We all have the vocation to live holy and Christian lives, to be always Christ-like. This is the general and common vocation of all of us, of all the baptised, Auxiliary Bishop Nelson Po has said.
Delivering the homily at the Mass to launch National Vocations Awareness Week on Sunday 2 August, Bishop Nelson said there were many ways that God calls us into our journey of faith.
In one sense he said there was the call to live priestly, religious and consecrated lives; the call identified as one’s ‘vocation’ that the week of events seeks to promote and raise awareness of.
Beyond that, he suggested there also existed “the general call of all the baptised.”
While most may not be called to live specifically as priests and religious, he said “the invitation is always there for us to be part of the Church, to respond to our baptismal commitment, to be faithful to our identity as Christians, and to become witnesses of God’s love and service by responding to the needs of others.”
This witness, he added, was reflected in the gospel reading of the day – the feeding of the multitude/the loaves and fishes – that provided the definition of what a vocation to follow Jesus truly means.
“In today’s gospel Jesus shows us the essence of what responding to a call really means or really entails; that by trying to respond to people’s needs, we allow others to flourish.
“We allow them to grow and discover their own giftedness, their own gifts and talents, and above all, we empower them to multiply those gifts and talents for the good of those around them. That is our vocation, that is our calling,” he said.
This year’s National Vocations Awareness Week comprised an expanded program of events designed to encourage people to explore the many ways God calls each of us to live lives of purpose, service and faith.
The Vocations Expo brought together religious orders, Catholic ministries and organisations from across Perth, offering visitors the opportunity to meet and chat with those living a variety of vocations within the Church.
The 40-Hour Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration for Vocations invited participants to spend time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, praying for an increase in vocations, while also taking time to listen to God’s call in their own lives.
The Women’s Discernment Retreat Day offered a day of prayer, reflection and conversation with inspiring women who shared their own journeys of faith and discernment.
Perth Vocations Director Fr Joseph Laundy said National Vocations Awareness Week is an invitation for everyone to reflect on the unique calling God has placed on their lives.
“A vocation is much more than choosing a career or a particular path in life. It’s discovering the person God created you to be and responding to His invitation with generosity,” he said.
“So let us be generous. Let us be generous with ourselves and allow God to work through us,” Bishop Nelson added.
“We pray that this year’s observance of vocations awareness may be meaningful, and that it may bear fruit and translate into something spiritually uplifting for everyone through the intercession of our saints.”
