Vocations Newsletter

“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…
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Bill Cain’s The Diary of Jesus Christ is a first-person recounting of the life of Jesus, a new lens through which to see the familiar stories of the gospel—including the Passion.Get your copy today >> https://maryknoll.link/1huThe story begins with the healing of the leper, heralding the remarkable spirit that flows through the diary accounts—a spirit of discovery, surprise, learning, doubt, failure, and new life.
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“A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me.”Psalm 51:12Yes, it’s been a long five weeks. But be hopeful. Very soon we will arrive at the moment in our spiritual journey sure to fill us with a lasting joy. Easter is almost here.Everything we have done since Ash Wednesday—the prayer, the sacrifices, and acts of charity—have had a single goal: to invite God into our lives to create a clean heart. I think today’s wisdom from the psalmist is this: A heart focused on God—love and the sanctity of life—doesn’t get caught up in petty things or self-satisfying pursuits but lives for others instead. To me a clean heart is just another way of saying “the ability to love without holding back”!Being human, we can easily forget our original intentions to stay focused and steadfast. After all, forty days of focus is a long time and distractions are going to test our will. But even when they do, we can work through them by calling on God’s grace. We do that through Mass and the sacraments especially the Eucharist. We also bring God into our hearts through scripture, personal prayer, and the Rosary. All…
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“For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them.”Ephesians 2:10As far as Paul is concerned, we all have an important role to play. And our calling comes into sharper relief as we continue through the days and weeks of Lent.Of course, we all have choices to make about how we witness our faith. That’s why Lent is so helpful—and hopeful. It’s the gift we give ourselves. We pray for guidance to be better family members and neighbors, better co-workers and more engaged members of our parishes and communities. And we pray that by giving ourselves selflessly—in time, words, prayers and deeds—we will encourage others to become the children of God that they were called to be.If the days of Lent have started to feel long, don’t be discouraged. God is still at work, infusing us with new life. Each act of charity, and every moment you dedicate to prayer takes you closer to your personal transformation. I understand: Sometimes we are called to do things that aren’t always easy, and that includes me. The past year and its lingering impact have asked us all…
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