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Exploring the word

10 Jan 2016 - Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Cycle C

What if you knew absolutely for a fact that God is calling you to do something? Would you do it? If you’re a believer, of course you would. The hitch lies somewhere in the terrain of knowing “absolutely for a fact.” First, you have to know for sure it’s God who’s calling. Not some manifestation of guilt or righteous indignation or human sympathy. But really and truly God. Next, you have to be convinced God is asking you to do precisely this “something”—not as a metaphor, not as a nudge in a particular direction, but exactly this thing. None of us wants to wind up like Francis of Assisi, rebuilding the San Damiano church stone by agonizing stone, only to discover that God wants you to rebuild the church spiritually, not physically. Oh. So: When we get the ultimate Caller on the line concerning the ultimate mission, we want an identity check, and a mission clarification. And maybe one more thing, to be honest. We don’t want it to be too hard. We don’t want this calling to take up too much time. Because life is short, and most of us have plans. Did Jesus have plans for his life? Plans that didn’t involve wandering around Palestine with 12 unperceptive men for three years; healing a lot of people—some of whom forget to say thank you; telling stories nobody would get; and being executed horribly at the end of it all? Did Jesus ever dream of waking up in his own bed, in his own home, with his own family? If he was as human as we are, it’s hard to imagine he never had such thoughts. In his prayers in the garden at Gethsemane, we actually get to overhear his plea bargain for a different plan. But Jesus takes his call as beloved Son seriously. He might wish for other things, but he only wills what God wills. Jesus shapes his will to the divine will in every circumstance. So maybe he’s tired—but the crowds look like lost sheep, so he teaches them. He perceives his mission as being for the sake of Israel—but when in the territories, he ministers there too. On the cross, Jesus may feel personally forsaken—but when a dying thief makes a profession of faith, Jesus offers him paradise. Some of us think of vocation discernment as what those few kids who wind up as nuns or priests have to do. The rest of us can get on with our lives! Yet God calls all of us in Baptism. There’s a divine purpose nested in every heart here. If you don’t hear it, time to check your messages. Beloved son, beloved daughter, God is on the line. Related scripture links God in the word: John 1:1, 14; John 15:7; Heb. 4:12 Prepare the way of the Lord: Mark 1:3; Matt. 3:3; Luke 3:4; John 1:23 Gift of the Spirit: John 14:15-18, 26; Acts 2:1-11 Are not our hearts burning?: Luke 24:32

Authors Alice Camille

Discernment Vocation call

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Welcome to the Big Apple

01 Mar 2009 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The psalmist this Sunday asks God for teaching and guidance. The Archdiocese of New York will soon be guided by a new shepherd, Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy Dolan. Dolan succeeds Cardinal Edward Egan, 76, who retires after nine years in the post that Pope John Paul II once called "archbishop to the capital of the world." At his inaugural news conference a few hours after the appointment was announced Monday, Dolan shared the stage with his predecessor, whom he will officially replace when he is installed on April 15. Dolan, who has a doctorate in American church history, acknowledged that he and the archdiocese face challenges of historic proportions, with fewer Catholics marrying in the church, attending Mass, or joining the priesthood. "Those are the things we bishops worry about," he said. "It's not the money stuff that keeps us awake at night." Dolan is known to be orthodox in his theology, but in choosing him Pope Benedict XVI passed over other candidates who are equally conservative but more confrontational with priests, parishioners, and politicians who question church teaching. "Our priests are on the front lines of an important ministry, so I'm here to help them," Dolan said. "I'm their servant, I work for them, and I need them more than ever." The archdiocese, the nation's second largest after Los Angeles, has undergone huge shifts in recent decades. As in other parts of the country, many Catholics who once lived in cities have moved to the suburbs. And though New York is better off than most dioceses in its ratio of priests to parishioners, priests are aging and retiring far more quickly than new seminarians are signing up to take their place. Many New York priests had also complained about their deteriorating relationship with the outgoing archbishop. Egan said at the news conference that his "greatest sadness" was that the archdiocese did not produce more vocations to the priesthood. Late in the afternoon Dolan visited St. Joseph's Seminary in Yonkers, which will graduate only three students this year to be ordained as priests for the New York archdiocese. Dolan said that increasing vocations was his "first mandate." Asked his strategy, he said, "Happiness attracts." Source: Articles by David Gibson for the New York Daily News and Laurie Goodstein for the New York Times

vocations new york timothy dolan edward egan priests

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Quite a following

29 Mar 2009 - Preaching the News for Sunday

In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus speaks of service to his mission when he says, “Whoever serves me must follow me . . . .” There is growing interest in “following Jesus” by way of Catholic religious life, according to results from the most recent survey conducted by VocationMatch.com, the leading online religious vocation discernment website. Sixty-nine percent of the communities responding to the website’s annual “Survey on Trends in Religious Vocations” reported increased inquiries into religious life. Discerners—those interested in religious life—are primarily under 40 years old and say they are looking at religious life because of a desire for deeper spirituality. Most are quite serious about exploring religious life, and nearly 20 percent plan to enter religious formation in the next 12 months. In addition to their desire for a deeper spirituality and a life of faithfulness to the church, discerners say they are most drawn to a particular religious community by its prayer life and community living. A significant 35 percent ranked justice and peace outreach as essential. Celibacy, a life of service, and living simply are all perceived as more challenging to this year’s crop of discerners than last year’s. Prayer and spiritual direction continue to rank as the most essential element in making a decision about religious life, and the discipline of prayer remains the greatest perceived challenge in living as a religious priest, sister, or brother. “This information is vital to the life of the Catholic Church and the future of religious life,” commented Holy Cross Brother Paul Bednarczyk, C.S.C., executive director the National Religious Vocation Conference (NRVC) in Chicago. The NRVC and its publishing partner TrueQuest Communications annually survey discerners who have completed profiles on VocationMatch.com. Ninety percent of discerners say their inquiries into religious life are made easier because of access to information about religious life on the Internet. “With the dawn of instant and anonymous information-gathering via the Internet, we’ve begun to see a steady increase in inquiries about religious life, which we expect will translate into more vocations over the next decade,” said Patrice Tuohy, executive editor of VISION Vocation Guide and VocationMatch.com. Not surprisingly, those discerning a call to religious life still consider personal contact with someone in religious life as the most essential resource for gathering information about vocations (53 percent). However, “Come and See” weekends ranked high on every age group’s list (42 percent) as did working with a counselor or spiritual director (38 percent). A religious community’s website ranked next, above vocation directors, parish priests, parents, and friends, and 58 percent rated vocation-related websites as either very important or essential to their information-gathering. Source: TrueQuest Communications and VocationMatch.com. The full results of the survey are available online.

vocations vocationmatchcom survey on trends in religious vocations religious life discerners paul bednarczyk truequest communications patrice tuohy

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Quite a following

29 Mar 2009 - Preaching the News for Sunday

In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus speaks of service to his mission when he says, “Whoever serves me must follow me . . . .” There is growing interest in “following Jesus” by way of Catholic religious life, according to results from the most recent survey conducted by VocationMatch.com, the leading online religious vocation discernment website. Sixty-nine percent of the communities responding to the website’s annual “Survey on Trends in Religious Vocations” reported increased inquiries into religious life. Discerners—those interested in religious life—are primarily under 40 years old and say they are looking at religious life because of a desire for deeper spirituality. Most are quite serious about exploring religious life, and nearly 20 percent plan to enter religious formation in the next 12 months. In addition to their desire for a deeper spirituality and a life of faithfulness to the church, discerners say they are most drawn to a particular religious community by its prayer life and community living. A significant 35 percent ranked justice and peace outreach as essential. Celibacy, a life of service, and living simply are all perceived as more challenging to this year’s crop of discerners than last year’s. Prayer and spiritual direction continue to rank as the most essential element in making a decision about religious life, and the discipline of prayer remains the greatest perceived challenge in living as a religious priest, sister, or brother. “This information is vital to the life of the Catholic Church and the future of religious life,” commented Holy Cross Brother Paul Bednarczyk, C.S.C., executive director the National Religious Vocation Conference (NRVC) in Chicago. The NRVC and its publishing partner TrueQuest Communications annually survey discerners who have completed profiles on VocationMatch.com. Ninety percent of discerners say their inquiries into religious life are made easier because of access to information about religious life on the Internet. “With the dawn of instant and anonymous information-gathering via the Internet, we’ve begun to see a steady increase in inquiries about religious life, which we expect will translate into more vocations over the next decade,” said Patrice Tuohy, executive editor of VISION Vocation Guide and VocationMatch.com. Not surprisingly, those discerning a call to religious life still consider personal contact with someone in religious life as the most essential resource for gathering information about vocations (53 percent). However, “Come and See” weekends ranked high on every age group’s list (42 percent) as did working with a counselor or spiritual director (38 percent). A religious community’s website ranked next, above vocation directors, parish priests, parents, and friends, and 58 percent rated vocation-related websites as either very important or essential to their information-gathering. Source: TrueQuest Communications and VocationMatch.com. The full results of the survey are available online.

vocations vocationmatchcom survey on trends in religious vocations religious life discerners paul bednarczyk truequest communications patrice tuohy

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Quite a following

29 Mar 2009 - Preaching the News for Sunday

In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus speaks of service to his mission when he says, “Whoever serves me must follow me . . . .” There is growing interest in “following Jesus” by way of Catholic religious life, according to results from the most recent survey conducted by VocationMatch.com, the leading online religious vocation discernment website. Sixty-nine percent of the communities responding to the website’s annual “Survey on Trends in Religious Vocations” reported increased inquiries into religious life. Discerners—those interested in religious life—are primarily under 40 years old and say they are looking at religious life because of a desire for deeper spirituality. Most are quite serious about exploring religious life, and nearly 20 percent plan to enter religious formation in the next 12 months. In addition to their desire for a deeper spirituality and a life of faithfulness to the church, discerners say they are most drawn to a particular religious community by its prayer life and community living. A significant 35 percent ranked justice and peace outreach as essential. Celibacy, a life of service, and living simply are all perceived as more challenging to this year’s crop of discerners than last year’s. Prayer and spiritual direction continue to rank as the most essential element in making a decision about religious life, and the discipline of prayer remains the greatest perceived challenge in living as a religious priest, sister, or brother. “This information is vital to the life of the Catholic Church and the future of religious life,” commented Holy Cross Brother Paul Bednarczyk, C.S.C., executive director the National Religious Vocation Conference (NRVC) in Chicago. The NRVC and its publishing partner TrueQuest Communications annually survey discerners who have completed profiles on VocationMatch.com. Ninety percent of discerners say their inquiries into religious life are made easier because of access to information about religious life on the Internet. “With the dawn of instant and anonymous information-gathering via the Internet, we’ve begun to see a steady increase in inquiries about religious life, which we expect will translate into more vocations over the next decade,” said Patrice Tuohy, executive editor of VISION Vocation Guide and VocationMatch.com. Not surprisingly, those discerning a call to religious life still consider personal contact with someone in religious life as the most essential resource for gathering information about vocations (53 percent). However, “Come and See” weekends ranked high on every age group’s list (42 percent) as did working with a counselor or spiritual director (38 percent). A religious community’s website ranked next, above vocation directors, parish priests, parents, and friends, and 58 percent rated vocation-related websites as either very important or essential to their information-gathering. Source: TrueQuest Communications and VocationMatch.com. The full results of the survey are available online.

vocations vocationmatchcom survey on trends in religious vocations religious life discerners paul bednarczyk truequest communications patrice tuohy

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Vocation study reveals changing face and habits of new entrants

16 Aug 2009 - Preaching the News for Sunday

This Sunday's psalm seems ready-made for those who in recent years have chosen to "taste and see" for themselves what Catholic religious life is like. In keeping with the psalmist's desire to bless and praise the Lord at all times, a landmark vocations study reveals that newer recruits place a high priority on shared prayer and worship, communal living, and Catholic identity. The newest generation of religious priests, brothers, sisters, and nuns are more ethnically diverse than their predecessors and also drawn to more traditional expressions of piety, according to the "Study of Recent Vocations to Religious Life" conducted by Georgetown University's Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) for the National Religious Vocation Conference (NRVC). "We've heard anecdotally that the youngest people coming to religious life are distinctive, and they really are," said Sister Mary Bendyna, executive director of CARA. "They're more attracted to a traditional style of religious life, where there is community living, common prayer, having Mass together, praying the Liturgy of the Hours together. They are much more likely to say fidelity to the church is important to them. And they really are looking for communities where members wear habits," said Bendyna. "This younger generation is seeking an identity, a religious identity as well as a Catholic identity," said Brother Paul Bednarczyk, executive director of the Chicago-based NRVC, a professional organization of Catholic religious vocation directors. "Symbolism, images, and ritual are all very important to this generation, and they want to give witness to their faith." The study also found that non-Hispanic whites account for 94 percent of current nuns and priests but only 58 percent of those in the process of joining orders, including 21 percent who are Hispanic, 14 percent Asian or Pacific Islander, and 6 percent African or African American. In addition, the study revealed that the graying of American religious is more pronounced than many Catholics might have realized. Ninety-one percent of nuns and 75 percent of priests are 60 or older, and most of the rest are at least 50. And finding new members remains a struggle for many orders. Thirty-four percent of women's orders and 22 percent of men's orders surveyed had no candidates. Almost half the orders that do have someone on the early path toward his or her vows have no more than one or two in the pipeline. Bednarczyk drew reason to hope from the fact that 43 percent of those in the early stages of joining an order are under 30. "Younger people are re-looking at religious life as a viable life option," he said. "It does speak of a future." A full summary and review of study results, as well as a list of best practices that foster vocations, can be found at the NRVC's website, www.nrvc.net. Source: Articles by Eric Gorksi for the Associated Press and Laurie Goodstein for the New York Times

vocations cara studies national religious vocation conference nrvc mary bendyna religious orders study of recent vocations to religious life paul bednarczyk religious life center for applied research in the apostolate

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Vocation study reveals changing face and habits of new entrants

16 Aug 2009 - Preaching the News for Sunday

This Sunday's psalm seems ready-made for those who in recent years have chosen to "taste and see" for themselves what Catholic religious life is like. In keeping with the psalmist's desire to bless and praise the Lord at all times, a landmark vocations study reveals that newer recruits place a high priority on shared prayer and worship, communal living, and Catholic identity. The newest generation of religious priests, brothers, sisters, and nuns are more ethnically diverse than their predecessors and also drawn to more traditional expressions of piety, according to the "Study of Recent Vocations to Religious Life" conducted by Georgetown University's Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) for the National Religious Vocation Conference (NRVC). "We've heard anecdotally that the youngest people coming to religious life are distinctive, and they really are," said Sister Mary Bendyna, executive director of CARA. "They're more attracted to a traditional style of religious life, where there is community living, common prayer, having Mass together, praying the Liturgy of the Hours together. They are much more likely to say fidelity to the church is important to them. And they really are looking for communities where members wear habits," said Bendyna. "This younger generation is seeking an identity, a religious identity as well as a Catholic identity," said Brother Paul Bednarczyk, executive director of the Chicago-based NRVC, a professional organization of Catholic religious vocation directors. "Symbolism, images, and ritual are all very important to this generation, and they want to give witness to their faith." The study also found that non-Hispanic whites account for 94 percent of current nuns and priests but only 58 percent of those in the process of joining orders, including 21 percent who are Hispanic, 14 percent Asian or Pacific Islander, and 6 percent African or African American. In addition, the study revealed that the graying of American religious is more pronounced than many Catholics might have realized. Ninety-one percent of nuns and 75 percent of priests are 60 or older, and most of the rest are at least 50. And finding new members remains a struggle for many orders. Thirty-four percent of women's orders and 22 percent of men's orders surveyed had no candidates. Almost half the orders that do have someone on the early path toward his or her vows have no more than one or two in the pipeline. Bednarczyk drew reason to hope from the fact that 43 percent of those in the early stages of joining an order are under 30. "Younger people are re-looking at religious life as a viable life option," he said. "It does speak of a future." A full summary and review of study results, as well as a list of best practices that foster vocations, can be found at the NRVC's website, www.nrvc.net. Source: Articles by Eric Gorksi for the Associated Press and Laurie Goodstein for the New York Times

vocations cara studies national religious vocation conference nrvc mary bendyna religious orders study of recent vocations to religious life paul bednarczyk religious life center for applied research in the apostolate

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Vocation study reveals changing face and habits of new entrants

16 Aug 2009 - Preaching the News for Sunday

This Sunday's psalm seems ready-made for those who in recent years have chosen to "taste and see" for themselves what Catholic religious life is like. In keeping with the psalmist's desire to bless and praise the Lord at all times, a landmark vocations study reveals that newer recruits place a high priority on shared prayer and worship, communal living, and Catholic identity. The newest generation of religious priests, brothers, sisters, and nuns are more ethnically diverse than their predecessors and also drawn to more traditional expressions of piety, according to the "Study of Recent Vocations to Religious Life" conducted by Georgetown University's Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) for the National Religious Vocation Conference (NRVC). "We've heard anecdotally that the youngest people coming to religious life are distinctive, and they really are," said Sister Mary Bendyna, executive director of CARA. "They're more attracted to a traditional style of religious life, where there is community living, common prayer, having Mass together, praying the Liturgy of the Hours together. They are much more likely to say fidelity to the church is important to them. And they really are looking for communities where members wear habits," said Bendyna. "This younger generation is seeking an identity, a religious identity as well as a Catholic identity," said Brother Paul Bednarczyk, executive director of the Chicago-based NRVC, a professional organization of Catholic religious vocation directors. "Symbolism, images, and ritual are all very important to this generation, and they want to give witness to their faith." The study also found that non-Hispanic whites account for 94 percent of current nuns and priests but only 58 percent of those in the process of joining orders, including 21 percent who are Hispanic, 14 percent Asian or Pacific Islander, and 6 percent African or African American. In addition, the study revealed that the graying of American religious is more pronounced than many Catholics might have realized. Ninety-one percent of nuns and 75 percent of priests are 60 or older, and most of the rest are at least 50. And finding new members remains a struggle for many orders. Thirty-four percent of women's orders and 22 percent of men's orders surveyed had no candidates. Almost half the orders that do have someone on the early path toward his or her vows have no more than one or two in the pipeline. Bednarczyk drew reason to hope from the fact that 43 percent of those in the early stages of joining an order are under 30. "Younger people are re-looking at religious life as a viable life option," he said. "It does speak of a future." A full summary and review of study results, as well as a list of best practices that foster vocations, can be found at the NRVC's website, www.nrvc.net. Source: Articles by Eric Gorksi for the Associated Press and Laurie Goodstein for the New York Times

vocations cara studies national religious vocation conference nrvc mary bendyna religious orders study of recent vocations to religious life paul bednarczyk religious life center for applied research in the apostolate

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It’s time to answer the baptismal call

09 Jan 2011 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The gospel story of Jesus’ baptism shows how Jesus answered the call to be the instrument of God’s salvation in the world. With the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord, members of the church, made beloved of God by baptism, can rededicate themselves to follow Jesus and proclaim the Good News with their lives. National Vocation Awareness Week, which begins this Sunday, celebrates, in the words of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, “vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, or consecrated life in particular. During these days families and the parish community are urged to nurture the faith of their children to prepare them to respond to whatever God’s call is for them.” The VISION Vocation Network, vocation-network.org, offers resources to promote vocations among Catholics of all ages. Source: www.usccb.org and www.thinkpriest.org

baptism vocations baptism of the lord national vocation awareness week vision vocation network

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It’s time to answer the baptismal call

09 Jan 2011 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The gospel story of Jesus’ baptism shows how Jesus answered the call to be the instrument of God’s salvation in the world. With the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord, members of the church, made beloved of God by baptism, can rededicate themselves to follow Jesus and proclaim the Good News with their lives. National Vocation Awareness Week, which begins this Sunday, celebrates, in the words of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, “vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, or consecrated life in particular. During these days families and the parish community are urged to nurture the faith of their children to prepare them to respond to whatever God’s call is for them.” The VISION Vocation Network, vocation-network.org, offers resources to promote vocations among Catholics of all ages. Source: www.usccb.org and www.thinkpriest.org

baptism vocations baptism of the lord national vocation awareness week vision vocation network

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