Vocations Sunday

31^st Sunday of OT:

I laughed to myself this week when I was reading this gospel.  Jesus says call no one on earth your father.  I found this ironic, because this is national vocation awareness week and I wanted to talk about vocations to the priesthood.  So the day we hear: call no one father, I wanted to talk about becoming a priest, where everyone calls me father.  God has a great sense of humor.

I think it is pretty clear from the whole passage that Jesus is not so much saying that we should have or use titles.  Rather, we shouldn’t seek titles because we are looking for honor and privilege.  If a young man wanted to become a priest because he was seeking honor, attention, and titles, he would certainly be violating our Lord’s direction to humble service.  But, calling priests “father” has more to do with the mission of the priesthood, which is to bring God’s love to his people. 

God is our Father in Heaven.  My job as a priest is to make help people our Father’s love here on earth.  So, calling me father reminds me of that mission.  And it’s a wonderful vocation.  To be a priest is more amazing than I can describe.  Helping people grow closer to God is truly an honor and a joy.  I’m thankful every day for God’s calling to the priesthood.

So, this is a week for the whole church to pray for vocations to the priesthood and to the religious life.  But, every religious vocation has its roots in the vocation that every one of us received at our baptism, that is the universal call to holiness.

I am a firm believer that the key to a resurgence in priestly vocations across the world is the commitment to holiness.  Every one of us is called to be saints, we are called to be holy.  But, we are called to live out that holiness in a unique way.  Lots of people are called to holiness through the vocation of marriage.  Some are called to be holy as religious sisters, brothers, or priests.  But, we are all called to be holy.

If you are a parent or grandparent, try to have a conversation with your children/grandchildren this week.  Encourage them to live out their vocation to holiness.  Holiness is a great adventure, because it means living in communion with God and following his voice.  Literally nothing is better than living a life with God.  As the church, we all need to encourage our young people simply to follow Christ, to grow in holiness, to listen to God’s voice.  If they do that, we will have amazing priests, sisters, brothers, but also amazing married couples and amazing people living out their call to holiness.