Vocations Newsletter

“But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.”John 20:31We thank Saint Pope John Paul II for reminding us today of God’s love for all people—no matter their station, no matter their sins. This is Divine Mercy Sunday, a celebration begun by our beloved Pope in 2000. On the Sunday after Easter that year he canonized Blessed Faustina Kowalska, a devoted religious, designating the second Sunday of Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday. Mindful of St. Faustina’s gift to the Church at Easter, our Holy Father proclaimed:“Jesus said to St. Faustina one day, ‘Humanity will never find peace until it turns with trust to Divine Mercy.’ Divine Mercy! This is the Easter gift that the Church receives from the risen Christ and offers to humanity.”What our Holy Father is saying is that personal transformation—the passage into new life that we celebrated at Easter—is only possible because of God’s mercy. Each time we witness mercy, we transform ourselves in God’s image and offer the gift of new life to the world. We become creators in a worldly way and in…
Read more >

The first Westerner to be ordained as a monastic disciple in Thich Nhat Hanh’s Vietnamese Zen lineage Sister Annabel Laity was given the Dharma name Chan Duc, which means True Virtue. Now a much-loved senior Dharma teacher in the Plum Village community, Sister Annabel teaches and leads retreats worldwide. She is the author of True Virtue: The Journey of an English Buddhist Nun (Parallax Press).
Read more >

Truly, this is the day the Lord has made. Rejoice with me in celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and the gift of eternal life. There is no greater love than the sacrifice of the Cross. We are a blessed people.As you celebrate Easter Sunday—at home or safely in the company of family and friends—remember that our calling as missioners is to share in the life of Christ and the promise of salvation. We know the past year has been challenging. But whatever our circumstance may be—rich in blessings or blessings tempered by hardship—be assured… We are exactly where we need to be to reach our destination in Christ. How we accept and learn from every life experience is how we will complete the journey home to new life and our personal Easter. With God’s grace, we will use every moment God gives us to deepen our faith, and to find solace in scripture and the sacraments. As Easter celebrants, we have the conviction that life always overcomes death. We know that expressions of new life can come at any time, usually with some sacrifice, and sometimes when we least expect them. The Resurrection we celebrate today is our assurance…
Read more >

“Morning after morning he opens my ear that I may hear.”Isaiah 50:4After all the weeks of Lent and preparation, we come to the heart of who we are and what it means to be a Christian. This is Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion.Today’s events, and the events of Holy Week soon to follow, are as meaningful now as they were 2,000 years ago. We recognize that God is inviting us to be transformed: to pass from death to new life. This is the week we say “Yes, Lord. I am ready.”I know that for some of us the traditional liturgies and celebrations of Holy Week will be compromised. Whether we express our faith privately at home or in safe groups, Holy Week represents the core of our faith. What we remember is Christ giving himself up totally for us—and calling us to give ourselves up for one another.Today we receive the palm, which the crowds waved as they welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem. Later this week we will celebrate the Last Supper and the gift of the Eucharist, the lasting presence of God among us. Then on Good Friday we will recite the Stations of the Cross, remembering the suffering…
Read more >