Vocations Awareness Weekend

A few weeks ago we had our presbyteral convocation, an annual meeting of all the priests in the diocese.  I always look forward to it since I don’t always get to see my brother priests, so this annual event is beneficial on many levels, brother priests getting together for prayer, mass, social events, talks, training and some nice walks on the beach in Avalon.

At the end of the convocation Bishop gives his annual address to his priests.  Bishop Sullivan is an excellent speaker; he is down to earth, motivating, and inspiring.  You can clearly see he loves his priesthood and his desire to share that love is evident.  In his talk he made a number of points for us to consider as we move forward as a Diocese.  There was one point in particular that really hit home for me and that was that each of us priests is a vocation director and not just the man who holds that particular office, who by the way is Fr. Michael Romano.

I wish to extend that call by Bishop Sullivan and say that each and every single one of us is a Vocation Director.  You as parents are the first teachers, directors if you will of your children, shaping, molding and directing them towards first of all being model Christians, and then teaching them about vocations in life, i.e. marriage, family, priesthood, the single life.  Parents are the first to teach their children, and then it falls to teachers, us priests, religious, deacons, mentors to continue to plant seeds in those searching for their vocation.

There are young men out there who are thinking about priesthood.  It is our duty as a parish to help those seek out a vocation.  We are to encourage and challenge our young to make that call towards God in serving His people at the Altar and beyond.  This is done simply by asking a young man, “Did you ever consider the priesthood,” or by encouraging him, “I think you would make a wonderful priest.”

The response to priesthood is an honorable and blessed life.  Yes we give up some things, such as marriage, children, or the pursuit of advancement and riches, but we receive in marriage the People of God, we receive in children not just physical-blood offspring, but all children, and instead of the riches of the world we receive the riches of the Church.  Though we are not religious as diocesan priests we still take on a spirit of poverty in order to focus on what is true wealth, our relationships with our parishioners.  What a call indeed and what blessings.  When I was fifteen years old I did not see it, the blessings in all of that, but through others continuing to plant seeds in me I eventually understood the call when I was 26 years old and responded to God.  I thank the Lord that I did, I could not picture any other life for myself and my prayer is that if you are thinking about this call to priesthood that you answer it as I did and take up the call of Jesus our Savior to serve His people.  God bless you, Fr. John