Ordinations remind us of the need for vocations

Friday, Jul. 04, 2014

As I sit down to write this, I have just come in from the reception that followed the ordination to the priesthood for Father Jorge Roldán and the ordination to the transitional diaconate for Deacons Joseph Delka and David Trujillo. This is a very happy day for our diocese. For our new priest and transitional deacons, it’s the culmination of a lot of work on their part. I’m very proud of them for being so faithful to their training and their formation. It was God who called them in the first place and their generous response these past few years is truly admirable. 

It occurred to me during the ordination that our diocesan family was gathering around the table of the Lord to celebrate the special call of three of our brothers. Filling the Cathedral of the Madeleine were many priests, deacons, seminarians, religious women, lay leaders and a large number of the laity, as well as members of the Knights of Columbus, the Ladies and Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, members of the Pastoral Council and so many more. Everyone in the diocese was represented, reminding me of a Sunday dinner with family. 

Just as I was settling into the joy of the occasion, however, I felt a quiet uneasiness as I asked myself, “Why are there only three?” 

Now, make no mistake, I am deeply grateful for these three ordinations, but I know how many more we need to respond to the great call for priests in our local Church.  I quickly let the Lord know how grateful I was for these marvelous men, and then I sheepishly added, “But Lord, may we have more?”

Of course, Christ’s answer is nothing short of prodigal.  God is the “God of More” and he is never outdone in generosity. There is no doubt that he is calling many to the priesthood right here in our midst. Unfortunately, we may have lost the ability to hear that call or, if we do, we lack the generosity to respond to it. 

There is no doubt that we own the problem and that it is a complicated matter involving our culture, the way we raise our children, the experience of religion and our failure to communicate the richness of the priestly life, to name a few of the issues involved. 

Whatever solutions we settle upon in addressing these issues, the most important place to start increasing vocations to the priesthood is in the family. I believe that parents must ask themselves, “Do I encourage my children to say ‘yes’ to a religious vocation, whether it be a sister or a priest or a brother? If my child expressed an interest, would I encourage it, or would I discourage it, and why?” 

Again, this is a complicated matter: Some parents want grandchildren, others are afraid the religious life would be too difficult for their child, and, frankly, others simply do not value the religious life for their children. But whatever the reason, it is sad to think that the Church is losing vocations, and that many who would follow Christ as a priest or religious are missing an opportunity to live a truly fulfilling life.

I say this because those who follow Christ’s call to “come, follow me” are the happiest people on earth.  All the studies I have seen show that of all possible vocations, priests are among the happiest.  I know that this is true in my life and in the lives of so many of my brother priests. 

The family’s support is invaluable for a child considering a vocation. As Saint John Paul II often said, the family is the first seminary. In most cases, without that first seminary there will not be a second one. I know that my family’s example and support were invaluable to me. As I was growing up, we went to Mass every Sunday, we prayed at home, we recited the rosary – the Catholic faith was a very important part of our lives. Furthermore, my parents let me know that, while they would support any life choice I made, they would be very proud if I became a priest. That support and encouragement meant a lot to me when I went into the seminary at the age of 13. I can honestly say that my life since my priestly ordination has been fulfilling, happy and exceedingly rich. 

I challenge the parents in our diocese to encourage and foster vocations to the priesthood and religious life within their homes, and I challenge all of us to prioritize the priesthood and not take it for granted. Here at the Pastoral Center, we could institute all the programs for vocation development that we wanted, but without the support of parents and other lay people, we would fail in our attempts. Everyone must to do their part, and there are many ways to do this: pray for vocations, actively invite others to consider whether they have a vocation, and offer to help the diocesan vocation office or support your own parish’s vocations coordinator. Deacon Ricardo Arias works tirelessly in promoting and supporting vocations in our diocese. I know he would love to hear from you.

Yes, this year’s ordinations were truly a blessed and joyful event, one that I will never forget: We all gathered around the table of the Lord in our beautiful cathedral. It is in that spirit that I ask all families in our diocese to gather often around the tables in your “domestic churches,” your homes, and that as you nourish yourselves physically, spiritually and emotionally, that you parents will also plant in the hearts of your children those seeds that may grow into a priestly or religious vocation.  After all, that is what the word “seminary” means: a seed bed.  What better place to nourish and water such seeds than in the loving environment of the home? I give thanks that the families of Father Roldán and Deacons Trujillo and Delka cultivated those seeds in the hearts of their sons.