Khelawan finds his calling
October 3, 2019
Something to think about
October 3, 2019
Generation S is launching Vocations Awareness Week 2019 on Sunday, November 10 and encouraging the entire family to pray for vocations.
It is envisioned that Catholic families would gather, for example, around a meal, or at any other convenient time and pray for vocations to the priesthood, religious life and lay consecrated life in our Archdiocese. Generation S believes that the mission of the Church is carried not only by the lay faithful but men and women who are ordained and consecrated. The Mission of the Church is carried by the ordained, the consecrated as well as the single and the married of our Church.
As a team, we listen to the Spirit and fulfil God’s will in the world. They could even pray for openness among their own family members to the call of Christ to serve as priest, brother or religious sister.
On Monday, November 11, all Catholics are encouraged to wear something green. Green shirts, blouses, pants and socks or, ribbons even would suffice. Green is the colour of hope. This activity is one of solidarity in support of vocations.
Vocation ministry is not only the ‘business’ of Generation S. The entire Archdiocese has a crucial role to support, encourage, inspire and motivate men and women to listen to and search for their vocation in life.
Green on Monday 11 would be a sign that you are supporting the culture of vocations in our Archdiocese. We would like the staff at Catholic schools, CAMSEL, Archbishop’s House and parish secretaries, for example, to wear green that day.
On Saturday 9, Confirmation and First Communion catechists as well as youth group leaders will nominate two young persons to write a letter to their parish priest thanking him for his ministry and affirming him for saying ‘yes’ to the priesthood. This letter of gratitude and affirmation will be posted or carried to the parish on Tuesday 12.
Wednesday 13 is being dubbed the ‘Short-Story Challenge’. Primary school pupils will be given the biblical stories of the call of Matthew, the tax collector and Peter and Andrew to reflect on in class by their teachers.
Upon completing the reading of and reflection on these passages, they will be asked to write a short story on what they would do if Jesus called them. They will be invited to use their imagination to picture Jesus Christ coming to them and calling them. What will the story look like and sound like?
On Thursday 14, priests and religious will visit Catholic secondary schools to share their vocation stories. It is hoped that through this exposure any “seeds of a priestly vocation” in the hearts of young men would begin to sprout and grow.
The scriptures tell us that if the watchman watches the city without God, he watches in vain and if the labourer labours without God he labours in vain. Generation S is obedient to this biblical principle.
Friday 15 is a day of Fasting and Prayer for Vocations. Individuals, prayer groups, schools, formation communities, religious communities, Catholics in the workplace, all diocesan departments are all encouraged to unite in prayer and fasting on that day.
The harvest is rich and we are asking the Lord to send labourers into the harvest of Trinidad and Tobago.
Something exciting also happens on the night of Friday 15—the launch of ‘Call on Canvas’ at the Max Murphy Hall, Chaguanas. Artists 11 to 35 years old are invited to paint, draw, air brush etc on biblical call stories. They will depict through various artistic media their understanding of the Call today.
Through art, the ‘Call on Canvas’ will motivate artists to depict how the Call may look today in 2019 in Trinidad and Tobago. The work will be put on exhibition in Lent. This is a joint effort of Generation S, Youth Commission and Catholic Media Services Limited (Camsel)
