Vocations
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The Lord is calling all of us to live a life of holiness, but he has a particular way in which he is calling us to live that out. Christ the King parish wants to support you in discerning the path the Lord is calling you to walk, that is why we have created this page as a resource for those who are still in that process of discernment.
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What's a Vocation?Often times we'll hear the term "vocation" used in regard to the vocation of Holy Orders, or the Catholic Priesthood. But, the term strictly means "calling," from the Latin word vocare, which means to call. So, a vocation is a calling and each of us have one.
The ordinary, or natural, vocation for most men and women is to Holy Marriage. We call it ordinary, or natural because it is written into our biology. A majority of people are called to Holy Marriage, but it is not the only calling that we should consider.
"Pray the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest." (Mt 9:38)
For men, the Lord may be calling them to receive the sacrament of Holy Orders. That is to say, he may be calling you to be his priest or deacon.
Men and Women alike, can be called to a vocation that is not a sacrement like Holy Orders or Holy Marriage. Religious Life is also a common calling that both men and women respond to. Theologically speaking, this is actually considered the "higher calling." This is not because it is better than Holy Orders of Marriage, but due to it's being directed to the Evangelical Counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience.
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Holy Matrimony
Christ the King offers Marriage prep classes for couples who are engaged. For more information visit the Marriage page located under Sacraments. Below is a link to the Archdiocese of Portland's resource page.
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Links
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Priesthood
For men who are still discerning their vocation, it is critical that they learn more about the priesthood and how to discern whether the Lord could be calling them. Below is information about what we are doing here at Christ the King to help men with this discernment. There are also links to other great resources.
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Melchizedek Project
7 meetings that will give young men (ages 17-35) the tools they need to discern the call of Jesus Christ in their lives.
Attendees will receive a free copy of the book To Save a Thousand Souls and will join our seminarian intern in learning more about the priesthood of Jesus Christ, and how to discern whether they too may be called.
Contact the Pastoral Intern for more details: (503) 785-2407 or deacon@ctk.cc
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Deacon Echevarria's Vocation Story