Vocations Sunday

This weekend we celebrate Vocations Sunday, when we’re all encouraged to reflect on our own vocation in life, our own call from God to be servants of His love in our world, and when we’re encouraged to also give some time to pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life.  We all have a vocation in life, because a vocation is a total commitment to a way of life that God asks you to take on.  We see endless examples throughout our lives – parents who live to raise their children in goodness, people who work to educate the next generation, to nurse the current generation, to help the struggling, to encourage the afraid, to keep company with the lonely, to silently offer prayer for the world, to change society, to build the common good and to introduce the caring, loving face of God into every place they walk and work and are.  We all have a call from God, and this weekend, let’s all pray that God will give us the courage to answer that call and use whatever our talents may be to make a positive difference with our lives, and the courage to bravely stand for only good in our homes, communities and world.  You may not see the difference from living your vocation out, but others will always benefit from your efforts and work, and that is the reward that will in turn be rewarded by God.  But let’s spare a prayer also for vocations to the priesthood, that more young men may have the support of families and communities to give priesthood a try.  God always call’s people to that ministry, but sometimes the world doesn’t encourage them to say yes.  Your encouragement may be the one that sees a priest ordained in the future because you supported him.  Your prayer could be the one that means in the future a parish will have someone to offer Mass, lead prayer, baptise, marry, anoint the sick, comfort the bereaved and bury the dead.  We don’t miss things until they’re gone.  Pray well that we need never miss the grace of a priest in your parish when he’s needed most.  Vocation Sunday is a day for us all – a day we can all promise to try our best to do what God wants from us, and when we all promise to do our bit to encourage others in their lives too.  If we can do no more, we can all pray for a better world, a more Godly world rooted in the our generous reply to God’s gentle ask. 

With best wishes – Fr O’Neill