Father David Kelash, Pastor and Chaplin for our KC Council

Saint Paul clearly believed that every person has a calling from God. The word “vocation” comes from
the Latin root “to call”. Each person has a vocation to serve God in a particular way. Some do so
through the commitment of marriage. Others do so by remaining single.

We can grow in our vocation by recognizing the witness of the vocations that differ from our
own. Those who are celibate must claim the importance of intimacy to which marriage witnesses.
They must know that, unless they build close relationships, their freedom can become empty and
sterile. They can become selfish bachelors and self-absorbed spinsters.

Married people must recognize the value of freedom to which celibacy witnesses. Without the
freedom to extend their love beyond spouse and family, their lives can become narrow and stifling,
even oppressive.

Since we all have been called by God, we should not only live the vocation we have been
given, but also learn from the example of those who live another calling. By doing this, we can see more
clearly the fullness of God’s plan and become the people and the church that God calls us to be.
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May God bless you richly. Father David

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