Is God calling you to a vocation in the Church ordained ministry or religious life?
Although this is “Ordinary Time” in the Church liturgical calendar, this week is anything but ordinary –it is packed with spiritual, moral and historical aspects that affect all of us greatly. The second week of January the Church celebrates national Vocation Awareness. Have you signed up to take the Vocation Chalice home for one week of pray for vocations, or those with children/grandchildren to encourage vocations to priesthood, the consecrated religious life, and deaconate? All of us are called to look at how we fulfill our lives in answer to the call of Christ. Our response should be the same as the disciples in our Gospel for this Sunday: “The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus.” Each of us has a vocation in the mission of Jesus; life teaches us that we can make effective differences in the lives of those around us by the way we live Him.
Effective: I cherish that line in today’s reading from the First Book of Samuel:
“Samuel grew up and the Lord was with him not permitting any word of his to be without effect.” Powerful! Our words have effect, and they affect people greatly, they can harm, hurt, condemn, or they can help, comfort, heal, inspire, bring hope, dignity, and express beauty and love—amongst many other things. And, Jesus corrective words ring in our hearts—love your neighbor as yourself…forgive as you have been forgiven…and …judge not less you be judged. Such words of guidance, challenge, responsibility, hope and comfort do form our conscience and who we are if we listen and respond by our living Christ.
Words have also broken people, enslaved people—denigrated people, killed people—we know the power of evil words. It wasn’t long ago when words and deeds in this nation fomented hatred and segregation with disdain and even delivered murder and death– “No Coloreds allowed- Negro Entrance—Whites only”.
Segregation was forcefully lived throughout our nation—not only the South. I remember as a young boy in the 1950’s a cousin told his mom that I was hanging out with blacks (my word-not his), my aunt stopped me grabbed me by the shoulders shook me yelling at me what are you doing playing with them-using the n word—tragically common in those days. It was okay to play sports together, but no socializing; certainly no friendships allowed.
However, reform and change came through the powerful actions and life-taking risks of some African Americans, and the empowering words that have become immortalized in the speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His words and deeds inspired and called people throughout our nation to foment change for justice. It took nearly 200 years for our nation to legalize and begin to enforce Civil Rights for African Americans. Dr. King helped America and the world see that peace-filled words and actions can overcome hatred, bigotry, and inhumane treatment of one another. We celebrate his birthday this Monday, January 19. However, we continue the struggle for justice/equality—look at how hatred and bigotry continue to arise in this nation against our President and throughout our nation.
Also for this week the Church calls us to observe a week of daily prayers for unity with all Christians—to eliminate the words and deeds of bigotry that exists between Christian traditions. As a youngster I remember having friends from other Christian churches and never allowed to go to their church, I was taught to fear damnation by God for entry a non-Catholic church. Jews were called Christ killers by some Christians-yes even Catholics and as a horrible part of our Church history. Thank God for Vatican II and the work of the Holy Spirit calling us to live with one another as Children of God and dialogue—despite difference in religion. WORDS BECOME DEEDS
This Thursday, January 22, is the ominous Anniversary of Roe versus Wade (1973) right to abortion. A DISTORTION of rights becomes evil deeds. Pro-life Catholics show our commitment and do not wavered or cease in our efforts—our firm conviction that life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception until natural death. Protecting all life as sacred is a part of who we are as Christ and His Church in the world. As witnesses in our most fundamental vocation, we are called to live in Christ—the sanctity of all life. Our vocational call of defending human life at every stage must meet the challenges of the ever increasing secular movement to endorse and expand legal abortion and other violations against the sanctity of life. Our stance includes being against euthanasia-assisted suicide and the death penalty, and all forms of abuse. Each year at this time we are asked to observe a day of penance (fasting and prayer) for violations to the dignity of the human person and prayers for the legal guarantee for the right to life.
The coming together of vocation weekend, Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial, and a week of prayer for Christian Unity, and Roe vs. Wade should give us pause to ask ourselves what we are doing with our words /our deeds to witness Christ the sanctity of all life. The answer is how we respond to Jesus question in our gospel today: “What are you looking for?” I would add, what are you waiting for? If you want the peace of Jesus to reign in your hearts, families, community, nation and world and eliminate the suffering caused by evil we must exercise our vocation, and the God given power to speak out and exercise our God-given rights and Civil Rights, we want to live for the sanctity of all life, for Christian Unity, and say yes to a vocation of service in Him. Pray our words of faith become our daily deeds.
Fr. Gordon Kalil