By Kaelanne Jordan
kjordan.camsel@rcpos.org
As the nation joins the world today (April 22) in observing World Day of Prayer for Vocations, the Episcopal Vicar for Vocations and Priestly Formations, Fr Matthew d’Hereaux urges citizens to embrace the notion of “call” as becoming part of the Church’s culture as we are all called through baptism and discipleship.
He believes at another level, the need to “demystify” the notion of call is critical as average Catholics assume they are far removed from it.
“The notion of call has to be democratised…the Christian call is not for a few…A call is placed on every heart but for different aspects of Church’s mission. Having created a mindset of call to all the baptised and, an openness to a call by everyone, the faithful should ask: ‘What is God calling me to: marriage, priesthood, religious life or lay consecrated life?’”.
This call, d’Hereaux says, is one every Catholic should ask him/herself especially in one’s teenage and young adult years.
The parish priest at St Joseph RC, St Joseph said in praying for vocations, we take seriously the injunction of the Lord himself who said we must ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers into the harvest; the psalmist who said if the labourers labour without the Lord, he labours in vain; and “if the watchman watched the city without the Lord, he watches in vain”.
These scriptures affirm that the Church relies on God’s grace in its vocations promotions ministry.
“As such, we have the strong hope that the Lord will continue to raise up men and women to serve the Church in its mission,” he said.
While citizens must do all in their power to create parishes, schools and families supportive and encouraging of vocations, Fr d’Hereaux stressed Catholics must build the kind of parishes, schools and families that better allow men and women to respond to religious and lay and consecrated life.
He prayed the Good Shepherd touches the hearts of men and women called to vocation so they may be willing to be labourers in His harvest. – KJ
