Knowing life vocation

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I heard there was three significant vocations including single life, married life, and religious life. Do people usually know their vocations usually in their 20s? If they don’t then will they ever know their vocation
 
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jzea1992 said:
Do people find their vocations usually in their 20s? If they don’t then will they ever know their vocation and purpose?
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Depends on what you mean by vocation.

If you mean a vocation to the religious life, I have no idea.

If you mean in the sense of career and family, I’m not sure that the question’s really valid. What a person is called to do in many arenas changes throughout life and isn’t necessarily a matter of God having created each person to fit one career perfectly. For example, I’m a practicing engineer and pretty happy with that choice, but I’d probably be equally happy with legal academia, engineering academia, tobacconist, or a number of other professions.

I think the idea that everyone has a particular purpose that they have to identify to be happy is fallacious. I think a happy life is about living life well, whatever path you take down it.

I have no idea if any of that made sense.
 
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At one time, most people had a sense of their vocation within a couple of years of graduating from high school. Many by the time they graduated! Alas! Our society is different because of the extension of childhood well into the teenage years, and the attitude of college-for-all coupled with getting all you can (socially) out of college. The result is that many people are not mature even by the time they leave college. I think once someone has matured, at whatever that age may be, the desire to live one of these lives over the other will become obvious.
 
If you think you might have a vocation to religious life, then ideally you should be discerning that in your 20s and early 30s, since many orders and seminaries may have a preferred age range, an age cutoff, and possible concerns about whether you’ve incurred a lot of debt, have children etc. The longer you wait, the more likely you are to have some obstacles.

If you are just discerning between single and married, then the reality is that you may need to go with the flow. The right person for you to marry might not present themself in your 20s, or you might need to focus more on finishing school than seeking a marriage partner. Also, the reality is that a lot of spend part of our lives single and part of our lives married. A spouse can die, and marriages that seemed solid can break up despite your best efforts. I was single until I was 31 years old, then I was married for 23 years and then he died so now back to single. I have a relationship with the Lord and a duty to love and serve him regardless of my marital state, so I’m not too concerned about whether my vocation is or was single or married. In addition, I could join a lay order as a single or married person, so that could be part of my vocation too.
 
Heh. I’ve watched all Father Mike’s videos and didn’t realize until now that he has so many videos regarding vocations.
 
I am still discerning and I have no idea (and I’m in my 20s).
 
If you have an idea that you have a vocation then start praying on it and let God unfold it in his own time whatever it is , as these things are usually not quick. By that I just mean, if you think you have a vocation then don’t think oh I’m too young I’ll think about it in a few years, do what the Holy Spirit is nudging you to do when He is nudging you. Don’t worry about time limits too much though, yes religious life often does take younger ladies but a very few orders take ladies up until their early 40’s, though you do have to be healthy. Also Secular Institutes and Third Orders are something you didnt mention which are also vocations and most of them you can join at any age.

Whatever you do make sure you live your faith and then you can’t go wrong cos God will lead you at the right time.
 
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