Vocations Newsletter

“Your ways, O Lord, make known to me; teach me your paths, guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior.”Psalm 25:4-5Last week we talked about the first intuition we had of God’s presence in our lives—and how that insight matches perfectly with our own very human desire for fulfillment. Today, I’d like to dwell on the scripture from the Book of Psalms that gives us a path forward.“Teach me your ways…” We say this in prayer all the time. We ask the Lord to show us how to better reflect his love and compassion. And we pray for the strength to witness that love even when it’s hard.This is what we pray for—an understanding of what God is calling us to be, and the courage to accept the invitation. We pray about it because witnessing God’s love isn’t always easy, right? Jonah is a good example of how our lives can go off track. Today’s reading needs a little context but it’s still a teaching moment. Jonah had disobeyed God and found himself in a tight spot. But God being God, Jonah got a second chance. When he obeyed God’s will by going to…
Read more >

This compelling account of the life-and-death struggles migrants face in the United States demonstrates how broken the system is, and the deep harm that it does to struggling families and communities. Author and lawyer Linda Dakin-Grim, who represents children and families pro-bono in immigration proceedings, offers a proposal informed by Catholic faith for a comprehensive immigration reform and shows how ordinary people can contribute to solving this difficult and polarizing issue.
Read more >

“Come, and you will see. “So they went and saw where Jesus was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about four in the afternoon.”’John 1:39John’s Gospel is so precise about the exact time the apostles stayed with Jesus and came to understand that he was the Messiah. How did John know that?I have always been amused by this scripture. And it makes me think: What time was it when I first saw God? When I first understood that I was being called to glory? Here’s one I can think of: When I was just a kid in grammar school, my hero was a priest that I knew. The way he loved and cared for people was amazing to me and I wanted to be just like him. Another moment came later in life. As a young adult in formation to become a Maryknoll priest, I was assigned to Peru for overseas training. The first time I got off the boat, after crossing Lake Titicaca, I knew immediately that I had come home. And eventually that’s where I would spend 20 years of my life, serving the Aymaran community and experiencing the power of God’s presence.In the…
Read more >

“Come to me heedfully, listen, that you may have life.”Isaiah 55:3Today’s scripture offers calming words for troubled souls. So many of us are grieving losses and setbacks after a painful year that left no one unchallenged. Yet we know that God is with us.The invitation to life—eternal life—is the central core of our faith. The best way I know to find God is to focus on all the blessings we have received, and to get reacquainted with our priorities. What is most important in our lives? What is God calling us to be? Can we discern God’s presence even when times become difficult?Prayer is a key part of the discernment process. Being still—allowing for the presence of God in quiet moments of meditation—and being open to the work of the Holy Spirit can renew us. For me, being still means expressing gratitude for so many things: my family, my vocation, my fellow Maryknollers, my unforgettable years as a missioner in Peru, and for acts of kindness that have come my way… at times from the most unexpected of sources. But to be honest, my priorities for this year are not my own. I fully expected to return to mission in…
Read more >