Gospel Reflections on Vocation
Evening Prayer for Vocations - 25 February 2021 - Mullingar
Good evening everyone looking in; if you are a school goer, college student or a young man at work who is thinking of a vocation to the Sacred Priesthood, then we are delighted to have you tune in to this livestreamed Evening of Prayer for Vocations.
The important thing when thinking of a call to be a Priest of Christ is to never be afraid because Jesus has spoken to your heart and he wants you to be with him in a most close way so that you can be him to others. In listing to the Lord, you will find happiness and a way to answer his call for you. So with these thoughts, we will reflect on the words of Jesus who invites us to look upon his presence here on the altar and to open our ears to his promptings.
“A sower went ou to sow” ( Lk 8:4).
When a great crowd gathered and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable: “A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell on the path and was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered for lack of moisture. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. Some fell into good soil, and when it grew, it produced a hundredfold.” As he said this, he called out, “Let anyone with ears to hear listen!”
The seed is so small, weak and insignificant on the path. Indeed the seed sown could fall on the edge, be blown away or hopefully take root in rich soil. Sometimes when looking at the Sacred Priesthood today we could be forgiven for seeing it as of no relevance, tiny and on the edge of the path of life. Why bother with this call at all? The story of the seed is exactly why we should follow the Lord. In the small, on the edge of the path, there is Jesus, bringing Light, causing holiness and allowing faith in God to take root and grow. You see in a tiny cave of Bethlehem or among the small band of disciples, what seems wretched and unimportant has the Life that saves us. I hear you say nobody listens to this Word sown. That the path of this world is too powerful and won’t listen? Remember the sower again, he plants, he gives and it is for others to grow in faith, to hear him. So it is with the priest; yes he must work, plant, give, follow and be as a Gardner on the path of time. It could be a funeral Mass, a Baptism, a word on the street, an address in a college or school; this is were the Word of Christ is sown by the man who wears a collar, in witness to Him. Remember too Jesus is the seed that dies on the cross only to grow into life. As a sower of God, we too must allow our pride to perish so that it is Christ who truly plants and is heard. In the small, the priesthood is ever relevant in rooting people into God; surely this is a call worth following.
“Follow me” (LK 9:51-62).
When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But he turned and rebuked them. Then they went on to another village.
Here we see the image of Jerusalem and the cross come into view. The disciples want to punish those who do not receive Jesus with fire; the burning of the wrath of God but this is not the way of the Lord. The city and the Calvary he must go to is the essence of the call he has to give of himself and so burn hate with love. With his cross, he wants to set the world on fire with the presence of the God who dies and gives us his sacred Body down the ages. The disciples must be with him as he goes from Golgotha, to Gethsemane to Pilate and indeed beyond the morning of the resurrection. Real power, the power of Christ’s High Priesthood comes not in burning away but setting aflame that which destroys with hate, division and exclusion. Here we see in a way the formation of the priesthood of Jesus for us. We are called to follow him, you are asked to answer him by setting the city here on earth on fire with his love but to do this, we have to know that his cross is the key that opens the eternal Jerusalem, heaven. This is the message and mystery of Jesus we are asked to give to all those we meet. Note something else from the account, James and John want to act alone on their impulse, and the Lord rebukes them. This is something essential to a call. As Jesus says to Peter, you will be brought, so it is with us. When we try to impose our will on the call of Christ then it is ourselves, our way but this is not following Him. You don’t give yourself the Priesthood; it is from the summons of Jesus that the office to serve derives from. If you are looking for social standing, an upper class existence or a comfort zone then just look at the Jerusalem of the Cross and know that with love comes sacrifice and with the flame of Christ comes the joy of service. The Apostles in going with the Lord must give of all themselves; the call is not part time, a clock in or set hours. To be with God’s Son as priest is total, beautiful. Yes you can bring your personality, your gifts, enjoy breaks and have lots of joy but remember the cross; the gift of Jesus demands our yes always. You have to be near God’s fire, not in a half-hearted way but fully. Finally, remember that this is a ministry of joy because of the cross we have Life, we have Christ with us always. This is a happy message for families, students, the sick, the old and those with difficulties. From the altar to the font, to the graveside, we are ministers who bring the Good news; God has not gone away he is here. In everything we must hear Jesus speak follow me.
“And many shall rejoice” (Lk 1:5-11).
In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. 7 But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years. Once when he was serving as priest before God and his section was on duty, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and offer incense. Now at the time of the incense offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.
The old Jewish priest had prayed so much for a child. You see at this time to have no child was seen as the end of your family because nobody would take on your name. Zechariah was at the altar when the angel appears to him. Prayer was essential to this elderly priest and we see it is the central part of his son John the Baptist’s way of life too. Remember he who looks for God in ministry will find him, just like the old priest Simenon who prayed day and night and at the end of his life, got to see the Light of the Christ Child and the presence of Mary, with St Joseph. John the Baptist will point out the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world and Simenon speaks of the same Lord as a light for the nations. If you are considering a call to the Sacred Priesthood then know that above all it is a way of prayer. As priest we are asked to pray to God for the world to be saved from evils; crime, hate, fear, the destruction of life. The priest is to be a Moses in the sense that he never stops praying for the people and the never tires in bringing the faithful to the altar to have them close to God. To save people we don’t become social workers, no we are to be men of prayer to turn always towards the Lord, so that we can bring him to others. Remember that Zechariah will refuse to believe the angel that his prayer was answered and he is struck dumb to learn the language of God again. If you are struggling with your vocation see it as a conversation of prayer with the Lord, learn his language to speak the words of hope that is drawing you to him. This account of the old priest speaks to us of the essence of the call, prayer. This is not a job, a position. Without prayer the office of the Sacred Priesthood becomes stale and only speaks of the person who holds it as opposed to the Lord it comes from. In your vocation, pray, believe and hope. God is speaking to you and let your ears be opened in prayer. Finally out of this we are called to be prophets who speak for God just like Zechariah did. His son John the Baptist will teach people and lead them to God. As priest you would be called to lead and teach too. So many do not practice their faith, others are not interested or simply many do not know about Jesus anymore. To be a prophet and priest is to stir the faith of those you meet, to do all this you must be a man of prayer, of hope and faith. Christ works the miracle of rebirth for so many who find him anew and He ends the silence of doubt. Your call is to be an agent of this joy where the Lord meets his people in every situation you bring him too. Remember his words “Trust in God still and trust in me.” Give yourself to his call.
“I am going fishing”(Jn 21:1-14)
After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.
This, my friends is a majestic piece of scripture. Notice it is morning on the broad lake. Jesus is risen from the dead; with him it is forever the morning and his presence is as vast as the waters he stands near, coming to us as he does on the shoreline of eternity.
There are a few things to note for our vocation discernment this evening. Jesus asks have the disciples any fish? When they return with the full nets he already has breakfast. At the Holy Mass we only give the food of Christ; we come to him and he feeds us with his presence. Notice that it is he whose hands give and his words that speak at the meal. This is after his sacrifice on the cross. Now he is present in a new way, in true life to us. At every Mass the priest lives in the sacrifice of Jesus as he stands on that shoreline of eternity that opens into heaven, with his hands the priest becomes the hands of the Lord in giving himself to us. In his words Christ speaks, “My Body, My Blood.” In the meal Christ has the food because he is the fish that has gone to the depths of death for us and comes up out of the waters to open the way to God for us. Come and eat is the invite of the Lord. The call you feel drawn towards is to stand as priest, to cross the boundary of time and reach into the Lord so as others can reach him. Isn’t that majestic, awesome and beautiful? Truly it is.
Giving yourself is an essential aspect to the call. Jesus gives himself to us as we have seen but look at the disciples. They give themselves even to the stranger they do not fully recognise. A call is like that too. Perhaps you feel a stranger in it or seem to be a stranger to many who do not understand your vocational yearnings. Giving yourself can seem hard and unrewarding but remember again Jesus asks the disciples for fish but gives the food himself. He will give you all you need. His sacrifice is once and for all, for the many and in our small giving we recognise him more and more in the crosses we bear in our vocation. Give Jesus everything because he will take nothing form you only he will give you everything in return; meaning, joy, hope, purpose and a sure direction. As St Francis says in giving you will receive and this is so true. To put on the vestments of the Lord at Mass, to allow ourselves to be given will fill us with the food of joy always.
The full net of fish is as a result of the disciples following again the direction of the Lord. They now see Jesus fully. They had gone back to their old jobs of fishermen and had tried to catch the fish themselves but here we are brought back to their first calling when it is Jesus who tells them to put out their nets. Only when they follow him do they find the fullness of joy and completion. Peter had been naked at this point but new he dresses himself again. Like the prodigal son he wears the new clothing of the closeness of God and is fed on the presence of Jesus. It is the Lord who says to them come, and they go and it is the Lord who leads and they follow. They find him though following. They also see that he is risen from the dead, alive in a new way, a nearness that goes through time to be with them. This is the central message here. To follow the Lord, we must know that our vocation is not the remembrance of a good guy from history, no it is to realise that we follow the living Jesus who wishes us to come to him, be near him and to go from him to others with his life.
Then there is Peter. His ship becomes that of Christ, his nets are filled from the Word of God. His going out is from the heart of Jesus who has chosen him. Peter remains in the church, even today because the Lord has appointed him. He is the rock of Jesus. To be a priest we too must know that we are not a loner or a one man show. We follow in the living river of tradition that the Church has handed to us. We must give our will to the teachings of the Lord. You many ask can I do that? Is it too difficult to not just do as I like? Remember Peter, he went back to his old way of living and achieved nothing. With Christ he became everything. Life is a serious of commitments no matter what we do or who we are. The Sacred Priesthood is no different in that way. Yet in this ministry there is a beautiful freedom in bringing people to God and God to people. In being at the altar that opens heaven in the Holy Mass, or teaching the words of Jesus, or being at the side of the sick to bring them the strength of Christ. To teach Jesus, his commands and to live for him and not ourselves is a challenge that is filled with beauty. Again see Peter as he listens to the Lord and is fed by him. So it is for our call. In the vocation we have, we are so very near that sacred shoreline. Like the disciples who look on the transfigured Lord, we are filled in our hope here with the brilliant Light of Christ.
“Do you love me?” (John 21:15-21).
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”