For vocations, be like Andrew

Published: 04.18.08

My dear friends,

This weekend, the jubilee days of prayer for vocations will end. The opportunity to pray before the Blessed Sacrament, ensconced in a monstrance blessed by Pope John Paul II, will conclude, appropriately, with a Holy Hour at St. John Vianney College Seminary in Miami. (Monstrance Schedule)

I believe in the power of prayer. I believe these days of prayer will yield vocations to the priesthood and religious life for our archdiocese. But I also believe we must do more than pray.

If you remember the Gospel story, it was Andrew who told his brother Simon Peter about the Lord. Andrew was so convinced when he saw the Lord that he ran to tell his brother, who eventually became the leader of the apostles.

Andrew was the Lord’s instrument in calling Peter.

All of us — lay, religious and priests — have to be Andrews when it comes to vocations.

There was a time when some people said, “Oh, no, we can’t talk directly about priesthood and religious life. Let the Spirit do all of that.”

I believe that was foolish thinking. The Lord did not mean for us to be bound to prayer only about vocations.

Yes, we should do that and do that on our knees every day, because vocations come from the Lord. But we also have to do something, to act, as Andrew did.

If we are so convinced, so in love with what we have given ourselves to, we should want to share that with others and say, “Why don’t you come along and see?”

That is the way vocations happen in most cases. I know that because as a former vocation director and seminary rector, I heard many, many vocation stories. All of them were fascinating because they revealed the grace of God acting very concretely in people’s lives. The most fascinating part was how, in almost every case, it was another individual who pointed that person to the Lord.

That is how most people became priests or religious. Somebody said something to them. And either immediately or in God’s good time, those words struck a note and everything changed.

We are all supposed to be influencing each other for the good. For us to be in any way shy about inviting others to experience and consider our way of life is pure foolishness and bad theology. So we should not be timid about the priesthood or religious life. If we live it, and we love it, then we should invite others.

So as we pray about vocations, let us pray also for the courage to be like Andrew and say to others, “You know, you really ought to come and see.”

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Help poor parishes from Alaska to Appalachia

My dear friends,

On Sunday, April 27, the U.S. bishops are inviting Catholics across the nation to contribute to the Catholic Home Missions Appeal.

Since 1998, this national collection has been a powerful and successful expression of stewardship and our Catholic communion. For 10 years now, Catholics from our more prosperous parishes across America have given generously to offer desperately needed help to mission churches here at home.

This appeal offers Catholics a wonderful opportunity to help fellow Catholics practice their faith in such rugged mission areas as Alaska, Appalachia, the deep South, the Rocky Mountain states, the dusty Southwest, Puerto Rico, and island dioceses in the Pacific and Caribbean. More than 95 cents of every dollar donated to the appeal goes directly to the missions.

Thank you for your parish’s life of stewardship and faith.
Sincerely yours in the Lord,
John C. Favalora
Archbishop of Miami

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