Year IV, Number 53

The World Day of Prayer for Vocations, which will be celebrated in the joyful atmosphere of the Easter festivities, especially joyful because of the Jubilee celebrations, gives me the opportunity to reflect, together with you, on the gift of the divine call, sharing your care for vocations to the ordained ministry and to the consecrated life. The theme that I intend to propose to you this year is one in harmony with the event of the Great Jubilee. I would like to meditate with you on: The Eucharist, source of all vocations and ministries in the Church. Is not perhaps the Eucharist the mystery of Christ, living and working in history? From the Eucharist, Jesus continues to call people to follow Him, and to offer everyone the "fullness of time."

"In the fullness of time, God sent His Son, born of a woman" (Gal 4,4). "The fullness of time coincides with the mystery of the Incarnation of the Word and with the mystery of the Redemption of the world" (Tertio millennio adveniente, 1): in the Son, who is of one being with the Father and was made man in the womb of the Virgin, the awaited "time" has its beginning and end, the time of grace and mercy, the time of salvation and reconciliation. Christ reveals the plan of God for all of creation and, in particular, for man. He "fully reveals man to man himself and makes his supreme calling clear" (Gaudium et Spes, 22), a calling which is hidden in the heart of Him who is Eternal. The mystery of the incarnate Word will be fully revealed only when every man and every woman will be fulfilled in Him, sons in the Son, members of His mystical Body, which is the Church.

The Jubilee, and this one in particular, celebrating 2000 years of the coming in time of the Son of God and the mystery of redemption, enjoins all believers to consider their own personal vocation, to complete in their lives what is lacking in the passion of the Son, for the sake of His body, which is the Church (cf. Col 1,24).

Q. Dear Fr Anthony,

Hello! I'm writing from a highly technical university, and I'm a freshman. I'm not very happy at all with my life. The work where I am is hard, yet it's doable. The thing is, I'm not enjoying any of it. I'm at a loss for what I'm supposed to do with my life. I recently became a eucharistic minister, and I love every second of it. I have some of the best feelings in my life while I'm serving. I chose to go to the place I'm in now simply because it was the best place I got accepted to. If not for prayer groups and God, I would probably go insane. I see graduates from this place, and they are nothing at all how I would like to be. Although I shouldn't judge others, as Christ is in everyone. I will do anything God wants me to do. Save for my religious activities, I am utterly miserable at this place. What should I do? I want to be happy and serve God at the same time. I need help. Thank you so much, and God bless.

- John

A. Dear John,

I think you are focusing too much on your feelings. When this happens it means that we are still very much the center of our thoughts and decisions. It is OK for our feelings to prod us, but they cannot be the defining element in our decisions. What I mean is this, there is nothing wrong with your feelings of frustration and boredom at your present place triggering you to question the real value of what you are doing, or getting you to think what life is really about. However, once you embark on your reflection you have to set your feelings aside, you have to seek the solid ground, truths you can build your life on.

Why? Because no matter what vocation in life you follow you are going to go through a stage (or many stages) of adverse feelings, when things seem to go wrong, when some aspect of it makes you feel wretched, and you will feel like giving up.

So when you make a choice in life, you should choose something that brings you happiness and makes you enthusiastic, but not only because it does. The happiness and enthusiasm it brings should stem from something more profound that will still give you direction and stability when the feelings are gone. For example, if because of what you describe above you decide to give your life to Christ as a priest, you will naturally be enthusiastic at the beginning because you have those wonderful feelings when you are close to the Eucharist. But as you go on you will meet people who will reject and may even hate you because of what you preach (Jesus' message is a difficult one: honesty, purity, sacrifice...), and you will have your down days, some things you try to do will not turn out well, people won't appreciate your efforts, you will make mistakes, you will have your flu's and colds. If you choose to follow him now because of the nice feelings it gives you, you may abandon him when those feelings are gone.

So, is God telling you through your feelings something about life, about why he made you? Try to answer that question. Go to him in the Eucharist and ask him why he gave you life, how you can use it best. Speak about this with a prudent person you trust. Then base your decisions on the truths you discover, not on the feelings that set the whole process in motion.

God bless.

- Fr Anthony

Q. Dear Fr Anthony,

I have been looking at a religious vocation for quite sometime now. I have been praying and I began talking about this with friends and some of the sisters at my parish. However, I still do not know what is the best thing for me to do. My parents want to support me but it is very hard for them. I am the only child. I feel guilty at times, but I feel drawn to give my life to God. How will I know that this is, without a doubt, the best thing to do?

- Anne

A. Dear Anne,

It seems to me that some very important elements are already in place as regards your vocation. You feel drawn to religious life, it is not a passing fad for it has lasted some years, you have been praying, you have been inquiring, your parents are extremely generous for even though you are an only child and it is hard on them, they want to support you. I would imagine you have been trying to develop your relationship with God.

There is another question you need to ask yourself and find an answer to: of the different ways of giving yourself to God (religious orders, consecrated life in a Movement...), is there any that has caught your attention or attracted you especially? Is there any person you have seen and thought, “maybe God wants me to be like that”? If there is, I would think you now need to visit them, and start talking to them about their particular life and charism, their requirements for entrance, etc. This will give you much more of an answer as to what to do now than your own speculation.

One note of caution though. You seem to be looking for mathematical evidence, an absolute sign of what is best to do. You won’t get one. The most you will get is that you use your head, your faith and your heart, and when you put it all together it isn’t as crazy as it seems, but it still takes faith.

- Fr Anthony

Since time immemorial, the Church has urged all Christians to practice what it called the works of mercy, which the Catechism of the Catholic Church explains as follows:

Works of mercy are charitable acts through which we help our neighbor in his spiritual and corporal needs (cf. Is 58:6-7; Heb 13:3). The spiritual works of mercy are instructing, counselling, consoling and comforting, as well as forgiving and suffering with patience. The corporal works of mercy consist especially in feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned and burying the dead (cf. Mt 25:31-46). Among these works, almsgiving to the poor (cf. Tb 4:5-11; Si 17:22) is one of the principal signs of fraternal charity; it is also a practice of justice that pleases God (cf. Mt 6:2-4) [no. 2447].

I earnestly invite you to dedicate part of your time and your means to practice the works of mercy, as an integral part of your habits and your plan of life. This has been an essential part of the life of every generation of Christians, since the very foundation of our religion. We find a very significant example already in the Acts of the Apostles and in the letters of St. Paul. In those years there was a period of drought and famine throughout Palestine; in this situation, the Christians living outside Palestine directed by St. Paul organized a great collection to help the Christians in Jerusalem (cf. Ac 11:27-30; Rom 15:26-28; 1 Co 16:1-4; 2 Co 8-9). Your task is to continue this uninterrupted chain, thus showing the world one of the most beautiful facets of the Church and Christianity.

Gospel: Mk 1:29-39

On leaving the synagogue Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever. They immediately told him about her. He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up. Then the fever left her and she waited on them. When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons. The whole town was gathered at the door. He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew him. Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed. Simon and those who were with him pursued him and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.” He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come.” So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.

Introductory Prayer: Lord, I want to be your apostle. I come to you in prayer with all of my sinfulness, my weakness, and my human frailty. I unite my miserable nothingness to your infinite greatness. With you I can do great things; without you I can do nothing. Lord, teach me to be an effective apostle, always doing what you want me to do and the way you want me to do it.

Petition: Lord, help me to foster apostolic zeal through a life of prayer.

1. “Jesus had much to do.”

Jesus was constantly working. He was up early in the morning and late to bed. When he enters Simon’s house, he takes care of his mother-in-law right away. When people come to him with their sick and lame, he does not turn them away but cures as many as come to him. He is constantly on the move, going from town to town and synagogue to synagogue. His life is filled with apostolic action. We must marvel at the intensity of Jesus’ life. He never stops. There is always someone else who needs him. There is always another soul to be saved.

2. “How does he do it?”

Mark reveals to us the secret of Jesus’ intense apostolic life: “Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.” Jesus finds his motivation and his direction for his apostolic life in intimate filial prayer with his Father. How he must have looked forward to those moments of quiet solitude! They must have been moments that re-energized him, preparing him to take on the grueling intensity of a never-ending apostolate.

3. “Prayer keeps him on track…”

When the disciples find Jesus in prayer, they want to go back to the town to do a repeat of the night before. “Everyone is looking for you!” They were excited about Jesus’ popularity and success. But Jesus, through his prayer, has a much clearer idea of his mission: “Let us go onto the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come.” His prayer helps him to keep his mission clear and not to get caught up in the vanity of success.

Dialogue: Lord, I want to have the apostolic zeal that you had, giving of myself generously day in and day out whenever someone needs me. I know I cannot do it without a deep prayer life. Help me never to separate my apostolic activity from my prayer life. Never let me become so absorbed in activity that I loose the true motivation for that activity. Keep me always close to you in intimate prayer.

Questionnaire:

1. Am I truly as open as Christ was to working, spending myself for souls? What holds me back?

2. In what ways does my prayer help me to keep God's will first in my life? Does my prayers make any difference? How would I describe the effect it has on me?

All the Evangelists, when they describe the risen Christ's meeting with his apostles, conclude with the "missionary mandate": "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,...and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age" (Mt 28:18-20; cf. Mk 16:15-18; Lk 24:46-49; Jn 20:21-23).

This is a sending forth in the Spirit, as is clearly apparent in the Gospel of John: Christ sends his own into the world, just as the Father has sent him, and to this end he gives them the Spirit. Luke, for his part, closely links the witness the apostles are to give to Christ with the working of the Spirit, who will enable them to fulfill the mandate they have received.

23. The different versions of the "missionary mandate" contain common elements as well as characteristics proper to each. Two elements, however, are found in all the versions. First, there is the universal dimension of the task entrusted to the apostles, who are sent to "all nations" (Mt 28:19); "into all the world and...to the whole creation" (Mk 16:15); to "all nations" (Lk 24:47); "to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8). Secondly, there is the assurance given to the apostles by the Lord that they will not be alone in the task, but will receive the strength and the means necessary to carry out their mission. The reference here is to the presence and power of the spirit and the help of Jesus himself: "And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them" (Mk 16:20).

As for the different emphases found in each version, Mark presents mission as proclamation or kerygma: "Preach the Gospel" (Mk 16:15). His aim is to lead his readers to repeat Peter's profession of faith: "You are the Christ" (Mk 8:29), and to say with the Roman centurion who stood before the body of Jesus on the cross: "Truly this man was the Son of God!" (Mk 15:39) In Matthew, the missionary emphasis is placed on the foundation of the Church and on her teaching (cf. Mt 28:19-20; 16:18). According to him, the mandate shows that the proclamation of the Gospel must be completed by a specific ecclesial and sacramental catechesis. In Luke, mission is presented as witness (cf. Lk 24:48; Acts 1:8), centered especially on the resurrection (cf. Acts 1:22). The missionary is invited to believe in the transforming power of the Gospel and to proclaim what Luke presents so well, that is, conversion to God's love and mercy, the experience of a complete liberation which goes to the root of all evil, namely sin.

Upcoming Events & Retreats

(( Listed here are retreats directed by the Legionaries of Christ and Regnum Christi members. For a listing of diocesan activities and other events, click here to go to the vocation.com website ))

LEGIONARIES OF CHRIST

Folsom, LA, Feb 21-23, 2003, Young Men's Retreat. Ages 18-30. Contact Michele Kot at michelektkc@juno.com or (985) 652-1840

Milan, IN, Feb 28 - Mar 3, 2003, Young Men's Retreat: for high school students. Skiing after retreat (on Monday). Contact Tom Weisbrod at millennm@nalu.net or (812) 623 2224.

Cheshire, CT Mar 7-9, 2003, Test Your Call Retreat. Ages 16-30. Contact Br Branigan Sherman at vocation@legionaries.org or (800) 420-5409. Price: none

Cornwall, ONT Mar 7-9, 2003, Test Your Call Retreat. Ages 16-30. Contact Fr William Slattery at wslattery@legionaries.org or (613) 931-1920. Price: none

Houston, TX Mar 14-16, 2003, Young Men's Spiritual Exercises. Ages 16-30. Contact Donna Rueby at dmrueby@hotmail.com or (281) 361-3708

REGNUM CHRISTI consecrated women

Ottawa, Feb 15-17, 2003, Spiritual Exercises. Ages 17-30. Contact Lourdes Cano at lcano@inteducators.org or (401) 225-2314.

Chicago, Mar 4-6, 2003, Young Women's Spiritual Growth Retreat. High School/College Girls. Contact Rae Joyce Baguilet at raejoycebag@aol.com or (630) 759-2322.

Washington DC, Mar 4, 2003, Young Women's Lenten Retreat. Ages 17-30. Contact Lucy Honnor at lhonnor@inteducators.org or (301) 536-6031

Portland, OR, Mar 7-9, 2003, Spiritual Exercises. Ages 17-30. Contact Rebeca Barba at rbarba@inteducators.org or(206) 755-1121

Syracuse, NY, Mar 7-9, 2003, Young Women's Spiritual Growth Retreat. Ages 16-30. Contact Megan Fallon at mfallon@fallonlaw.com or (315) 727-6336.

Ottawa, Mar 9, 2003, Young Women's Spiritual Growth Retreat. Ages 17-30. Contact Lourdes Cano at lcano@inteducators.org or (401) 225-2314

REGNUM CHRISTI consecrated men

Call Tony McDonnell for more information, (301) 365-3205. info@ytm.org.

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