1 Samuel 3:1-10., 19-20 / Mark 1:29-39
The general understanding of the word “vocation” is that it is a person's employment or main occupation, or being in a trade or profession.
Or it can mean having a strong sense or feeling of suitability for a particular career or occupation.
But in the spiritual sense, vocation is understood as a call from God.
It is God who calls, and to whoever God is calling, it is for that person to respond.
So, it can be simply put as this: God initiates, we participate.
In the 1st reading, the Lord called out to the young Samuel, but it was after some discernment from the elder Eli that Samuel was able to respond to God.
God was calling Samuel to be a prophet, and as a prophet Samuel’s first and recurring response would be: Speak Lord, your servant is listening.
In the gospel, Jesus carried out His mission of teaching, healing, curing and deliverance.
But He would go off early in the morning to a lonely place to pray.
For Jesus, He too needs to constantly respond to His Father’s call to be the Saviour.
Like Jesus, we too need to pray, and God will reveal to us what our vocation in life is.