Vocations Newsletter

On the Feast of the Assumption, I can’t help but think about Mary’s courage in becoming the mother of God. Did she know that God was asking her to play a unique role in human history—one with moments of joy but also pain and sorrow? Did she ever consider saying “no” to the angel Gabriel?
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“I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth.”Psalm 34:2One sure solution for dwelling on the negative is to do the exact opposite: count your blessings and be thankful.Last week, we talked about “the grumbling syndrome,” and how letting God into our lives is the only answer to our discontent. Today I want to focus on a practice that gets us beyond the complaints of everyday life. It’s called being grateful.Regardless of the day I’m having, I know I can always ask myself: “What are the things I’m most grateful for right now?” Some people talk about a Top Ten list, but my list—called “Thank you, God”—is more like a Top 100! It doesn’t take much to find reasons to be grateful, just a change of attitude. With a different mindset, a snowflake can be dazzling, and a child’s laughter can be a dose of medicine. The most common things of life have the ability to steady our ship and even guide us safely home—if we just see the hand of God at work.One way to welcome God in is through prayer. Try sitting quietly for at least ten minutes a day. If…
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“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”John 6:35Easier to grumble than let God be God, right? Easier but not very satisfying to our souls. In today’s reading from Exodus, we hear the complaints of the Israelites who just a few days out of Egypt and slavery accuse Moses of leading them into a desert only to die of famine. That’s when the Lord tells Moses that he will rain down bread from heaven “so that you may know that I, the Lord, am your God.”
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“You open your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.”Psalm 145:16How many times does God open a door for us—an opportunity to grow in our faith—and we say to ourselves, “I don’t think I can handle this. I just don’t have what it takes.”The miracle of the loaves and fishes is a good meditation to help restore our confidence. We’re more capable of doing good than we sometimes realize. Today’s Gospel is asking us to take personal inventory: What gifts do I have that I can share? What blessings can I give that will change someone’s life and reflect the compassion of Our Lord? Can I—just one person—help build God’s Kingdom on earth?
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