“Vocational Awareness“
By Fr. Isaiah Schick
This past week was Vocational Awareness Week. The glossary of the Catechism of the Catholic Church states that: “Vocation is the calling or destiny we have in this life and hereafter. God has created the human person to love and service him; the fulfillment of this vocation is eternal happiness. The vocation of the laity consists of seeking the Kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and directing them according to God’s will. Priestly and religious vocations are dedicated to the service of the Church as the universal sacrament of salvation.” Vocations are all about living out the Christian life of love, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. On our parish website, under the “Get Involved” tab, we have a page on the various vocations, with links to things like various religious orders for men and women, as well as to the diocesan website for priestly vocations: “Called North”. I hope it can be a diving board for any young man or woman who wants a first glimpse at what the various consecrated vocations can look like. If a vocation is a call from God, and the Church’s mission is to help people respond to God’s invitation of grace for them, then encouraging vocations and good discernment is inherent to the Church’s mission! We need holy marriages. We need holy priests. We need holy religious sisters and brothers. The vocation of God for each person will lead to their happiness in this life, and even more importantly, in the life to come! Do not be afraid of what the Lord’s plan for your life is! If anyone wants to dig a little deeper into God’s calling in their life, the priests and deacon of the parish would love to pray and speak with you, to help you begin your discernment or to continue from where you are. If you are a parent or grandparent who has a child or grandchild discerning their vocation – encourage them to follow the advice of Mary, Our Blessed Mother: “Do whatever he tells you!” (John 2:5). And if parents or grandparents need help or encouragement, again we would love to pray and speak with you as well! We don’t only pray for an increase in religious vocations at Mass – we can pray for an increase in religious vocations every day at home, as well as for an increase in holy marriages and a strengthening of grace for those already living in their vocation. This could be through a rosary, either individually or as a family. Or during prayers before dinner or before bedtime.
O God, we earnestly ask You to bless our Diocese with many priests, brothers, sisters, and deacons who will love You with their whole mind and heart and gladly spend their entire lives serving Your Church and making You known and loved. Bless our families, bless our children, and choose from our homes those needed for Your work. Mary, Queen of the Clergy, pray for us; pray for our priests, religious and deacons. Obtain for us many more. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.