Year IV, Number 49

Its universal presence and the evangelical nature of its witness are clear evidence — if any were needed — that the consecrated life is not something isolated and marginal, but a reality which affects the whole Church. The Bishops at the Synod frequently reaffirmed this: "de re nostra agitur", "this is something which concerns us all". In effect, the consecrated life is at the very heart of the Church as a decisive element for her mission, since it "manifests the inner nature of the Christian calling" and the striving of the whole Church as Bride towards union with her one Spouse. At the Synod it was stated on several occasions that the consecrated life has not only proved a help and support for the Church in the past, but is also a precious and necessary gift for the present and future of the People of God, since it is an intimate part of her life, her holiness and her mission. The present difficulties which a number of Institutes are encountering in some parts of the world must not lead to a questioning of the fact that the profession of the evangelical counsels is an integral part of the Church's life and a much needed incentive towards ever greater fidelity to the Gospel. The consecrated life may experience further changes in its historical forms, but there will be no change in the substance of a choice which finds expression in a radical gift of self for love of the Lord Jesus and, in him, of every member of the human family. This certainty, which has inspired countless individuals in the course of the centuries, continues to reassure the Christian people, for they know that they can draw from the contribution of these generous souls powerful support on their journey towards the heavenly home.

Q. Dear Fr Anthony,

I truly feel that I have been called to help other people by my life and actions, and to that end, I am now in medical school. I am enjoying learning about people, about life, and helping the sick get better or healthy, but I find myself increasingly anxious about my "life." Perhaps this is just the anxiety that comes with being closer to a profession of sorts, but I have never felt this way. I struggle to keep an open mind and heart to hear God's word so that I may try to do His will, but as yet, I just get more anxious. My life has been a remarkable journey so far, and God has been good to me in so many ways, but it seems that now when I need His guidance more than ever, I am feeling alone. I am so very afraid that I am going in the wrong direction. The reason I send you this question is that recently strong thoughts have come along that are directed towards the priesthood. I have never seriously considered the priesthood until now, and who but God and why but for His calling should I think of this now? I stumbled upon your response to Chris on the web, especially the last sentence, "...to follow the path God lets you see is yours." Sounds good to me, but have you any idea what I can do now? Thank you so much for your consideration.

- James

A. Dear James,

You seem to have good reason to think these thoughts may be coming from God, and you seem ready to act. Sounds good.

The first and most important thing to do is to pray. Pray for help and for detachment from anything that might hinder your possible vocation. Let your prayer calm your anxiety and sense of loneliness: Christ is with us, he is present in the Eucharist; God is present in your soul through grace, he is your father and he will never abandon you.

Right now you can also start looking into concrete ways of becoming a priest, and in the process you will get help and direction from a vocations director. If the diocese and parish work is where you think God may be calling you, get in touch with your diocese. If you think it is a religious order, get in touch with one you know and are attracted to. Both will put you in touch with a person who is competent in the area of vocations, and then it is a matter of working along with him.

God bless.

- Fr Anthony

Q. Dear Fr Anthony,

I don’t know if my vocation is to the consecrated life. I see that they are very happy, and I want to be happy. So I also feel that is selfishness, but also I feel that I can’t live that life because I don’t like to have a schedule and people to tell me always what to do.

- Danielle

A. Dear Danielle,

I think you are looking at the wrapping and not the gift.

Consecrated life is something God asks of us, true. But it is also, and especially, a gift that he gives us. It is the gift of himself. He says he wants to have a special, exclusive relationship with us; he wants to use us as his messengers and apostles; he wants to reach so many other souls through us; but above all he wants to give us a happiness and fulfillment in this life and the next that is complete and a sheer gift of his.

What is the cost of this gift? How does it come to us? “If you want to save your life you will lose it”, “Unless the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies it will not bear fruit.”

So if you consecrate your life to Christ and that means obedience, even though the voice is human, the person you are obeying and loving is Christ himself. The person you are giving yourself to in those you serve is Christ himself: “Whenever you did to one of these the least of my brothers and sisters you did unto me.”

And if you have to die to yourself, that is not the end, it is the beginning of a new life.

So when God offers you a vocation, you can either say, “I don’t like the color of the ribbon on the box; nothing valuable could possibly come in such an unattractive box as obedience,” or you can open it up and find the diamond inside. When you do, the color or size of the box won’t matter at all, nor will it matter how many other trinkets you have to give up in order to receive it.

God bless.

- Fr Anthony

Many men and women throughout history have also sensed in their hearts Christ’s last commandment before he ascended into heaven: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature!” (Mk 16:15). This mandate has resounded throughout history in the consciences of so many apostles and evangelizers who abandoned home, country, job, and human opportunities, in order to do what the Lord said. Carrying the faith in their hearts, the first disciples set out along every route in the world and preached in Christ’s name. The rich heritage of Christian life we now possess, the great treasure of our faith, we owe to those apostles who never hesitated to bet on Christ and risk everything for the sake of the Gospel.

Today the mandate to evangelize not only remains as valid as in the first century, but is more urgent and necessary than ever because of the situation of the world and the Church. It is enough to hear, with deep sorrow, the words with which the Holy Father begins his encyclical Redemptoris Missio: “The mission of Christ the Redeemer, which is entrusted to the Church, is still very far from completion. As the second millennium after Christ’s coming draws to an end, an overall view of the human race shows that this mission is only beginning and that we must commit ourselves wholeheartedly to its service”.

Gospel: Lk 1:26–38

In the sixth month, the archangel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, forever, and his kingdom there will be no end.” But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.” Mary said, “Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

Introductory Prayer: Lord you asked that we pray for laborers to be sent to the harvest. Let this prayer begin with me, be it done unto me according to your will.

Petition: Grant that my heart be docile like that of Mary to the action of the Holy Spirit. Augment in me the generosity that I will need to embrace your will in my life despite the fact that it may not always be clear at first.

1. “Hail, favored one!”

Every vocation is a personal initiative of God’s love for humanity. Our Lord knows well our human frailty, such that when Christ left this world he promised not to leave us as orphans. He promised that his emissary, the Holy Spirit, would remain with us. And so through the ages, the Holy Spirit has continued to move the hearts of many young and generous souls with an ardent desire to consecrate themselves exclusively to Christ and the establishment of his Church here on earth. These souls are bridges of intercessory prayer and acceptable sacrifice on behalf of humanity, the pilgrim Church. To be “called” is a beautiful gift. The world cannot even begin to offer a comparable alternative. This divine initiative is, as the Holy Father wrote upon retrospection of his own vocation, both a gift and a mystery. Mary understood this very well; that the angel Gabriel who gazes upon the face of God should proclaim her, a mortal, “highly favored of God.” What is it that God sees in certain souls to make them unique subjects of his love? The only suitable answer is that those souls are assumed into the very mystery of God’s love for humanity. The omnipotent Creator of all that is seen and unseen, permits the plan of salvation to be contingent upon human collaboration. God has need of our generosity!

2. “Do not be afraid”

Being a favored soul sets one apart from the humanity from which one comes. Vocations come from normal people, from ordinary families, from what seems to be nothing extraordinary. Sometimes, a soul who is being called may feel unsettled, anxious or even scared about the reality going on in their soul- as something unique. Why me? Why can’t I be like everyone else? How I am going to reconcile this with the dreams I share together with my peers? God is possibly calling for a greater measure of generosity; to re-dimension the horizon of my life. Gabriel assures Mary, not to fret because what God proposes He will be able to bring to fruition. All that is necessary is trust. When we begin to let go of our anxieties and place our trust in God, we discover the true inner peace of providence unfolding in the immediate circumstances around us. The one who gives the gift of a vocation, is the guarantor of the graces necessary to bring this call to fulfillment. Take heart to the words of the Holy Father at the beginning of his pontificate, “Do not be afraid to open the doors of your heart to Christ.” If Christ is moving your heart towards his, let go of your fears like Mary and you will see how the Holy Spirit will overshadow your weakness.

3. “Behold I am the handmaid [servant] of the Lord”

Trust, the exercise of the theological virtue of faith, leads us to hope. Mary took heart to the promise of Gabriel that the Holy Spirit would accompany her. Hence, we see a complete 180-degree turn around in her disposition to her vocation. She is not going to rationalize all the “how’s” and “when’s” things are to happen. In fact, this is no longer her concern but that of the Holy Spirit. Mary understands now, in her heart and in her mind, that God has prepared her for this mission and that everything will fall into its place with her collaboration. Hope is this, the certitude of things to come anticipated here and now already in fulfillment. Although the circumstances were never explained to Mary how her vocation would unfold, she knew it would happen and surrendered everything to God: her intellect, her will, her imagination, her sentiments… in brief, her enthusiastic consent. This is what it means to be the handmaid of the Lord. A servant waits upon their master with the total surrender of freedom. With Christ, our surrendered liberty now becomes one with his divine liberty. United to Christ we have the confidence to repeat, “in him I know I can do all things.”

Dialogue: Lord Jesus, you fill the hearts of your faithful with the light of the Holy Spirit. Grant me the gift of faith to believe in the promise of your fidelity and hope to remain steadfast to the path you want me to follow.

Questionnaire:

1. Through Baptism Christ has called me out of darkness into the light. What have I already seen in my reflections about the dignity of my Christian vocation? In which way do I think Christ is calling me to search deeper in my baptism to bring others to the light?

2. What is my attitude towards God’s will in my life? How often, and how honestly do I ask our Lord to open my heart to know his will, or am I afraid to open my heart? If I am afraid, what is it that I possibly might be running from?

3. Every day has its worries. In which situations do I exercise the gift of hope by placing the circumstances of my life within the context of Divine Providence? What am I doing to grow in my generosity daily to embrace God’s will?

The pharisees were the experts in Israel as regards fulfillment of the law. They were the holy ones, and their name means “the separated ones.” In other words, their striving for justice and holiness separated them from the run-of-the-mill Jew.

It was not easy to be a pharisee, it entailed fasting and prayer and a scrupulous fidelity to countless laws and their application. It was involved and arduous.

It was quite understandable that any man doing all those things would think himself superior to others. It is quite to be expected that a man making such sustained effort and going to such extremes would want some recognition and respect. He would want to feel it was worthwhile and that all of this bother he was undertaking was really making him a better, holier, more perfect man. So he would make sure that people saw him pray, that they saw him give alms, that they noticed on his face that he was fasting, that they saw and admired and gazed in awe at his meticulous religiosity. And it seemed that he began to think that it was somehow only right that God too should gaze in awe and gratitude at such a wonderful servant, the pride of Israel.

Now it is sobering to realize that what he thought was bringing him close to God, justifying him, was in reality taking him in the opposite direction. It was separating him not from sinners as he thought, but from the God he thought he was honoring.

In other words, he was mistaken. He was mixing up his subjective ideas and feelings, for which he had much supporting evidence, with God’s view. He thought God must see things exactly as he did, he must surely know what a just and righteous man he was.

This is a fundamental error and we can all make it. No, we all do make it. Over and over again.

We get some idea into our heads, and we figure God must see things exactly as we do. It does not follow. Our hang-ups and obsessions can make us focus on the wrong things. Just as Christ said about the pharisees in a colorful exaggeration, we strain out the gnats and then go ahead and swallow entire camels instead. The pharisees went to great lengths to define what was work so as not to do it on the Sabbath (they wondered if carrying the extra weight on their feet when wearing sandals constituted work, so as to know if they could wear sandals or not on the Sabbath) and thus avoid breaking the law, yet, as Christ said, in the process they forgot about the essence of the law which was mercy (I want mercy and not sacrifice, he quoted back to them from the Old Testament).

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

Rome, Italy. December 27, 2003 - January 5, 2004. Pilgrimage for college-aged men and high school seniors. Price: $399 + airfare. Chaplains are the Legionaries of Christ. Contact Karolee Stauduhar at kstauduhar@msn.com or (407) 869-8263.

Rome, Italy. December 27, 2003 - January 5, 2004. Youth Pilgrimage for boys ages 11-15. Price: $1,495 (includes airfare) Chaplains are the Legionaries of Christ. Contact Ray Arsenault at (902) 854-2808 or arsenaultacres@pei.sympatico.ca

REGNUM CHRISTI consecrated women

Rome, Italy. December 28, 2003 - January 6, 2004. Pilgrimage for high school girls (grades 8 -11). Price: $600 + airfare. To register now contact Tracy Jones at sjfc@pei.sympatico.ca or (902) 854-2969

Christmas retreat for young women ages 13 - 17 discerning a call to consecrated life. For more information contact Liliana Esmenjaud at matere@ids.net or (401) 378-3201

REGNUM CHRISTI consecrated men

Call Tony MacDonnell for more information, (301) 365-3205. amacdonnell@arcol.org.

ShoreLines welcomes your questions and comments at questions@shorelines.org. If you do not specify otherwise, your question may be posted in the Vocations Q&A section.

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