- Prayer
A very wonderful priest used to say regularly in his homilies that we had to pray for vocations, not in the abstract but in the immediate. We should pray specifically that one of our close family members answer “yes” to the call.
My kids know that I pray for their vocation all the time. They also know that I would be thrilled if one of them wanted to discern the priesthood (I only have boys).
- Schools
Our local Serra organization recently ran an essay contest for school kids with the theme “what would your parents say if you told them you had a vocation to priesthood/religious life”. My son got an honorable mention in the contest. He was one of only a few boys in his class that thought that his parents wouldn’t be upset at the news. (he is also my son who wants at least 6 kids so I would have mixed feelings
) At least the topic was “out there” and the kids were talking about it.
My son was in the minority but it is a Catholic school. Saying such a thing in our local public school would have been unheard of.
- Cheerleading
I was so excited to see all the seminarians at the youth rally last week and the Yankee’s Stadium Mass. They are such a vibrant, joy-filled, modern bunch of priests-to-be. We should do everything we can to support them and to spotlight their committment.
- Contact
We have to get our kids in regular contact with young priests and nuns. They need to see them as real people, not so much different than they are, as well as role models.
