Posted by Phil, UST Senior, Philosophy and Catholic Studies

Some of the hardest questions in a Catholic’s life are questions of faith and vocation. How do these two interact? How do we incorporate one into the other, and what influence should faith have on my vocation and vice versa? Even more fundamental then this is the question, “To which vocation is God calling me?” The Radical Encounters event, sponsored by Campus Ministry and Catholic Studies, was geared toward asking (and answering!) these questions of faith and vocation.

One of the events that I attended was the vocations fair. It was a great event because it exposed people to religious and priestly orders that they were probably unaware of. Plus, being able to talk with people who are members of those orders or affiliated with them in some way helps you get a much better idea and understanding of that particular group than by just reading a brochure. This was very helpful in my decision to enter major seminary for Milwaukee Archdiocese, in pursuit of what will be, God willing, my life calling. I have known many priests in my life who have truly helped form my understanding of the priesthood. Therefore, just by talking to some of these religious priests, brothers, and sisters, I believe university students will be able to better understand the life they are discerning.
Later on in the evening a number of students, me included, went to a dinner with Dr. Martens before his talk. At the dinner it was very nice to sit and talk with other Catholics who took their calling to faith and vocation seriously. It was good to hear how others have tried, and will continue to try, either in school or after they graduate, to incorporate both faith and vocation in their lives. By vocation I mean the particular calling of God beyond our overall life vocation of marriage, priesthood, or the single life. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make the talk by Dr. Martens, but I heard it was a great talk on St. Paul!