Live and pray for vocations

Editor:

The article about the recent discernment weekend for men considering a call the priesthood that appeared in The Miscellany started me thinking.

We so often hear that we are to pray for vocations and we certainly must do that, but it brought to mind a statement made by a young man from the Kolbe Vocations Club here at St. Mary Help of Christians in Aiken. He was sharing his personal testimony during an Exalt. He agreed that we all must pray, but he said that we also must live for vocations.

What a wonderful insight he gave to those who attended.

Our young people need to know, through our words and actions, that it’s OK to be a priest, deacon or religious — in fact we need to encourage them to respond generously to the possibility that God might be calling them to a religious vocation. We must present religious vocations in a positive light.

We have to show them that religious vocations are not second-rate jobs. How we treat our priests, deacons and religious will either help or hinder someone from making the right decision.

When we disrespect our clergy, when we don’t support them, when we fail to let them know how proud and grateful we are that they said “yes” to God’s awesome gift of serving His people as a priest, deacon or religious, we in fact pass the message that it’s not important, or even worse, you shouldn’t even think of becoming a priest etc.

I have heard parents who try to dissuade their sons and daughters by telling them they want grandkids. If we don’t foster vocations, by our example, who will? And what messages will our men and women be getting from folks who tend to think being a priest, deacon or religious is somehow a second-rate vocation?

I pray for vocations all the time, but after hearing this young man’s talk, I have to frequently stop and ask myself, “Am I living for vocations as well?” Are you?

Valerie J. Cadarr
Aiken