Vocations Sunday: The courage to
say yes to God’s call
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| A hospital Chaplain during the Covid-19 pandemic |
As World Day of Prayer for Vocations is observed, people are
being encouraged to say “yes” to God’s call.
By Lydia O’Kane
This Sunday, 3 May, marks the 57th World Day of Prayer for
Vocations. It is a day that is set aside by the Church to encourage people to
reflect and discern God's call to them.
Over the course of his Pontificate, Pope Francis has spoken
many times about the call to priesthood and religious life.
Speaking to seminarians and novices in 2013 the Pope said
that “becoming a priest or a man or woman religious is not primarily our own
decision … rather it is the response to a call and to a call of love.”
In his message for this year’s World Day, Pope Francis
wrote, “The Lord’s call is not an intrusion of God in our freedom; it is not a
'cage' or a burden to be borne. On the contrary, it is the loving
initiative whereby God encounters us and invites us to be part of a great
undertaking.”
With lockdowns in place in many parts of the world due to
the coronavirus, people have had more time in their homes to reflect on their
life’s path and how they can connect with God at a deeper level.
Courage to say “Yes”
Joining the Pope’s call for a promotion of vocations, Bishop
Alphonsus Cullinan of the diocese of Waterford and Lismore in Ireland, and the
chair of the Irish Bishops’ Council for Vocations, says it takes courage to
follow God’s call.
“It does take a lot of courage to say ‘yes’ to a vocation
especially in today’s culture. But by the same token people are looking
for happiness. And where do they go and seek it? That’s the question, and Jesus
is saying to us, ‘come to me’ ”.
The people who truly inspire us in this life, notes the
Bishop, are not the people who have taken the easy way out: “They are the people
who continue to love in spite of everything”.
“I was happy to be a priest, that was part of my own
vocation story”, he says.
Offering advice for men and women considering a vocation,
Bishop Cullinan invites people to “pray and trust; don’t be afraid. We are all
unworthy; there is nobody who is worthy of priesthood except Jesus Himself.”
Inspired to serve
In the midst of a global pandemic, many people have
been doing inspiring things to help and support others. There are the
healthcare workers on the front lines along with hospital Chaplains who are
there to comfort the sick and their families. Asked if this could inspire
people to follow a call like this, Bishop Cullinan says it could well be the
case, because, “the Lord uses any and every situation to mediate his grace, and
please God there will be young men and women inspired by that example.”
Decline in Vocations
Over the last number of years there has been a dramatic fall
in the number of men and women taking up a vocation to the religious life.
The decline has been especially evident in the Americas and
Europe. It seems the days are gone when families would have had at least one
son or daughter entering the convent or seminary. Bishop Cullinan notes that
the lack of vocations in the western world is a worrying trend.
“Obviously in Africa and parts of Asia things are a lot
better as regards the numbers going into priesthood and religious life, but
certainly it is a worry here [in Ireland] but we do have to trust that the Lord
is still calling.”
There can be little doubt that the abuse scandals that have
rocked the Church in Ireland and beyond have affected how some people view the
priesthood. Yet, Bishop Cullinan says that people also see the struggles that
priests have, and they also see “the faith moving a young man to go against
very often social trends and become a priest, and deep down I have no doubt
whatsoever that people are so inspired when they see somebody who is prepared
to become a priest today; it is such a beacon of light.”
Communication during Covid-19
Over the last two months priests and religious have had to
adapt to how they interact with their communities. This year Masses for the
World Day for Vocations will be celebrated virtually using different media
platforms.
Bishop Cullinan says that despite the many forms of
communication that are being used at this time, nothing can replace being in
front of a congregation.
He does note, however, that the current pandemic has meant
that priests are becoming much more adept at using social media and other
technologies in order to reach their flock.
Bishop Cullinan commented that, for himself personally, it
has made him much more conscious of people in other countries who can never get
to Mass because of persecution, fear of regimes, or because their churches have
been destroyed.
“I think this pandemic has made us realize what a great
blessing it is to have churches, to have priests, to have religious… and this
lockdown has made us more conscious of the great blessing that we have in this
country, religious freedom."
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