In the gospel today Jesus proclaims, "I am the good shepherd…" Probably not many people in our times can relate well to the occupation or vocation of shepherd—that is, to one whose livelihood and daily existence consists in tending and caring for sheep. Yet in ancient times, and really into the beginning of the last century, one could more easily find the vocation of tending to a flock or herd. People in ancient times, like people in today's developing world, understood well what it meant to be a shepherd. Still with a little effort we too may see what the Lord wants to impart to us.
In the Latin Vulgate edition of the bible Jesus tells us, "Ego sum pastor bonus," – "I am the good pastor." Indeed Jesus speaks of a vocation or way of life that he receives from the Father to faithfully provide for and protect his flock, namely the Church—those who belong to the Good Shepherd by virtue of their baptism and their belief in the name of Jesus. Certainly, today's message speaks to us of the depth belonging to what it means to have a vocation.
Today the Catholic Church celebrates the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, which Pope Paul VI instituted on April 11, 1964
When I was much younger, in my 20s, and even before I became a Catholic, I dreamed of someday having a vocation in the Church. I wanted something that would go beyond what we normally mean when we say vocation. I wanted something more than merely a job or career. I knew well how a true vocation reflects the Lord's calling us into his service, and how a vocation flows from the Holy Spirit who empowers us in ministry. Indeed a true vocation reflects and reveals the ministry and presence of Christ in our world today.
Almost 20 years ago I visited about the priesthood with the director of vocations for the diocese where I lived. Mostly I remember that he told me to pray about it, and so I did. The only reservation that I had at the time had to do with a strong sense or intuition that marriage lay in my future. I left the meeting taking seriously the advice I had received. I prayed about vocations, but I also prayed about marriage, and even more I made myself open to the will of God. It was not long afterward that I met the woman to whom I am now married.
So it turned out that I didn't find a vocation in the priesthood, but marriage and ordination as a permanent deacon I found another kind of vocation. At this point in my life I feel fulfilled vocationally in my role as a husband, a father, and as a permanent deacon. I should also add my vocation as a special education teacher to the list; I say I feel fulfilled yet I certainly invite God to add anything he wills to my life and vocation. You see, regardless of the role we have in life God gives us the responsibility of being shepherds or stewards over certain things.
When I was asked to address vocations today I wanted to include marriage because we live it too as a vocation from God—indeed we should always view marriage as a true vocation given to us from God. Several years ago I had someone make an objection to me that she thought the Catholic Church ranked marriage as somehow less important when it comes to the order of vocations. However, I couldn't disagree more with that opinion. In marriage God sets us over many things and gives us great responsibilities and duties. Marriage occupies a great and unequalled place in God's plan and in the order of creation. The marriage between baptized people conveys the sacramental grace of being a pathway to salvation. The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that scripture begins with the creation of man and woman and concludes with a vision of the wedding feast of the Lamb.
However, without diminishing the importance of the vocation of marriage I'd like to consider the gift of being single and especially invite single people to consider what they have to offer God in terms of their being single. Many long years ago I knew a Pentecostal preacher who made light of the fact that his teenage daughters couldn't wait to get married. Though they had barely passed their 14th or 15th birthday they talked frequently about the future joys of married life. Their dad would say, "Oh boy, if they only knew just how lucky they are right now!"
In his first letter to the Corinthians St. Paul tells us that unmarried people are free to serve the Lord entirely where a married person must consider the needs of his or her spouse. St. Paul, like the Pentecostal preacher I knew, recommends celibacy, though perhaps for different reasons. Indeed, being single for the sake of God's kingdom opens a conduit for grace to enter the world through the devoted and unhindered service of the kingdom of God. What a great gift it is to order one's life completely and totally toward the things of God!
In my vocation as a teacher I have had the opportunity over the years to work alongside several single people. I once remarked casually to a single colleague that I thought being single probably afforded a better opportunity to devote oneself to his or her career than a married person has. The remark wasn't well received—it seems that single teachers are no more interested in working late than the married ones—but it is true that being single gives time to do things that having a family often takes up. As a married deacon I must always consider that my vocation to my family comes before everything else. It can be quite difficult to balance service to the Church, family, and career all at the same time. Yet the mark of vocation is the love that goes into it—to devote oneself completely to something takes true passion. Certainly such passion pleases God immensely.
Too often in our world today the gift of being single gets lost in the cares and blurry values of the post-modern world, or maybe it never manages to find a way of being realized to begin with. However, for those who know Christ as the Good Shepherd and Cornerstone of their faith, the gift of being single offers a special opportunity; that is, for those who hear the call.
Families, married people especially, play an important role in the future of Church vocations through the examples of love and faithfulness, through courage and a spirit of sacrifice, and through generosity toward others, especially toward those with the greatest needs. However, perhaps more than anything else our participation in the life of the Christian community will make the biggest difference in terms of future vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
This fourth Sunday of Easter, Good Shepherd Sunday, a day of prayer for vocations, offers everyone an opportunity to pray that many will discover the true joy in the gift of a vocation to the priesthood or religious life and to pray that many will hear the call—a call to live out the vocation of holiness in service to God and one another. True indeed, the Easter season offers us many gifts and graces including the opportunity to reflect upon and pray for vocations.
Several years ago Pope John Paul II offered this prayer on the World Day of Prayer for Vocations:
Holy Father, look upon this humanity of ours, that is taking its first steps along the path of the Third Millennium. Its life is still deeply marked by hatred, violence and oppression, but the thirst for justice, truth and grace still finds a space in the hearts of many people, who are waiting for someone to bring salvation, enacted by you through your Son Jesus. There is the need for courageous heralds of the Gospel, for generous servants of suffering humanity. Send holy priests to Your Church, we pray, who may sanctify your people with the tools of your grace. Send numerous consecrated men and women, that they may show your holiness in the midst of the world. Send holy laborers into your vineyard, that they may labor with the fervor of charity and, moved by your Holy Spirit, may bring the salvation of Christ to the farthest ends of the Earth. Amen.
Hello Deacon Dan,
Thank you so much for your words. I am a husband, father of two (all grown up).
I am a candidate in the Permanent Diaconate program in the north east, just recently installed as reader. In my youth, I would never have imagined the Lord would call me in this way. It is amazing! God bless!
Posted by: Brian | May 22, 2009 at 09:17 PM
Glad to hear from you Brian - I plan on writing more this summer, so check back soon.
Posted by: Deacon DW | May 22, 2009 at 11:29 PM