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National Vocation Awareness Week is celebrated this year the first week of November. This week is dedicated to promoting vocations to the priesthood, to the permanent diaconate and to the consecrated life.
The Lord calls each of us into a relationship with him in a very personal way. This includes a specific vocation into which we live out this relationship. For most people, it will be a vocation to marriage; for others it might be a vocation to a single life; but for others it will be a vocation to the priesthood, the permanent diaconate or to a life in a religious order – the consecrated life.
National Vocation Awareness Week is a time where we focus our prayers and support for young people in our diocese who might be considering one of these particular vocations. We pray that they may respond generously with open hearts and willing spirits if the Lord calls them.
Prayer and Trust
The road to a fruitful vocation culture comes through prayer and trust, but ultimately it doesn’t happen without hard work done by everyone. Vocation awareness is the work of all the baptized.
Living one’s vocation first comes out of our own acceptance of Christ’s call to holiness. Accepting our individual call to holiness should naturally lead us to a life of evangelization, sharing the “good news” about our vocation to marriage, priesthood, religious life, or the generous single life.
Answering God's Call
Evangelizing means sharing our faith by word and example and what it has meant to answer God’s call in our own lives. It is sharing with others the great things that God has done and is doing in whatever vocation we have accepted.
All vocations are meant to be a public witness of the Gospel. It’s not about a livelihood or a career choice, but a relationship with Jesus and a way of life. We discover our vocations as we enter into a serious relationship with Jesus through prayer, reflection and the sacramental life of the Church. If these important ingredients are not a part of our lives, we will never come to know the Lord’s unique plan for our lives.
God knows What is Best for Us
God knows what is best for us. Every vocation is part of a divine plan. God wants us to be happy in life and knows what will make us the happiest and most fulfilled person that we can possibly be. That will happen when we discover our unique place in God’s kingdom……our vocation.
I discovered my own vocation to the priesthood when I took a risk and began to pray these words: “Lord, what do you want me to do with the rest of my life? I will do anything you ask!”
Yes, it is a bold prayer. Yes, it is a risky prayer. But it is also an honest prayer and speaks of a desire to seek and do the will of God. Because doing the will of God is where we find true happiness.
Friends, we all know that there is a vocation shortage in the Diocese of Saginaw. Yes, we have increased the number of seminarians this year from 4 to 7. This is a blessing. Don’t forget to keep them in your prayers. But the Lord wants to bless this diocese with more priests. The Lord is calling more men to the priesthood, more women to religious life in this diocese. But we all have to play our role in fostering vocations. Through your baptism, you have naturally become a vocation recruiter.
Fostering Vocations in the Family
Most vocations come from Catholic homes where the faith is practiced, nourished and then passed on; where the children can grow up experiencing in their own homes the beauty and dignity of the married vocation, the fidelity and depth of true love. Family life can build values integral to a strong vocation – whether to priesthood, religious life or marriage. Teaching your children to value commitment, service and prayer will help them make strong vocation decisions as adults and live out those vocations with success and fulfillment.
Fostering Vocations in a Parish
There are four essential ingredients to fostering Church vocations in a parish: Prayer, Awareness, Invitation, and Affirmation. Prayer for young people that they may hear and listen to the Lord’s call; Find ways to raise vocation awareness in your parishes; Invite young men and women who you think have the qualities to be a good priest or religious. Initiations are key. Many priests never thought about the priesthood until an invitation was extended to them to consider it. If someone is thinking of this type of vocation, affirm them and support them in their pursuit of their vocation.
For those who might be thinking about a religious vocation....if there is the possibility that God may be inviting you to this....following God in faith is not about having it all figured out; following God in faith is not about knowing how or where it is all going to end before you do something about it. That isn’t faith at all. Don’t let FEAR get in the way. Taking the first step is first figuring out if this seems to be of God.......if it seems right.....and then allowing the Lord to lead you through the process to wherever it might end.
And finally, as we celebrate National Vocation Awareness Week, as we work, support, and pray for vocations, don’t forget to thank the Lord for the priests, deacons and religious who are currently serving the Lord and serving you in this diocese. We are deeply grateful for their vocation and ministry to all of us.
Blessings to you all!
Bishop Robert Gruss
LEARN MORE ABOUT PRIESTHOOD VOCATIONS IN OUR DIOCESE
LEARN MORE ABOUT DIFFERENT VOCATIONS
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