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Fr. Joseph’s Weekly Missive for the 4th Sunday of Easter Year A
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April 26, 2023“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps.” (1 Peter 2:21)
The major theme for this 4th Sunday of Easter, (also known as the “Good Shepherd Sunday” or the “World Day of Prayer for Vocations”) focuses on our obligation to publicly fulfill the Lord's instruction to, "Pray the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest" (Matthew 9:38; Luke 10:2).
As a climax to a prayer that is continually offered throughout the Church, it affirms the primacy of faith and grace in all that concerns vocations to the priesthood and to the consecrated life. While appreciating all vocations, the Church concentrates its attention this day on vocations to the ordained ministries (priesthood and diaconate), consecrated life in all its forms (male and female religious life, societies of apostolic life, consecrated virginity), secular institutes in their diversity of services and membership, and to the missionary life.
Vocation means calling. In the message of his holiness Pope Francis for the 2022 World Day of Prayer for Vocations, he calls everyone to build the human family, to journey together and cultivate the spirit of listening, participation and sharing, to heal its wounds and guide the world to a better future as our common vocation.
Pope Francis indicates that (1) We are called to be protagonists together of the Church’s mission, to discern and esteem the various vocations, charisms, and ministries, to evangelize, to go forth and to sow the seed of the Gospel in history, to become authentic disciples of Jesus Christ based on our baptism. (2) We are also called to be guardians of one another and of God’s creation, to strengthen the bonds of harmony and sharing. (3) We are called to “welcome” God’s gaze, that in each of us, God sees a certain potential, at times unbeknownst to ourselves, and throughout our lives God works tirelessly so that we can place this potential at the service of the common good. (4) We are also called to “respond” to God’s gaze like Jesus Christ did, full of love that rests upon each of us, desiring us to develop our full potential, either in the vocation to the ordained ministries, or to the consecrated life, or to marriage, or being single, to serve goodness and to spread God’s love with our words and deeds. (5) We are called to build a fraternal world in the Church, to celebrate differences, capable of walking together, united in harmonious diversity, where everyone can participate and contribute actively, bear witness to the truth, united in love to glorify God.
God does not want us holding a relationship of Transaction but Transformation. Therefore, Dynamic Christian disciples are those who (1) BELIEVE, (2) GROW, (3) SERVE, (4) LOVE and (5) LEAD others to Jesus. Today’s topic invites us to recognize, appreciate, exercise and pray for more vocation for ordained ministries and consecrated lives in the Church, to imitate and follow Jesus Christ more closely, to repent our sins, to exercise our Christian stewardship, to use our time, treasure, and talents to love God above all and to love our neighbors as ourselves, participating in the works of mercy, to accomplish God’s will in our lives to glorify God.
How can we fulfill our own vocation and pray for more ordained and consecrated ministers in the Church?
Wishing everyone a very happy and blessed Easter Season.
