Vocations update from Fr. Angelo Anthony, C.PP.S.
Last week, a young adult came up to me and said, “I am so mad at God. For some reason, He won’t tell me what my vocation is. I’ve asked him to please answer my prayers for months now, and I’m not hearing anything!” I thought a moment and then said, “Yes, I’ve had times when I thought God was silent, too. It’s a hard place to be. What I’ve learned is that maybe I need to listen for God’s voice in the everyday experiences and people that I encounter each day. Few people have a St. Paul experience of call, and so it’s important to listen to and reflect upon the rhythms and patterns of my day-to-day life and recognize with gratitude the many ways God is speaking to me in the ways I least expect.”
In his address to the youth gathered at World Youth Day in Lisbon, Pope Franics made an important observation. He said, “While many people begin to consider life as a sister, brother, or priest with the question, ‘Am I called?’ a better question might be, ‘How am I called?’ It is important for everyone to recognize that every Christian has a calling, a very personal invitation from God who loves us just as we are.”
“God calls us by name because for God, none of us are a number, but a precious gift with a face and a heart. We are called as we are, with our problems and limitations, our overflowing joy, our desire to be better and to get ahead in this world. Remember, Jesus calls me as I am, not as I would like to be.”
National Vocation Awareness Week
During the week of November 3–9, 2024, we celebrate National Vocation Awareness Week, an annual week-long celebration of the Catholic Church in the United States, dedicated to promoting vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, and consecrated life through prayer and education and to renew our prayers and support for those who are considering one of these particular vocations.
Vocational Discernment Retreat: Harvesting God’s Goodness
Nov. 16–17, 2024
St. Charles Center, Carthagena, Ohio
This weekend retreat is for single men 18–40 years old who would like to learn more about discerning their call from God. When we take time to reflect upon the blessings we receive from God in our lives, we begin to appreciate more fully God’s hand at work within us.
Do you know someone who shows a love for the Lord and a desire to give of themselves for the sake of others and their needs? Contact Fr. Angelo at the Vocation Office either by phone 937-228-9263 or email vocation@preciousbloodus.org so that I may extend an invitation to those interested in learning more about the call of God and the Missionaries of the Precious Blood.
New from the National Religious Vocation Conference!
The new interactive vocation resource showcases today’s Catholic sisters, nuns, brothers, and priests, The Bold and Faithful Storymap: Meet Today’s Religious.
This storymap is designed for use by individuals considering a religious vocation and for parishes, campuses, and classrooms to promote vocations and connect those in religious life to everyday Catholics.
Featuring audio, video, articles, an interactive events calendar, and a religious institute map, the Bold and Faithful storymap is a companion resource, along with the 2021 Religious Life Today storymap and the NRVC’s 2020 Study on Recent Vocations to Religious Life.