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February 1, 2022As we know, a vocation is a gift from God. A gift that is not grasped at by oneself, but as in a relationship, is a cooperation between people. Whether it is the relationship between future spouses, or a diocese and a potential candidate for the priesthood, a vocation comes from cooperation.
From the community of the faithful, one can also see the mutual benefit between different vocations. Just as couples need the witness of a cleric to get married, so too does the Church rely on families for religious vocations. For priests don’t come from priests, and couples cannot marry themselves. A family greatly benefits from a personal relationship with a priest, and a priest greatly benefits from a relationship of a family. One vocation necessarily encourages another. So even before the vocation is confirmed, the Church has a responsibility to encourage good families, and families have a responsibility to encourage good religious vocations.
Religious vocations are not like a marriage, which people are born into, and are common to communities. If a young person does not see the possibility of their vocation, either encouraged by their family or a person of a religious vocation, there is no hope of him realizing that vocation. It is not something he would conclude in a vacuum. Therefore, religious vocations take encouragement. Encouragement that is a responsibility of all the faithful. Both those who have already actualized a religious vocation, and those in the married life.
From Christ’s time, people were called by name, and encouraged to what we now know as a religious vocation. All the Apostles were called by name and encouraged to follow Christ in a unique vocation. After Christ’s Ascension, men were continually called by name, as we see in the life of the Apostle Paul, calling men such as Barnabas, John Mark, Silas, Timothy, etc. And very importantly, for seeing the cooperation of the faithful in encouraging vocations, the calling of Matthias by name (Acts 1:12-26). Matthias was chosen, not solely from the Apostles, the first priests, but also by women who were disciples, Mary the mother of Jesus, and other “brothers.” Matthias’ vocation was encouraged by both priests and the lay faithful.
Encouraging vocations is the work of the whole Christian community. When speaking of sending out more people to help with His ministry, Jesus commands us to “pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Matthew 9:38).
But vocation ministry can be intimidating, and hard to know where to start. Therefore, to help both priests and the lay faithful encourage vocations, the Diocese of Bismarck sponsors a vocation promotion initiative known as “Called by Name.” This program invites men and women, 15 years of age or older, to consider a vocation as a priest, sister, brother or deacon.
Typically, the Called by Name program is sponsored by a parish. The pastor will determine a weekend as a vocation weekend. One in which he will preach about vocations, encourage the people to pray more for vocations, and then after communion, anonymously invite parishioners to submit names of potential candidates from their respective parishes. Upon approval of the parish staff, persons nominated will be invited to discernment events with their parish priest. Participants will learn about each of the possible vocations which the Church is inviting them to discern and will have the opportunity to seek answers to their questions and be invited to explore the discernment process further.
God continues to call people to serve Him in our world today. The faithful have a responsibility to help identify and invite those called. Please continue to pray for vocations, the success of this initiative and consider whom in our midst God might be calling to serve.