Reflection #5 from Fr. Nagel

Call to Priesthood or Religious/Consecrated Life

Dear Race for Vocations Participants,

Thank you for your commitment to pray for and Race for Vocations. I can only imagine how God is working in and through you. Among the call to vocation from God are the beautiful calls to priesthood and religious/consecrated life. I have no doubt that God calls plenty to these vocations; the question is, “Are we listening?” I once heard it said that we don’t have a vocation crisis in America . Rather, we have a listening crisis! That is a crisis of the abandonment of dialogue with God through prayer and the sacraments. Through this Race for Vocations, thousands of prayers are being offered for vocations and that is nothing less than awesome! May those being called to priesthood or religious/consecrated life be given the virtue of courage to rise up and answer the call!

A message from Pope Benedict XVI to the Young Adults of America

"’The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest’ (Mt 9:37-38). The Lord is also knocking on the doors of our own heart. Lord do you want me? Is it not perhaps too big for me? Am I too small for this? ‘Do not be afraid’, the Angel said to Mary. ‘Do not fear: I have called you by name,’ God says through the Prophet Isaiah (43:1) to us - to each of us.If we say ‘yes’ to the Lord’s call, no matter where we go or what we do, we should remain with the Lord. Only one who is ‘with him’ comes to know him and can truly proclaim him. We know this from experience. The fundamental way for priests and religious to remain with the Lord is through the attentive celebration of the Mass, the praying of the Liturgy of the Hours, the reading of Sacred Scripture, Eucharistic Adoration, and by remaining close to His Mother.” Pope Benedict XVI, Altotting, Germany, Sep 11, 2006

“I greet the seminarians present and indeed encourage all seminarians throughout America . I am glad to know that your numbers are increasing! The People of God look to you to be holy priests, on a daily journey of conversion, inspiring in others the desire to enter more deeply into the ecclesial life of believers. I urge you to deepen your friendship with Jesus the Good Shepherd. Talk heart to heart with him. Reject any temptation to ostentation, careerism, or conceit. Strive for a pattern of life truly marked by charity, chastity and humility, in imitation of Christ, the Eternal High Priest, of whom you are to become living icons.” Pope Benedict XVI, Papal Visit to America – April 2008

Questions to contemplate in prayer and while you train:
If you are single, have you ever considered that God may be calling you to the priesthood or religious/consecrated life?
Why is it important that we have priests and religious in this country?
How does God call individuals to priesthood or religious life?
Are you willing to pray for yourself or others to hear and answer the call?
Who could you pray for or invite to consider priesthood or religious life?

Excellent Supplemental Activity: Check out the video, “Fishers of Men” located on You Tube.

A Vocations Prayer
Gracious and loving God, Your people are longing to hear your word. Send laborers into your harvest - women and men on fire with your love:
Dedicated single people - who incarnate your presence in their daily lives, whose availability enables them to respond to a diversity of needs.
Married couples - whose relationships serve as a sign of your fidelity to your people, whose love overflows to their children and neighbors.
Ordained Ministers - who gather the prayers and longing of your people who serve as a channel of your presence through the sacraments.
Religious sisters, brothers, and priests - whose life in community foreshadows our eternal unity in Christ, whose service brings your life to the world.May each of us respond with courage and generosity to our particular vocations, and may the Church recognize the Spirit's call to men and women of good will, trusting in your abundance to answer all our needs.
Amen.
(USCCB)

Let us all continue to Run the Good Race!

Father Rick Nagel

Associate Pastor, Our Lady of the Greenwood Catholic Church
Director of Young Adult Ministry & Associate Director of Vocations, Archdiocese of Indianapolis
cell# 317.697.0981
rnagel@archindy.org
"I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith." II Timothy 4:7
"The Glory of God is man fully alive." St. Ireaneus