week.
Sign up for the ASPIRE Formation Series today.