Please pray daily for an increase in Vocations to the Priesthood and Religious LIfe.
Welcome to Discernment & Vocations at St. Anthony's
We hope that this site will act as a single point of contact for information on Vocations and Discernment provided by the Parish or the Diocesan Vocations Office. We will attempt to provide you with current information on the following:
This Page:
> What's New!
> Articles on Discernment & Vocations
See Links above for the following:
> Parish Discernment Events
> The Diocesan Vocations Calendar
> Link to Diocesan Vocations Website
What's New!
+Check out the Parish Discernment Events link above for informaiton on the Parish Discernment Seminar on Saturday, October 18, 2008.
+ Diocesan Vocations Contact:
Marissela Lopez
Secretary, Office of Vocations
713-652-8239 mlopez@archgh.org
Articles on Discernment & Vocations:
St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church
Archdiocese of Galveston – Houston
February 27, 2008
Each ministry, each ministry head and each member of the ministry may have an opportunity to foster and nurture vocations. In this context we are specific concerning the vocations of Priests, Sisters and Brothers. Fostering and nurturing vocations is not the sole responsibility of the clergy or a vocations committee. Likewise each member of the Parish also has a responsibility to foster and nurture vocations as God provides the opportunity. Let us look for those among us who are called and let us always be a help and never an impediment for those seeking to understand and answer God’s call.
A vocation is not defined by doing, by any specific role or function. It is primarily a matter of being, in which life is consciously embraced as God’s pure gift, full of meaning and purpose, lived out in generous and wholehearted response to the One who is its source, and whose ultimate fulfillment is to “see the face of God and live”.
Christian vocation is inherently missionary. Its purpose is to transform the world, healing, teaching, reconciling, and giving life and freedom to the children of God. Vocation is never to an inert status or to a garden enclosed. It is a call to engender life: in oneself, in others, in the world to which we are sent.
Most vocational journeys contain a few key moments when the Lord’s invitation to “come, follow me” is heard as a direct and personal call to the human heart. More typically, though, this call is mediated gradually: in prayer, thorough major events in one’s personal history, through interlocking sets of experiences, and perhaps most vividly through individuals – mentors, spiritual guides, witnesses – whose direct invitation prompts a young man or woman seriously to ponder their call to embrace a particular vocation. This principal of mediation is an essential dimension of vocation ministry.
Therefore it follows from this principal of mediation that all members of the Church share responsibility for “raising up vocations”. We are all de facto members of the Vocations Committee. In our de facto role we are mandated by God to pray often for an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life, we are asked to be aware of those around us who might have vocation interests and nurture that interest, and we are called to with respect and privacy to bring these individuals to the attention of our priests. We ask you as ministry heads to look for the “Samuels” around you.
Sincerely,
Fr. Tom Rafferty
Jesus said to his disciples: If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.
Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for the faith you have given me. It is what sustains me. I hope in you, trust in you, and depend completely and totally in you. But sometimes I struggle with suffering. I do believe that you love me and I want to show my love for you more than I do especially during the difficult times. I recommit and I surrender myself to you. I put myself into your hands.
Petition: Lord, impress your love on my soul very, very deeply, and make it grow stronger than any trial or difficulty I may have to go through. Let me never doubt your love.
1. Intimacy with Jesus. Jesus showed that he is much more than a friend to us, for he did what very few friends are willing to do, he gave his life for us when we were still sinners. He knows we want to be his friends in return; we want to love him but sometimes don’t know how. Looking at the cross and wanting to repay his love, it may all seem out of reach. But Jesus tells us a very simple, real, direct, “foolproof” way of loving him. We simply need to use the grace he has given us and keep his commandments. “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” The commandments, and especially Jesus’ new commandment to love one another, are not arbitrary restrictions. They are the path of life. They guarantee that he will live in us. “Do this and you will live.” This is how our wills will be united with his, and his will represents our true good. It may seem strange to us to speak of obedience and love together, we tend to separate them. Love for Jesus was not some kind of vague feeling of goodwill toward God and us. Because he loved us enough to want to redeem us, he obeyed his Father’s will as to how this was to be done. And it required sacrifice. It cost him his life. When we ask Jesus for the grace to love as he has loved us, we are asking him for the grace to obey his commandments.
2. Intimacy with the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised his disciples “another Advocate”, one who would remain with them forever. The disciples were upset to hear Jesus speak of his death and departure. They couldn’t bear to think of Jesus leaving them, so much they loved being with him. They didn’t want to be left by him, alone in the world, with no future, returning to a life without him. He promises them “the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.” The Holy Spirit is the spirit of truth; he is the one who will “teach us all things.” In him we understand not only Jesus’ words but we are more importantly led to his heart, by the Spirit of Love. We learn the logic of love, he gives us the strength to live in love, he enables us to fulfill the commandments. The Holy Spirit works in the interior of our souls. He is not seen by the world, he is only “seen” by the person who lets him act in his soul.
3. Intimacy with the Father. “On that day you will know that I am in my Father and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.” We tend to think of the Father as being distant, yet Jesus wants us to be close to him. There was no distance between Jesus and his Father, for the two are one, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, and Jesus wants us to be one with him, and enter into the joy of a filial relationship with the Father. He wants “his Father” to be “our Father.” If we love Jesus, he says, we will be loved by the Father. If we fulfill the commandments, and Jesus’ New Commandment of love, we will be guaranteed the love of the Father. What can we possibly fear? He wants to draw us into his living and eternal relationship of love. In a thousand different ways he is calling us, inviting us, pulling us towards him. Jesus reveals the mystery not only of three persons in one God, but of the three divine persons present and active and finding their delight in dwelling in us. What a mystery!
Conversation: Jesus, thank you for opening to me the heart of your Father, thank you for sending me your Holy Spirit to strengthen me and to enable me to be pleasing to the Father, thank you for making me a son of your Father. Help me to be steadfast in my faith and love, fulfilling your commandment. Implant your love deeply in my heart so that I will always remain in your love, and enjoy the presence of the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Jesus said to his disciples: If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.
Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for the faith you have given me. It is what sustains me. I hope in you, trust in you, and depend completely and totally in you. But sometimes I struggle with suffering. I do believe that you love me and I want to show my love for you more than I do especially during the difficult times. I recommit and I surrender myself to you. I put myself into your hands.
Petition: Lord, impress your love on my soul very, very deeply, and make it grow stronger than any trial or difficulty I may have to go through. Let me never doubt your love.
1. Intimacy with Jesus. Jesus showed that he is much more than a friend to us, for he did what very few friends are willing to do, he gave his life for us when we were still sinners. He knows we want to be his friends in return; we want to love him but sometimes don’t know how. Looking at the cross and wanting to repay his love, it may all seem out of reach. But Jesus tells us a very simple, real, direct, “foolproof” way of loving him. We simply need to use the grace he has given us and keep his commandments. “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” The commandments, and especially Jesus’ new commandment to love one another, are not arbitrary restrictions. They are the path of life. They guarantee that he will live in us. “Do this and you will live.” This is how our wills will be united with his, and his will represents our true good. It may seem strange to us to speak of obedience and love together, we tend to separate them. Love for Jesus was not some kind of vague feeling of goodwill toward God and us. Because he loved us enough to want to redeem us, he obeyed his Father’s will as to how this was to be done. And it required sacrifice. It cost him his life. When we ask Jesus for the grace to love as he has loved us, we are asking him for the grace to obey his commandments.
2. Intimacy with the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised his disciples “another Advocate”, one who would remain with them forever. The disciples were upset to hear Jesus speak of his death and departure. They couldn’t bear to think of Jesus leaving them, so much they loved being with him. They didn’t want to be left by him, alone in the world, with no future, returning to a life without him. He promises them “the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.” The Holy Spirit is the spirit of truth; he is the one who will “teach us all things.” In him we understand not only Jesus’ words but we are more importantly led to his heart, by the Spirit of Love. We learn the logic of love, he gives us the strength to live in love, he enables us to fulfill the commandments. The Holy Spirit works in the interior of our souls. He is not seen by the world, he is only “seen” by the person who lets him act in his soul.
3. Intimacy with the Father. “On that day you will know that I am in my Father and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.” We tend to think of the Father as being distant, yet Jesus wants us to be close to him. There was no distance between Jesus and his Father, for the two are one, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, and Jesus wants us to be one with him, and enter into the joy of a filial relationship with the Father. He wants “his Father” to be “our Father.” If we love Jesus, he says, we will be loved by the Father. If we fulfill the commandments, and Jesus’ New Commandment of love, we will be guaranteed the love of the Father. What can we possibly fear? He wants to draw us into his living and eternal relationship of love. In a thousand different ways he is calling us, inviting us, pulling us towards him. Jesus reveals the mystery not only of three persons in one God, but of the three divine persons present and active and finding their delight in dwelling in us. What a mystery!
Conversation: Jesus, thank you for opening to me the heart of your Father, thank you for sending me your Holy Spirit to strengthen me and to enable me to be pleasing to the Father, thank you for making me a son of your Father. Help me to be steadfast in my faith and love, fulfilling your commandment. Implant your love deeply in my heart so that I will always remain in your love, and enjoy the presence of the Father and the Holy Spirit.