National Vocation Awareness Week is here

By Sr Christine Ramada CSFN, 8 August 2022
Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth are seen in prayer. Image: Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth - Australia/Facebook

 

The Church of Australia will celebrate the National Vocations Awareness Week from August 7-14, 2022. It is an annual week-long celebration dedicated to promoting vocations. It was first observed in Australia in 1980. The First Sunday of this week is dedicated to pray for Single Life and Married life. The Second Sunday focuses on Priesthood and Consecrated Life.

Pope John Paul II, in his letter to the Church of Australia at that time, urged them to pray earnestly so that the Church may have faithful priests and holy religious in accordance with the Will of Christ and the plan of his Eternal Father.

He reminded them that by concentrating the attention of the whole people of God on the meaning of the Church’s mission; we are showing that it is important to be imbued with the “ideals of the Gospel”; that it is necessary for everyone to be filled with the zeal in the Kingdom of God; and to be intent on contributing to the evangelisation of the world.

He urged the young people of Australia to heed the call of Christ and to not be afraid to say, “Yes.” “Do not hesitate to rely on his strength, to believe that his love will sustain you forever in the service of your brothers and sisters”. He reminded them how wonderful it is to be able to communicate Christ’s peace, to promote his justice and to spread his truth, to proclaim and to live his love.

As Catholics, we believe that God has a plan for us. He calls some to marriage, some to priesthood or consecrated life and others to live as a single person. Someone’s particular vocation is the unique way that he or she is called by God to be more like him.

43 years on, Pope Francis urged all Catholics to contemplate their particular vocation. The Pope acknowledged that responding to God’s call demands the courage to take a risk. “I invite everyone,” he said, “to ask the Lord for the gift of good labourers for His Kingdom, with hearts and hands open to His love.”

During this week, you are invited to pray about how God is calling you to live your vocation. We also pray for more vocations to priesthood and consecrated life and for those discerning their vocation in life.

Sr Christine Ramada CSFN is the Vocation Director of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth.

If you want to learn more about Vocations in the Diocese of Parramatta, visit parracatholic.org/vocations. To learn more about the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, visit csfn.org.au

Reproduced with permission from the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth.

 

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