We are all called to a Vocation

(Originally written for my church bulletin)

A few weeks ago I was standing at the top of a hill, facing in a northerly direction.  There was a sheer drop of 30 to 40 feet just beyond where I stood. This gave me a wonderful view of a small valley that lay before me. Cattle were in the valley and they grazed on the green grass oblivious to the fog that hung around them. I could just make out the mountains that rose up on the other side of the valley. To my right the fog was slowly lifting as the sun climbed over the small mountainous hills on the southeast side of the valley. You could see blue sky peak through the fog. It was going to be a beautiful day. I thanked the Lord.

I did not thank the Lord for allowing me to see the beautiful example of His creation. I did not thank Him for the cool sunny fall morning that was about to burst forth out of the fog. I did not thank Him for the retreat that brought me to this spot. At that moment, I recalled how much my life had changed over the last 13 years; the friends that I have made and the friends I may have lost. I thought of the moments of joy I have been part of at baptisms and weddings and the moments of sadness at hospitals and funerals. I thought of all the people I have met who come from all walks of life and yet I did not thank the Lord for this either.

God calls all of us to a vocation. It has been through my vocational call to the Diaconate that I have been able to experience these things I write about. What is your vocation? Even if you have found joy and happiness, do you still feel a lack contentment or fulfillment? That emptiness could be coming from your heart. A vocation is God's invitation to love and serve him. If we do not follow the vocation God has called us to, then we will always have that feeling of emptiness or lack of completeness. 

Jesus tells us we are to love our neighbor as our self. Pope Benedict Emeritus wrote that our neighbor is anyone we can help. Maybe you have a vocation already and do not realize it. Do you check on an elderly neighbor? Maybe you help watch neighborhood children. Do you assist the home-bound or the homeless? Any of these things could be the vocation that God is calling you to. Open yourself up to the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit. Find the vocation God has for you. It does not matter how important you think it is. If God is calling you to a certain vocation, then it is important to Him.

Saint Teresa of Calcutta is quoted as saying: "Not all of us can do great things. We can only do small things with great love." That is all God wants from you; to do what He asks of you and to do it with love. Standing on that hill, I thought of all the blessings that I have received through my vocation and I thanked the Lord. Find your vocation and you will find what I thanked the Lord for.

Our call to Stewardship (Homily-32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time)

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishop's website under Stewardship states:

“As Christian stewards, we receive God's gifts gratefully, cultivate them responsibly, share them lovingly in justice with others, and return them with increase to the Lord.”

The Bible tells us that we all have received gifts from God to use for the good of others. In 1st Peter we read:

 “As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace.”

We all are called to use the gifts God has given us and thus glorify God by the proper use of them. The first examples of using gifts received from God are those given to the Church by Jesus. The most obvious gifts used by the Church are the sacraments. The Church celebrates Mass every day of the week, allowing all Catholics the daily opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist. The Church makes sure our children are prepared for the reception of First Holy Communion and Confirmation. Couples learn about love, grace and commitment when the church prepares them for the sacrament of marriage. Adult faith formation is offered to help adults continue their spiritual growth. The Church is investing its time, talent and treasures in its people.

Parishes also have members who themselves who give time, talent and treasure to the Church. These volunteers help and support the many ministries of a church. Volunteers will share their gift of song by being part of the choir. The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults will have volunteers that teach those catechumens and candidates who desire to join our faith. Churches will have volunteers that form a hospitality ministry so all visitors will feel welcomed.  CCD programs will have adults who volunteer their time in both preparation and teaching of your children as they continue to grow in their faith.

Many church volunteers are in the role of teacher or as they are called by the Church, catechist. A catechist is a person that passes on our faith.  The National Directory for Catechist says the call of a catechist is a vocation, an interior call, the voice of the Holy Spirit. The Church defines vocation as God’s invitation to love and serve him. By our creation we all are called to love and serve God. That love and service comes through the vocation God has given us.

Thoughts on Catechetical Sunday

This is from the Column I wrote for our Church Bulletin dated September 21, 2015.  It includes some words from a talk I gave at a retreat for our catechist.  Some of these thoughts were also included in my post of August 10, 2014.

Today the Church is celebrating Catechetical Sunday. This is when we recognize those whom the community has designated to serve as catechists. The word catechist comes from the Greek word “echo”. Catechists are people who echo the Word of God. Catechists teach those who seek to learn more about the Catholic faith. This includes our children in CCD classes (Parish School of Religion) and those in the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults). Catechetical Sunday is a wonderful opportunity for all, not just catechist, to reflect on the role that every person plays, by virtue of Baptism, in handing on the faith and being a witness to the Gospel. Catechetical Sunday is a time for all to rededicate themselves to this mission of being a witness to the Gospels as a Catholic community of faith.

The Vatican II document Lumen Gentium states that in the Church not everyone walks along the same path, yet all are called to holiness. By Baptism we are all incorporated into Christ and become the people of God. We each play a unique part in continuing the mission of Jesus in the church and in the world. Lumen Gentium also talks about the vocation of the laity. Vocation is defined as God’s invitation to love and serve him and his church in a particular state or way of life. The laity’s vocation flows from the grace of Baptism. It is the special vocation of all to seek the kingdom of God. We show this by the witness of our life as we illuminate Christ to others. The National Directory for Catechist further emphasizes the vocational call by stating that the ministry of a catechist is a vocation, an interior call, the voice of the Holy Spirit.

Have you considered that through Baptism you are given a vocation? Have you thought about how God has given you an invitation to love and serve him through the passing on of the faith to others? This vocation, this invitation by God to serve him, guides your heart, mind and soul. It is the reason why catechist set aside time for prayer and preparation to teach both our children and adults who desire to learn more about the Catholic faith.

Strengthen your Baptismal vocation at every opportunity. Include in your spiritual life personal prayer time, a love of the Trinity, faithful practice of our Catholic beliefs, be convinced of the truth of our Catholic faith, have a devotion to Holy Mary and actively participate in our parish community, especially Sunday Eucharist. The strength of your spiritual life is an important component to your vocation. Listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Be guided and strengthen in your vocation.