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Vocation Meditation - April 13
4th Sunday of Easter
Used with permission from ChristianComputerArt.Com
The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.
"…I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."
Today is called World Vocations Sunday. Vocation comes from "vocare" meaning to call. God calls men and women to serve the world through different ways of imitating the heart of God and the cross of Christ. From God comes different calls, different vocations. There are varied ways of complete dedication to the Church's evangelizing mission with a lifestyle and duties connected to pastoral ministry and the vowed life. There are ways, too of a more direct involvement in daily world realities, in family life, in the service of education, the poor, the needy and those at risk. The Holy Spirit raises up these Christian vocations. Discernment is needed to understand oneself fully, to understand freedom, history, one's own tasks and the life of people in the light of Christ. Whatever vocation one chooses, it must reflect and assure the world the thing it most urgently needs: the nearness of God, the eloquent shepherding love of God.
Vocation Challenge:
Jesus calls.
Listen to the voice of the Shepherd.
Have I adopted a discernment process to discover and follow my vocation?
For the full Gospel reading for this Sunday, visit the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops site.