Since Christmas we have been thinking about the identity of the child in the manger. We heard the angelic announcement at his birth; we witnessed the Kings who followed the star and who when it led them to Jesus fell down and worshipped him and presented precious gifts to him in recognition that he was the Universal Lord. And then last Sunday we reflected on the Descent of the Dove and the Divine Voice which occurred after Jesus’ Baptism by John in the Jordan, both of which designated Jesus as the Spirit bearer and the God’s chosen one. Today we move on to think of how people responded to Jesus and indeed how we respond. If the child whose birth we have celebrated is God’s chosen one, the bearer of God’s Holy Spirit, the Universal Lord, how do we respond?

This brings us to the subject of call or vocation. We often used those words in a specific way say to refer to a vocation to the priesthood or to a religious vocation. Dioceses arrange vocations days to encourage people to think of such things. But while that is quite a valid use of the term, vocation or calling has a much wider import. You can have a vocation to teaching or medicine or to science or to theatre. But furthermore there is a general sense of the word referring to our Christian vocation, that sense of calling that brought us to faith and to baptism or to a renewal of faith. And in using the term I think it is helpful to say that it is not a once for all thing. I firmly believe from my own experience that we can successive callings at various stages of life. I know as a 19 year old I had a strong sense of calling to a more mature faith. I also know that a later date I had an equally strong sense of calling to Christian priesthood. And at other times I have had a sense of ratification or confirmation of my calling. All of them are vocational experiences and have validity to my spiritual story.

But another problem in talking about vocation is that we tend to stereotype this business of call. Perhaps from our biblical knowledge we expect a vision or a disembodied voice or something objective that can be measured and proven. But one of the things that strikes me about the biblical record is the sheer variety of the ways in which God calls and in which vocation is realized.

The Gospel passage from John presents us with a very direct encounter between Jesus and some disciples. It is direct and immediate. The well-known reading from 1 Samuel tells of a very different experience of the boy Samuel. His is the voice in the night mistaken twice for the voice of his master Eli. It is only through the discernment of another, in this case Eli, that Samuel is instructed how to respond and what to say should he hear the voice again. Having worked in the area of vocation development and formation for many years I am well aware of the importance of the issue of discernment by the church through experienced and wise counselors. For many people this is the only way in which their calling will be recognized and responded to. Of course there are other models. By contrast think of Isaiah and his heavenly vision. His was the full Broadway production with lights, color and movement. In any case the outcome was the same. Samuel said “Speak Lord for your servant is listening” and Isaiah said “ Here I am send me.” Both responded to very different but related experiences. Another example from the Old Testament is the experience of Elijah in the cave after he had fled from the wicked Ahab and Jezebel. His calling as a prophet appeared to be in tatters. Subjected to all sorts of dramatic physical activity, wind, fire, tempest, in the end Elijah heard God in the “still small voice” or in the “sound of sheer silence” to use the NRSV translation. Elijah’s experience was an interior one, one of a sense of presence discovered in the peaceful isolation of the cave.

Over late Advent and Christmas though we heard about a succession of angelic announcements: Mary’s annunciation; Joseph’s annunciation and then the angelic announcement to the shepherds. Fr. McPherson addressed the annunciation to Mary through traditional artistic representations and particularly through those of Fra Angelico(by the way the exhibition closes on end January and is in fact open this holiday Monday). But on Friday I took myself to see another much smaller exhibition(in fact 6 paintings in all) by the lesser known but significant Renaissance artist, Antonello Da Messina. The exhibition was occasioned by the loan of three of his few surviving works by the government of Sicily. At the heart of the exhibit is a remarkable work entitled “Virgin Annunciate” showing the Virgin Mary at the moment of annunciation but without the angel. Mary is facing the viewer but glancing to our left. One hand is slightly raised towards us. Her face is deeply thoughtful. Such is the interiority of this depiction that I felt that there was no angel there but rather she was experiencing some extraordinary vocational moment within. She is at her prayers or spiritual reading and her mind is distracted for a moment. There is a physicality in the moment: why is her hand raised? Is she saying “surely not me” or “how could this be” or simply “wait a moment”? I sensed in looking at this remarkably beautiful picture a vocational struggle that is so true to life. For many of us the issue of vocation is not a matter of clear choice, of defined experiences or moments about which we can be absolutely objective or certain, but often a series of experiences which seem to intimate a way to go an alternative to where we are now.

To speak personally for a moment I did have a particular vocational experience over forty years ago which led me to offer for ordination to the priesthood. It was at a particular time, at least I can say within a week. There was no voice, no vision of an angel. But there was the development of a degree of certainty about the way I should go with my life that caused me to speak to my parents, my best friend and his father and the local Rector. It was following that that there were a series of confirmatory experiences some of which I have shared with you before. I think that is why Antonello’s Virgin Annuciate so resonated with me. Here was a Mary I could see struggling with the whole of issue of her vocation to bear the Son of God. Yet at the same time you could feel her deep sense of readiness in the calmness of her disposition.

St Paul also knew about vocational experience. After all his call on the Road to Damascus was about as sudden and dramatic as it gets. What he realized and never forgot through his ministry was that this was not a matter of choice for him. In a sense he had no alternative; he could not escape. He knew that the initiative was Gods and he could not avoid that. So he reminds the Corinthian church(a church whose members were boastful about their relationship and standing with God and in particular about the spiritual gifts that they exhibited) that all they have received is from God. “You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” And “you were brought for a price; therefore glorify God in your body.”

Each of us is here today because in one way or another we have been called into the Body of Christ. For some this vocation to faith may lead into further vocational experience. But wherever we stand or however we regard our spiritual experience or lack thereof, never forget that our God calls us into his love and into relationship with his son, Jesus Christ, and that he does not give up on us. Like Samuel experienced God goes on calling us. We pray that not only will we hear but that we will be helped to recognize the call for what it is, God’s approach to us to call us further into his heart of love.   Amen

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