This Sunday we commemorate the Baptism of the Lord, a beautiful feast because it is when the Lord enters the water of baptism to fulfill the law, “but more importantly to make the water holy for us for our baptism” (St. Augustine). The feast is also one in which all of us remember our baptismal vows, but also an excellent time for those of us who have made vows to religious and \ or ordained life to renew our vows and remember our call (vocation) to serve the Lord either in consecrated life (religious) or as ordained (bishops, priests, and deacons). I know that religious renew their vows on the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, but we can also do them here as well.
In our parish this week we are also kicking off Vocations Awareness week. We are doing this in order to promote vocations which are necessary and integral to the very life of the Church. As Christians we all need to be planting the seed and encouraging people to consider priesthood, religious life, and the diaconate. The call stirs in many but either through the obstacles of life or even our own lack of enthusiasm makes people draw back. We are here to keep that call alive, and the “we” is all of us!
The priesthood and religious life is integral to the Church, it is not just functionary, but a very limb or organ of the body that is needed in order for the body to work well.
As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit. Now the body is not a single part, but many. . . But as it is, God placed the parts, each one of them, in the body as he intended. 1 (Cor. 12:12-14, 18)
Each and every person is part of the royal priesthood as is given to us in our baptism, c.f. 1 Peter 2:9. Out of the assembly of believers (royal priesthood) God calls some to a particular vocation, either religious life or to be ordained, and in some cases both as there are religious priests, i.e. Jesuits, Franciscans, etc. “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers . . . (Eph. 4:11)
Again, everyone is called to spread the Gospel, but not everyone is called to carry that out in the same manner as can be clearly understood in Scripture, for instance not everyone is Peter, not everyone makes the decisions, i.e. St. Paul instructing Timothy to oversee his local Church and ordain bishops, etc. Some God calls to be priests so that they will teach in an official form in the Church through preaching, by example and word and to offer sacraments. From this group others are called to lead and serve in an even more profound manner, i.e. bishops. Others are called to preach and serve and assist bishops and priests, i.e. deacons. And still others make a consecration and vows to a group (community) to live out a certain charism and spread the Gospel through prayer, corporal works of mercy and other pastoral works.
The life of a religious, deacon, or priest is not easy, one gives up much, but one does so in order that his or her hands may be left wide open to assist his or her brothers and sisters 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. The gifts we receive are the people themselves whom we minister to.
In my five plus years serving as a priest I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is what God made me for, to be a priest. When I bring the Good News to someone, i.e., sacraments, fellowship, prayer, etc., I know of no better thing in life that I could be doing. Vacation is fun, parties are great, going to the movies I like quite a bit, but serving and praying with God’s people makes all that other stuff pale in comparison, actually they don’t compare at all.
Many people have answers to why there is a shortage in priesthood and religious life, there are many reasons I am sure, but nevertheless, I still believe that God calls even through the grayness of our current problems. There are some out there right now who may have thought about religious life or priesthood, some reading this right now may have done so, if you feel a call I encourage you to take that first step and inquire about it. Religious life, diaconate, and priesthood is a call from God, sometimes that call is loud and clear, other times it comes in whispers, but either way if it is God calling wouldn’t you want to know that more clearly and take the first step towards Him. The rewards in being a priest, deacon or religious are great, better than anything else in this world, not because we may become a superior, a bishop or pastor, but the rewards are God’s people, to be united to them in building up the Body of Christ is awesome, so much so you can see the Spirit of God descending like a dove upon you and a voice affirming in your heart, “You are my beloved child, with whom I am well pleased.”
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