Holy Hour for vocations

IC photo/Marie Mischel

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Father Carlos R. Guzman, RCJ, temporary administrator of Blessed Sacrament Parish, leads the Nov. 21 Holy Hour at his church to pray for vocations.

SANDY — The day before the Rev. Mr. Kenneth Parsad was ordained a deacon, he attended a Holy Hour to pray for vocations that was held at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Sandy. A special monstrance, that of Pope Benedict XVI, displayed the host; it was on loan from Serra International, an organization that prays and works for vocations.

Those attending the Holy Hour included Bishop Oscar A. Solis; Father John Evans, vicar general; Father Kenneth Vialpando, vicar for clergy; Father Dominic Sternhagen, vocations director; and other priests of the diocese. Also present were several deacons and members of the laity.

The homilist was Father Carlos R. Guzman, RCJ, the parish’s temporary administrator; he also is the diocese’s assistant director of vocations.

Speaking on the Gospel reading from Matthew that includes the line “the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few,” Fr. Guzman reflected on the role of the laity in the mission of the Church, specifically as it relates to priestly and religious life.

“Every vocation, especially the priestly and religious vocation, is always a fruit of prayer,” he said, adding that the Lord “is always willing to help us, sustain us, to grant us whatever we ask,” but that “unless we ask for more workers … the Lord isn’t going to do something about it. … It is very important for us to understand right now our presence tonight, being together in front of Jesus, is an experience of us begging the Lord, humbling ourselves in front of the Lord, and hoping with our humility, with our crosses that we bear, the Lord is going to send us good and holy workers for the Church. And here we see how important it is for us to always pray to have good workers in the Church.”

Deacon Parsad’s ordination happened not only because he answered the call and persevered in his vocation but because “the Lord answered our prayers,” Fr. Guzman said.  

He pointed out that a large part of Jesus’ ministry involved teaching and proclaiming the Good News, so Catholics should ask the Lord to “send us priests who will become teachers not by their words but by their own actions” and who will preach on the Kingdom of God as well as uplift the people, he said.

“We pray today, we are here together keeling in front of Jesus, begging him to send many committed workers” who will not only answer God’s call but also will persevere in it, he said.