Vocation Promotion
A great discussion arose in response to the post below. Check out the comments!
What's appropriate or inappropriate in promoting vocations?
How far is too far?
What images of priesthood should we be portraying or not portraying?
What's appropriate or inappropriate in promoting vocations?
How far is too far?
What images of priesthood should we be portraying or not portraying?
posted by Mark Mossa, SJ at 1:18 AM
2 Comments:
Having expressed concerns about the posters, I suppose I should have some alternatives. I'm not sure I have good ones, but, hey, this is blogging. Off the cuff opinions are fine, right?
This Friday I will attend the funeral of a five month old baby who died of SIDS a few days ago. Those of us who know the family (the grandparents are friends of ours) have been walking around in a daze.
I've already heard from the grandparents how amazing our pastor has been with the family. And on Friday, we'll all be sitting there expecting him to say something--anything--to help us try to make sense of this, to help us reconcile our faith in a loving God who is closer to us than we are to ourselves with a world in which five month old babies die quietly in the night.
If you want to be a priest, this is where the rubber meets the road. This is the kind of thing that ordinary laypeople like me will be expecting of you, demanding of you. It's not reasonable. The burden is almost crushing. You go into battle with despair and pain and hate armed with nothing but love.
You want a recruitment poster? Christ on the cross. Because that's what it's all about. Are you ready for it?
What Peter said, and then add to that no matter what kind of day you have had personally you still have to minister to your flock.
I am reminded of the Gospel this week: Jesus had just heard of John the Baptist's death and went of to mourn. The crowds followed him and he felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd so he went to minister to them, laying down his need to mourn in order to take up their need to be ministered to.
That is what vocation is truly about. That is the radicallity of it.
Are you ready for this?
Maggie
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