I am delighted if not a little overawed to have been asked to take on the work of Vocations Director for the Diocese. Overawed, not least because it is a great work for the Church in challenging times, but also because I have a hard act to follow, after the very blessed and fruitful work undertaken by Fr Gerard Robinson who has held the post for the last five years. Yet it is a very exciting work and one in which, in a sense, I really cannot fail. Why? Because as Pope Benedict reminds us in his Message for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations which is on 25th April, “The fruitfulness of our efforts to promote vocations depends primarily on God’s free action…”, and how could the Lord not want us to have more priests – since the harvest is still rich and the labourers few? I truly believe that we could be about to see a growth of vocations to the priesthood and the religious life. God’s grace is certain; all that is required is our generous cooperation.
Perhaps part of my job is to remind us what form that “generous cooperation” should take. Firstly it must begin with genuine prayer for vocations. Our prayer must not remain abstract. You must pray for your sons and the young men you know in your parishes and schools to stay close to the Lord and listen to whatever he is calling them to do for him. As Bishop Terence reminds us as he visits parishes, “your priest is somebody’s son and so your son could be somebody’s priest”. Secondly recalling Bishop Crowley’s homily at a Chrism Mass quite a few years ago, we must further ensure that our parishes are “schools of prayer” and apostolic activity where the faith is truly and generously lived and shared. It really isn’t rocket science or something that is beyond us. So often the young men applying to the diocese have spoken of the formative influence of prayer in their homes as children, family prayers, which with hindsight they pinpoint as the beginning of their life of faith, their personal relationship with the Lord whom they believe is now calling them. And just as we all know the risk of being so absorbed with the work of the Lord that we do not get to know the Lord of the work, in seeking to involve young people in the life of the parish we mustn’t want them to become so involved in ‘doing things’ that they never have a moment to ‘do prayer’.
Thirdly, those of us who think we are now following our vocations must give a generous, selfless and joyful witness! ‘Physician heal thyself’. Well Pope Benedict also notes that “if young people see priests who appear distant and sad, they will hardly feel encouraged to follow their example”. If I endeavour to be more like the Cure of Ars, the saintly patron of parish priests, Jean Marie Vianney, who spent most of the day either before the tabernacle or hearing confessions and exuded great joy, instead of like Fr Jack or Fr Ted, then the job is almost done. The Holy Father recalls words of his predecessor, the beloved Servant of God John Paul II, “The very life of priests, their unconditional dedication to God’s flock, their witness of loving service to the Lord and to his Church… their fraternal unity and zeal for the evangelisation of the world are the first and most convincing factor in the growth of vocations”.
But it is generous, selfless and joyful witness in all vocations which will provide that fertile seedbed for new vocations to emerge and grow. So important is the witness of those who are married for the encouragement of those who are already priests and future priests. Where there is deep and warm love between husband and wife which is also generous in welcoming children for God, for the Church and for society, it does inspire a generosity in and for the priestly life.
For the truth is, we all have a unique vocation, a calling to service in the Kingdom. Jesus Christ is the one through whom we were made and for whom we were made. As he counts ‘every hair on our head’ he also has a plan for each one of us, and for some it will definitely be the priesthood, for he does not want to leave his flock untended. God calls, we still have sovereign freedom to say, like the prophets of old, ‘Speak Lord… I will go Lord’. Can we respond generously to his call together and support one another in the utter certainty that God is never outdone in generosity?
Why we could see a growth of vocations
I am delighted if not a little overawed to have been asked to take on the work of Vocations Director for the Diocese. Overawed, not least because it is a great work for the Church in challenging times, but also because I have a hard act to follow, after the very blessed and fruitful work undertaken by Fr Gerard Robinson who has held the post for the last five years. Yet it is a very exciting work and one in which, in a sense, I really cannot fail. Why? Because as Pope Benedict reminds us in his Message for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations which is on 25th April, “The fruitfulness of our efforts to promote vocations depends primarily on God’s free action…”, and how could the Lord not want us to have more priests – since the harvest is still rich and the labourers few? I truly believe that we could be about to see a growth of vocations to the priesthood and the religious life. God’s grace is certain; all that is required is our generous cooperation.
Perhaps part of my job is to remind us what form that “generous cooperation” should take. Firstly it must begin with genuine prayer for vocations. Our prayer must not remain abstract. You must pray for your sons and the young men you know in your parishes and schools to stay close to the Lord and listen to whatever he is calling them to do for him. As Bishop Terence reminds us as he visits parishes, “your priest is somebody’s son and so your son could be somebody’s priest”. Secondly recalling Bishop Crowley’s homily at a Chrism Mass quite a few years ago, we must further ensure that our parishes are “schools of prayer” and apostolic activity where the faith is truly and generously lived and shared. It really isn’t rocket science or something that is beyond us. So often the young men applying to the diocese have spoken of the formative influence of prayer in their homes as children, family prayers, which with hindsight they pinpoint as the beginning of their life of faith, their personal relationship with the Lord whom they believe is now calling them. And just as we all know the risk of being so absorbed with the work of the Lord that we do not get to know the Lord of the work, in seeking to involve young people in the life of the parish we mustn’t want them to become so involved in ‘doing things’ that they never have a moment to ‘do prayer’.
Thirdly, those of us who think we are now following our vocations must give a generous, selfless and joyful witness! ‘Physician heal thyself’. Well Pope Benedict also notes that “if young people see priests who appear distant and sad, they will hardly feel encouraged to follow their example”. If I endeavour to be more like the Cure of Ars, the saintly patron of parish priests, Jean Marie Vianney, who spent most of the day either before the tabernacle or hearing confessions and exuded great joy, instead of like Fr Jack or Fr Ted, then the job is almost done. The Holy Father recalls words of his predecessor, the beloved Servant of God John Paul II, “The very life of priests, their unconditional dedication to God’s flock, their witness of loving service to the Lord and to his Church… their fraternal unity and zeal for the evangelisation of the world are the first and most convincing factor in the growth of vocations”.
But it is generous, selfless and joyful witness in all vocations which will provide that fertile seedbed for new vocations to emerge and grow. So important is the witness of those who are married for the encouragement of those who are already priests and future priests. Where there is deep and warm love between husband and wife which is also generous in welcoming children for God, for the Church and for society, it does inspire a generosity in and for the priestly life.
For the truth is, we all have a unique vocation, a calling to service in the Kingdom. Jesus Christ is the one through whom we were made and for whom we were made. As he counts ‘every hair on our head’ he also has a plan for each one of us, and for some it will definitely be the priesthood, for he does not want to leave his flock untended. God calls, we still have sovereign freedom to say, like the prophets of old, ‘Speak Lord… I will go Lord’. Can we respond generously to his call together and support one another in the utter certainty that God is never outdone in generosity?