Vocations Sunday

Happy Vocations Sunday!

Here we are again, thinking about

the Lord and how He draws people

like us – or people like you??? – to

desire to do as He did, Who laid

down His life for His sheep. 

So, today is ‘Vocations Sunday.’

Everyone knows what that means,

though admittedly sometimes hearing

people speak about their vocations as somehow feeling ‘called,’ can be a little perplexing, especially if you don’t quite know how to make sense of that kind of statement.

On the other hand, you might hear people speak of an experience of love that was overwhelming and irresistible. 

Against these statements, we encounter – and very frequently – people of tremendous knowledge and intelligence and rationality, for whom a ‘call’ is too fantastic and ridiculous to be credible.

Feelings come and go, and we know that we cannot root our identity in how we feel about things or people, or even ourselves.  There must be something more, something that can transcend even our emotions, so that we can depend on it and trust in it, somehow.

So what is the beauty of a vocation?  How can a ‘call’ be irresistible to all kinds of everyone?

I think the answer must be that when God is calling/ inviting someone to a religious vocation, He is inviting you to believe in His love not only on an emotional level, but fundamentally and lastingly on an intellectual level.  Like God who is Trinity, He appeals to our heart, mind, and will – the three are inter-dependent and complementary.  He knows us better than we know ourselves and it is only at His invitation that we can be ‘called.’

So, what is a vocation?

An invitation from the Lord of Love – from a Person to a person – a very particular call, which none but you can respond to.  And it is up to you to make the choice – He won’t force a decision, or you wouldn’t be free.

The question is, do you have the courage to explore the possibility, or even to dare to say yes???

Feast of the Holy Trinity

The antiphons in the Divine Office today give expression to our wonder and awe before the mystery Blessed Trinity, Three persons in one God. They keep circling round this mystery so incomprehensible to us. The plain chant melodies especially make our hearts swell with something beyond our capacity to put into words, giving voice to an awareness of the majesty and utter transcendence of God, the beauty of which almost hurts. The mystery of the Godhead, of God as he is in Himself Father, Son and Holy Spirit the most ineffable of all mysteries draws us, creates yearnings in us, leaves us restless even frustrated in our inability to worship God as He deserves. I am captivated by the ‘Otherness’ of God. On this Feast I long for Heaven where this ache to worship will be satisfied and I will know even as I am Known.

And yet when we come to the Mass readings for today’s Liturgy- God’s own Word about Himself given to us today to celebrate the mystery of the Trinity we are invited to reflect not on His Transcendence but on His immanence. In fact the focus seems to be more on us than on God. It seems that what God wants is for us to see Him as Love, love that has no other desire than to share Himself, pour Himself out, draw us in to Himself. The inner mystery of the God head is the mystery of love poured out. This mystery is made manifest to us in Jesus in whom we see our God made visible and who by His life death and Resurrection makes it possible for us through baptism in to Him to become heirs with Him and in and through him to enter into the heart of the Trinity The breath taking reality is that our God, totally sufficient in Himself and having no intrinsic need of us longs to share his life with us. As the spear entered Jesus side and blood and water flowed out, He received us into his heart. In Jesus we are taken up into the life of God. Hidden with Christ in God, immersed and enfolded in the love of the Trinity we too now experience God’s own desire for all peoples to know his love and our hearts burn with a longing to make disciples of all nations.

God who so loves the world has entrusted to us the awesome and privileged task of reflecting His love to all whom we encounter. In this time and place we are called to witness to Him, to be a place where his love can be seen in our world. We have the mission of making disciples, through our presence, our prayer, our words and our deeds. In this context ‘I am with you always until the end of time’ takes on a new dimension. In a very real way, God depends on us to make Him visibly present in our world, until the end of time.

We may not be able to find words to adequately extol the greatness of our God or to express our gratitude for the wonder of His love but actions speak louder than words.

Perhaps like Mary and with Mary we as the poet G.M. Hopkins so beautifully expresses it have only this one work to do

Let all God’s glory through,

God’s glory which would go

Through her and from her flow

Off, and no way but so.