We are here to help men who find that God may be calling them to priesthood. That is vocations ministry in a nutshell. There are four phrases from chapter 28 of Matthew's Gospel which help us to understand the vocation of every Christian. They are:
1. Be Not Afraid
2. He Has Risen
3. Come and See
4. Go and Tell
When we begin to hear God's call, at first it can create fear in us. This is perfectl
y normal. That is why Jesus tells us to "be not afraid." Thinking about the vocation often causes fear. Praying about it may bring peace. This peace is a moment of grace, a way that Jesus personally tells you to be not afraid. It is his way of letting you know that He wants you to take the next step. That next step is embracing a deep faith in the resurrection: "he is risen." Like in the first step, if the Lord is calling you then when you pray quietly you will find that your faith in the Lord begins to deepen. Like in the first step, you will experience this deepening faith as a gift, a grace that only the Lord can give. As in the first step, this is the Lord's way of inviting you to move forward. The first two steps are the most important. They are both graces which we receive from the Lord in prayer: a growing peace, and a deepening faith—Jesus is risen! Having received much in the first two steps, we are then called to do something. You might call this an itch that must be scratched. You find that you must do something. This is the Lord's invitation to you: "come and see." This involves doing something beyond praying or wondering if God may be calling. The come and see step involves reaching out to someone for help to see if God really is calling. This is the point at which it is most appropriate to contact us because our primary ministry as vocations directors is to help you to discover what God wants of you. This is a truly spiritual, profound, and sacred task, one that we feel privileged to be called by our Bishop to help others with.
