Today, I will be giving a presentation to a meeting of diocesan clergy on the theme of vocations and creating a culture where vocations can be nurtured. The text below will introduce the theme of the talk and I will post the remainder of the contribution on this blog in the coming days.
There is
a good bit of talk in our Church and in the secular media about a “Vocations
Crisis”. There are growing numbers of Catholics and shrinking numbers of
brothers, sisters, and priests. The reality of these numbers is true and it is
a cause for concern, yet the reality of the crisis is not always well
represented. The crisis is not that there are no vocations to the priesthood
and religious life today, the crisis is that the vocations to the priesthood
and religious life are not being nurtured and encouraged as well as they could
be. The crisis is not just one of numbers; it is a crisis of culture. There are
many who are being called, yet for a young person today it can be very daunting
to acknowledge such a thing and pursue it.
The task
of many who are working in the arena of vocation promotion is to help build up
a “Culture of Vocations”. This is the work of encouraging all young and not so young Catholics
to remain open to the possibility that they are called. It is also the work of
encouraging all Catholics to invite and encourage those in whom they see a potential vocation to consider the religious life or priesthood. There are aspects of our
popular culture that promote values and ideals that dissuade anyone who might
consider getting actively involved in the Church, much less give their life to
service of the Church. Such forces create an environment that causes young people to think that the religious life or priesthood will
ask too much of them or will have them miss out on what normal people should
experience. This then leads young people who have thought about the religious
life or the priesthood to hesitate or avoid the reality that they may be
called.
The good
news is that much work has been done to begin to create a culture of vocations
to point to the transcendent and profound good that comes to the individual and
the world when an individual embraces his/her vocation. Some dioceses and
parishes and colleges are developing vocation programs or youth programs to encourage
young people in their faith, helping them to realize that a relationship with
Christ is a beautiful and powerful thing that is worth developing despite what
the popular culture may say. Parents and peers are opening up to the reality
that their child or friend may have a vocation and support them in it. There is
a growing sense that when an individual is called, it is not something strange
or oddly different, but quite natural and fulfilling for that individual. This
growing culture that is open to religious and priestly vocations is helping to
create an environment in which young people can feel comfortable in
acknowledging that they may have a vocation and will support them in their
desire to find out if Christ is truly calling them to follow Him. Where this
subtle shift in culture is happening there is a discernible growth in young
people stepping forward to acknowledge their sense of call and pursue it. Part of
the work to be done then is to continue to build up this culture of vocations,
this culture that encourages all people to pursue their relationship with
Christ and encourages individuals to remain open to the call to the religious
life and priesthood. There is also work to be done on the part of religious
communities and dioceses to encourage this cultural shift, share
the joy and fulfillment that is to found in the consecrated life, and to
provide solid and inviting programs for discernment and formation.
