Vocations

“Happy are those who are called

to His supper.”

Vocations, St. Anne and St. Mary

Vocation is at the center of the lives of our Blessed Mother and her family. While little is known about the Blessed Virgin Mary’s parents—our parish patron saint, Saint Anne, and her husband, Saint Joachim—tradition teaches us that they were very pious people, open to God’s call in their lives. This openness is at the center of Mary’s marvelous response to the Archangel Gabriel, in which she assented to bear the Son of God: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to thy word.” By so assenting, Mary answered God’s call. She realized her great and unique vocation.

What is a vocation?

A vocation is a call from God to serve Him. Mary, Mother of the Church and model of all vocations, answered that call, though at first she was troubled by the words the angel used to address her: “Hail thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee.” Those who are called to serve the Lord are favored indeed, but discerning that call is no easy task. Saul may have seen a flash of light and heard the voice of Jesus, but for most of us discerning a vocation is a process that takes time, sometimes even years, before we are sure what God wants us to do.

We are all called to be holy, that is, to love and serve God. We love and serve Him by obeying His commandments, following Christ and loving and serving others. We do this by living good and moral lives. But there is no holiness without prayer, and one of the most important is the Eucharistic Prayer representing the paschal sacrifice of Jesus Christ during Holy Mass.

If we are to know what God wants of us, we must pray every single day. Vocations are revealed in the heart through prayer. We must not ask “What do I want to do with my life?” but “Lord, what do You want me to do with my life?”

St. Anne parish is committed to inspiring, encouraging, and supporting vocations to the priesthood, the diaconate and orders of religious, with a special emphasis on the vocation of the ordained priesthood. We believe that a vocation is a counter-cultural mystery that is achievable and we stand as a faith community dedicated to the proposition that the Holy Spirit will not leave us orphans. Good men and women will be found to continue the ministry of the Church.

Are vocations only for priests and orders of religious?

Not exclusively. The Church is a family in which all of us—lay and ordained alike—share in the work and the promises of Christ, each in our own way and according to our own talents and gifts. Each one of us teaches and bears witness to the faith. By virtue of our baptism and confirmation, all of us can, through prayer and the partaking of the sacraments, bring down grace upon mankind. Priests, deacons and members of orders of religious, however, play a special role in the Church as “God’s instruments at the service of men.”

What church vocations are there?

Priests are ordained representatives of Christ who alone have the power of presiding at Holy Mass. They lead the people and act as Christ’s special instrument in re-presenting Christ’s sacrifice. Priests preach the Gospel, teach the people about the faith, and ask God’s blessing upon people and things. They administer the sacraments of baptism, marriage, confession, and anointing of the sick and conduct funeral services.

Deacons baptize, conduct marriages and funerals, distribute communion, preach the Gospel, teach the people about the faith, bless people and things, and give themselves to works of charity and administration.

Orders of religious are communities of priests, brothers or nuns who take special vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. They usually live together and share a daily schedule of prayer and work, either within society or separate from it. They, too, devote themselves to works of charity and administration.

Aren’t priests overworked? Can they really be happy? Don’t they have to give up a lot in order to be a priest?

A 1970 National Opinion Research Center poll of Catholic priests found that seven out of eight priests would choose to be priests again. Thirty years later in a 2002 Los Angeles Times national survey, “that proportion rose to nine out of ten, higher than the proportion of married people who said they would choose the same spouse again” (Andrew Greeley, Priests: A Calling in Crisis, University of Chicago Press, 2004, p. 49). Moreover, in the same poll, 63% of priests said their vocation turned out better than they had expected while another 29% said it had turned out as well as expected (Greeley, p. 50). That’s a 92% satisfaction rate! Clearly, statistics show that priests lead extremely rewarding, joy-filled, interesting lives.

How do I know if I have a vocation?

Pray every day, asking God for help in revealing His plan for you. Listen with your heart and soul to discern what God wants you to do. If you feel some attraction to a vocation, talk to your family and with your parish priest. Continue to pray, go to Mass, and live a Christian life. A vocation for the priesthood, diaconate or a religious order is not to be undertaken lightly; it requires time for proper discernment as well as substantial formal preparation and education. It is not meant to be an easy process. But if God is calling you, you will persevere. As the Archangel Gabriel told Mary, “Nothing is impossible for God.”

What else should I do?

· Continue to see and talk to your parish priest.

· Ask your parish priest to introduce you to other priests, deacons, or religious who can tell you about their lives.

· Consider attending a parish-sponsored vocation event. St. Anne Church organizes events at intervals throughout the year.

· Sign up for a diocesan discernment retreat.

· Read and reflect on scripture.

· Read about the priesthood, the diaconate and orders of religious. The St. Anne library has useful books and pamphlets to help you on your journey.

· Shadow a priest, brother or nun for a day.

· Contemplate the lives of Christian saints, clergy and religious. What do the lives of John Paul II or Mother Theresa reveal about the call of God?

· Make a pilgrimage.

· Go to daily Mass.

· Pray the Rosary, the Liturgy of the Hours, the Psalms or the Gospels.

· Open your heart to God’s presence in your life.

Links for those interested in the priesthood

· Diocese of Rochester Vocations webpage: http://www.dor.org/vocations/index.htm

· Link to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops: http://www.usccb.org/

· Link to the Vatican: http://www.vatican.va/

· Link to Vision Vocation Guide: http://www.vocationguide.org/

Links for those interested in the diaconate

· Information about deacons in the Diocese of Rochester: http://www.dor.org/deacons/

Links for those interested in orders of religious

· Links to orders of religious in the Diocese of Rochester

Sisters of St. Joseph of Rochester: http://www.ssjrochester.org/

Sisters of Mercy: http://www.rsmrochester.org/

· Catholic orders of religious on the Internet

http://www.catholic-church.org/cid/religious.html

http://www.catholicdoors.com/links/vocation.htm

Lord Jesus, let the love of the Spirit be in us:

We consecrate our hearts to you.

Help all Christians to answer your call:

May they be a light to the world.

Bless all religious communities:

Enrich them with your gifts.

From the Glenstal Book of Prayer

Site produced by: Saint Anne Church Web Team

Comments and suggestions can be e-mailed to the St. Anne Webmaster