Have you been called by God? Have you responded? If so, what are you doing about it? If not, why not?
This Fourth Sunday of Easter focuses on the Good Shepherd and Vocations and celebrates Mother’s Day. It is usually the day when we hear a homily on praying for future priests, deacons and religious life vocations. Well, maybe, not so much for deacons. And if the presider is smart, he will either have a mention about mothers in his homily or a special prayer honoring mothers who have one of the greatest vocations in life of bearing and rearing children to be in relationship with the Lord and carry on God’s work on earth..
Though vocations on this Sunday are normally thought of as a divine call to church leadership roles, they don’t all have to end that way. Each of us by our Baptism is called by God to practice our vocation(s). Few end in ordinations or final vows for religious life. If they did, we wouldn’t have the shortage in those areas as we do.
So what type of vocations have we been called to that we can practice? They may not be religious, but they are spiritual.
How many of us are married? Isn’t that a calling from God to love another person in a monogamous relationship the rest of our lives and to be open to children? Aren’t we asked to love, honor and cherish that person in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, in good times and in bad until death do us part? I certainly would call that a vocation as is rearing children as parents.
There are parishioners throughout the world who believe they are called to serve the larger community of God in addition to their own family. Some examples are faith formation teachers in religious education for sacraments; Eucharistic ministers who visit the sick and dying at home, in hospitals or nursing homes; Those who visit incarcerated adults and youths in local detention centers; and others who serve the poor and homeless in all types of settings to name a few.
Sometimes our call can be funneled into many directions. In my own case, I initially believed I was called to be a priest in my youth and attended a minor high school seminary which I left after two years. I believe God called me to my marriage with my wife and we recently marked 54 years. My call to become a deacon took 33 years before I entered formation and this last month I celebrated 17 years as a deacon.
God is speaking to us as the Good Shepherd does to His sheep in St. John’s Gospel today. He is telling us that if we follow His ways we will be saved and receive everlasting life. He is telling us that in addition to praying for religious vocations, we need to pray for our own vocation to reach out beyond our comfort zone to the larger community so it can grow and thrive in abundance.
In the Acts of the Apostles, St. Paul and St. Barnabas switched away from the Jewish people who rejected the call of Jesus and turned to the Gentiles. That refocus allowed the majority of the world to open their hearts to God’s ways and to live out their vocations in service to all that God has created.
Let us take the time to listen to our Master’s voice, to be open to His bidding and to say “yes” so that our lives can grow in the peace and joy of His grace. Who knows? Maybe there is a deacon among you, or a committed lay person to grow our Church. In doing so, Jesus, our Good Shepherd, will take care of us so we can take care of others and bring all of us to the promise of eternal life.
Reading 1: Acts 13: 14, 43-52
Reading 2: Revelation 7: 9, 14b-17
Gospel: John 10: 27-30
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