Vocation Comes out of Good Shepherding
You cannot give what you don’t have. Therefore, no one should expect anything more from anyone beyond what they can give. This applies to everything. It is true with priestly and religious vocations as well. If there is good shepherding, there will be no problem with vocations to the priesthood and religious life in the Church today.
When we speak of shepherding, it means those who have the role of educating, caring and nurturing others - those in charge of others under their care - like pastors, educators, elders and parents.
The Church declared this third Sunday of Easter a “Good Shepherd and World Day of Vocations”. And the Holy Father, Pope Francis, presented to us St. Joseph, the husband of Mary, to be our model and guide in this endeavor. This also to reminds us of our calling and responsibility, that, by virtue of our baptism, we, Catholic Christians, are called by the Lord Jesus every day to be good shepherds to our respective flocks. We have been entrusted by the Lord the responsibility to shepherd his flock.
Shepherding means to be a shepherd with Christ; to be a witness and servant of the Good Shepherd, to share in the Lord’s pastoral concern and duty” (cf. from one of Benedict XVI homilies). And, it is summarized in the statement “The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.” (Jn 10:11)
What makes St. Joseph an exemplar model of shepherding? Surely, his shepherding did not come from himself but from someone else - it came from God, the Eternal Shepherd. Our shepherding can only be sustained and credible once we draw everything we need from the very source: Jesus, the Godly Shepherd.
There are three essential points that the Holy Father, Pope Francis, mentioned in his message for “the 2021 World Day of Vocations.” They are: dream, service and fidelity. These three are all grounded and founded on love. St. Joseph is said to have had “the heart of a father.” It means love, Christian love. This element is vital in every and all kinds of shepherding. Without it, everything, including our talents and expertise, will not be enough, if not in vain.
St. Joseph and other saints showed us that each of us must have “the heart of a father,” that is, the heart of God. How? We need to constantly draw to the very source of such a perfect love: to Jesus. May we seek and thirst for him in our daily lives through our constant reading and listening to his words in the Scriptures, with the Eucharist as our daily nourishment.
The world today needs not just excellent and brilliant workers whose performance is measured according by salaries or rewards, but rather shepherds who seek not earthly rewards, but citizenship in heaven. The shepherds whose desire is “to be with”- not to have.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, our true and loving shepherd, constantly sustain us in your church, that, as we constantly abide and remain with you, may grow and mature in your love and our love for each other, especially with the little flock you entrusted to each one of us.
With your sustaining grace and care, may we be able to love and protect this little flock from being devoured by wolves that are constantly roaming around looking for prey. We are so weak and vulnerable without you. So constantly help and sustain us, your flock.
By our constant care, may we be able to produce quality members who are capable to dare answer your call to holiness in the context of single, married, and religious and priestly life.
Amen.
Fr. Edgar Benedi-an, OSM
