The concept of vocation, which comes from the Latin word vocaĭo, refers to a person’s tendency towards a certain job, activity or state. On the other hand, service refers, in its broadest sense, to the act and consequence of serving: being available to someone, being useful for something.
The idea of service vocation, in this way, is linked to the predisposition of an individual to satisfy the needs of another. Those who have a vocation for service, therefore, are inclined to offer collaboration or help. The vocation of service can be related to solidarity and altruistic action. By rendering a supportive service, the person receives a reward that can be classified as internal or spiritual: the satisfaction of doing what he thinks is right. On the other hand, it is not intended to satisfy a material interest or obtain another type of income.
There are many people who can be said to have or feel a remarkable vocation for service. Specifically, we refer both to those who decide to collaborate with an NGO that defends a humanitarian cause and to those who work as volunteers in associations for places in need. And that without forgetting those we see every day, who have gone to certain corners of the planet to help refugees fleeing their countries in search of a better life. Of course, those who decide, for example, to collaborate, helping those who live and sleep on the street on a daily basis, giving them company, food and even hot drinks, also have this vocation. Selfishness, comfort and laziness are issues that are left aside when the human being puts into practice his vocation of service. Suppose a woman decides to spend her spare time preparing food and serving needy neighbors in her neighborhood. This person may spend this time sleeping, watching television or shopping, but she prefers to lean towards her vocation of service to improve the lives of others. In the field of religion, the vocation to service is associated with God’s call to “listen” to those who dedicate themselves to ecclesiastical life. The man who chooses celibacy and chastity to be a priest will be demonstrating his vocation of service to give himself to the community and to God. However, as a general rule, when most people speak of a vocation to service in the religious realm, it is when they refer to missionary calls. These are people, men and women, who belong to a religious order and who believe that the best way to serve others is to work in disadvantaged areas of the planet. What they do exactly is travel to places in the Third World with the clear purpose of helping the citizens of these enclaves not only to have faith in God, but to improve their quality of life. Thus, they begin to act as teachers of children, to develop health tasks in favor of those who have an illness, to teach them trades that allow them to survive and have a livelihood…
