I wish all of our mothers a happy Mother’s Day. We your sons and daughters thank you for your “yes” given to the gift of life. In a special way we pray for those mothers who have now gone before us into life eternal and for those couples who have issues conceiving a child. On this day may each of us turn our sight towards our Blessed Mother and foster proper devotion to her within our homes.
This Sunday is often known as, “Good Shepherd Sunday.” It is fitting that we as a parish community pray for and support vocations to the priesthood. We are currently blessed with Alex Hernandez, who is a seminarian, who will be ordained as a deacon on June 15. Then God willing he will be ordained to the Priesthood of Jesus Christ the High Priest the following summer. One vocation from this parish is good, but we need more men who are willing to hear God’s voice and to respond to it by their life.
Does your home support vocations? Not only to the priesthood or religious life, but also that of Holy Matrimony? The home is the domestic church and it is very important in the formation of children in their practice of faith. If we are to have more priests, more in religious orders, and more who have entered into marriage as seen by the Church we need families who promote the faith from within. Families who pray together, families who frequent the sacraments, families who study their faith, and families who live the faith which they profess.
On May 23rd we will have a great example of the priesthood in the form of the heart of Saint John Vianney. On this day this relic of this great saint of the church will be at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus for veneration. If you don’t know about Saint John Vianney go home and educate yourself on this great saint, teach your children about him, and make a pilgrimage as a family to see and pray before this great saint. Through his intercession may vocations to the priesthood become abundant and may the faithful take it upon themself to return to the Sacrament of Confession for which he was greatly known.
This parish community is blessed with a perpetual adoration chapel and yet when I walk by I usually find it empty. We are in need of adorers who are willing to sacrifice their time to be with Christ. Are we willing to say that despite how busy that I am there is nothing more important then fostering a relationship with Christ? From the silence of prayer springs forth the fruit of a vocation. It is the Lord who leads and hopefully we are willing to follow. It is said that from parishes with perpetual adoration springs forth the fruit of priests. Will we be willing to join together as a parish community to fill these empty hours and to enkindle here a renewal through prayer?
Let all of us desire to hear the voice of Lord and to follow where it calls. As a church we are need of priests. Without priests there cannot be the Anointing of the Sick. Without priests there cannot be the mercy of the Sacrament of Confession. Without priests there cannot be the Eucharist. To the young men of our parish stay open to God’s will. Silence your heart and follow where He leads. Let this parish be one which produces many holy vocations. Not because of some novelty, but instead by people who are so convinced of God’s love that they desire to chase after holiness in their everyday life and to spread that same for Christ with all they encounter.
