HOME > Prayers > Meditations > 2010 April
Vocation Meditation -
Good Shepherd Sunday, 2010
Used with permission from ChristianComputerArt.Com
Jesus said: "My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father's hand. The Father and I are one."
"A fundamental element, one which can be seen in every vocation to the priesthood and the consecrated life, is friendship with Christ. Jesus lived in constant union with the Father and this is what made the disciples eager to have the same experience; from him they learned to live in communion and unceasing dialogue with God. If the priest is a "man of God", one who belongs to God and helps others to know and love him, he cannot fail to cultivate a deep intimacy with God, abiding in his love and making space to hear his Word. Prayer is the first form of witness which awakens vocations. Like the Apostle Andrew, who tells his brother that he has come to know the Master, so too anyone who wants to be a disciple and witness of Christ must have "seen" him personally, come to know him, and learned to love him and to abide with him."
"Another aspect of the consecration belonging to the priesthood and the religious life is the complete gift of oneself to God…In following Jesus, everyone called to a life of special consecration must do his utmost to testify that he has given himself completely to God. This is the source of his ability to give himself in turn to those whom Providence entrusts to him in his pastoral ministry with complete, constant and faithful devotion, and with the joy of becoming a companion on the journey to so many brothers and sisters, enabling them, too, to become open to meeting Christ, so that his Word may become a light to their footsteps. The story of every vocation is almost always intertwined with the testimony of a priest who joyfully lives the gift of himself to his brothers and sisters for the sake of the Kingdom of God. This is because the presence and words of a priest have the ability to raise questions and to lead even to definitive decisions."
"A third aspect which necessarily characterizes the priest and the consecrated person is a life of communion. Jesus showed that the mark of those who wish to be his disciples is profound communion in love. Every priest, every consecrated person, faithful to his or her vocation, radiates the joy of serving Christ and draws all Christians to respond to the universal call to holiness. Personal witness, in the form of concrete existential choices, will encourage young people for their part to make demanding decisions affecting their future."
(Excerpts from P. Benedict XVI's, World Day of Prayer for Vocations 2010)
Vocation Challenge:
"My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me."
Do I faithfully train my ears to hear, my heart to know and my will to follow Christ's voice within me and through signs around me?
Dear God,
In the stillness of my soul, I heard your voice calling me to Yourself for a beautiful adventure of friendship and mission to care for Your flock. In your Hand, I am secure. You offer me eternal life. What return can I make for Your love? I give You my life. I give You my heart. I commit my vocation to spend it generously, helping many others to hear also Your voice that they may follow You unreservedly and faithfully till the end. Amen.
For the full Gospel reading for this Sunday, visit the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops site.