Often, it is a matter of hearing the right words at the right time. Whether it’s your mom whispering that she loves you or your teammate calling out “I got it” while chasing a pop fly, the right words spoken at the right time are, as Proverbs tells us, “like gold apples on a silver tray” (Proverbs 25:11). They are valued and appreciated, welcomed and cherished.
When it comes to promoting and encouraging vocations, many of us turn to prayer, and rightly so. Vocations are a gift of God and the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Praying for an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life is the work of all of us. Jesus says, “ask the master of the harvest to send laborers into the vineyard” (Matthew 9:38). If we want more priests, sisters and brothers, we need to ask. We need to pray…and we need to offer the right words.
All of us reading this have young people in our lives. Have you talked to them about a vocation to religious life or the priesthood? Have you told your granddaughter that she would make a great Benedictine Sister? Or your neighbor boy that he would be a good priest? Statistics are showing that young people have never considered a church vocation because the idea was never presented to them. Those same statistics are showing that the majority of those who have said “yes” to a vocation first thought about it because someone talked to them about it. They said the right words at the right time.
Surely, we know a young person who is searching for meaning in life. We know a woman who puts others’ needs ahead of her own. We know a man who loves his faith and seems to enjoy being a part of the Church. We all notice men and women who want to live lives of service, who want to help others, teach others, and lead others on the paths of righteousness. We see virtuous young people who we can imagine that God may be calling to a vocation in the Church. Have we told them?
It is not unheard of to encourage young people to dare to do something great, something difficult and challenging. We cheer them on when they try out for the school musical, apply to college, or go for a job interview. We nurture them and support them when they are thinking about going on a mission trip or becoming a doctor. But, are we inviting them to consider a religious vocation?
As we celebrate National Vocation Awareness Week, it is most certainly the right time to say the right words. Think of someone you know who would make an awesome sister or brother or priest. Pray for them. Invite them to consider it. Write them a note and tell them that you see in them the qualities that are fitting with a religious vocation. You never know, they may be already thinking about it and your words could be just the encouragement they need. Or maybe your words would be planting a seed.
If you or someone you know wants more information about vocations within the Church, email vocations@duluthosb.org or visit www.duluthbenedictines.org/vocations.
