Today, the Church celebrates the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. Today, we also celebrate Mothers' Day. Here is the text of the meditation I shared with the community gathered in prayer, a few thoughts about our call to follow the voice that gently calls to us and that leads us on our way.
Today, the Church all over the world celebrates the Day of Prayer for Vocations. Today, we are asked to remember and to pray in thanksgiving for all those who have heard the call of the Lord, and who have responded generously to his invitation.
The gospel passage we have listened to today reminds us that the shepherd calls to us, his sheep. He calls us by name and leads us. And the sheep follow him because they know his voice. Our God calls to us with the tender voice of a shepherd who knows his sheep. He invites each of us to follow him as he helps us to discover the vocation that he has planned for us. The gentle, loving voice of God speaks to us in the quiet of prayer, and invites some of us to follow him by serving his people as priests, others he invites to serve as deacons or as religious men and women. Some of us, he calls to be committed parents who live lives of faith for the benefit of their children and as examples of faith for those who see in them witnesses of humility and service.
Some of us are called to bear witness to our faith through spoken words. Today’s first and second readings both remind us of the words that Saint Peter spoke so bravely: words with which he challenged the house of Israel to repent and be baptized … in the name of Jesus Christ; and words with which he encouraged the first believers to persevere in their faith, even if it meant that they would be put to the test because of it. Imagine for a moment what it must have been like to be a Christian in those early years. Even after the first men of Israel had agreed to be baptized, it was still dangerous to utter the name Christian, or to profess faith in Jesus who had been crucified, yet Peter reminded this little band of followers that Christ, when he was abused, … did not return abuse. From that day until now, Christians have continued to endure persecution because of our choice to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, but it is precisely through our strength of commitment that we bear witness to Christ who bore our sins in his body on the Cross.
Today, we are also celebrating Mothers’ Day. This is the day set aside once a year to remember and to give thanks for the women who have given us the gift of life, the women who have formed us and taught us by their words and examples how to be committed people of faith and service. Like the Good Shepherd, our mothers are often the ones whose voices have been imprinted on our memories. Theirs are the voices that first spoke to us tenderly, that first spoke to us of love. Theirs are the voices that we first recognized, that we still recognize even if we can no longer hear them with our own ears. Like Jesus, our mothers are often the ones who know when and how to call out to us, to warn us when we are dangerously close to straying from the path that we are meant to walk, to praise us when we have managed to do something truly good and praiseworthy, to recognize within us the gift of self confidence and to challenge us to always strive for our fullest potential.
On this day when we remember our earthly mothers, let us not forget the invaluable role that Mary, our Heavenly Mother also plays. She too calls to us, protecting us from danger and leading us on the path we are meant to follow. Let us ask her to guide us always, and to help us to grow always stronger and more committed to our faith. Let us ask her to watch over us, and over all those we love, and let us ask her to guard our souls and to lead us to her Son.
Since we also celebrate Mothers' Day on this weekend, the following blessing was pronounced at the conclusion of all the Masses this weekend:
Loving God,
We thank you for the gift of our mothers. Their untiring love is a living witness for us of the love you have for your people. Bless and reward our mothers for their unfailing courage and willingness to be living signs of your presence among us.
We thank you for the gift of expectant mothers, and we ask you to look lovingly on those who await the joyful birth of their children. Grant them safety during their pregnancies, and the presence of supportive hands and hearts to walk beside them, especially in their time of need.
We pray for the gift of your healing for mothers who grieve the loss of their children, dispel the darkness of doubt and kindle in their hearts the promise of the Resurrection so that they might grow to believe that the holy innocents are held tenderly in your loving embrace.
We ask this prayer through Our Lord, Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.
The shepherd and guardian
Today, the Church all over the world celebrates the Day of Prayer for Vocations. Today, we are asked to remember and to pray in thanksgiving for all those who have heard the call of the Lord, and who have responded generously to his invitation.
The gospel passage we have listened to today reminds us that the shepherd calls to us, his sheep. He calls us by name and leads us. And the sheep follow him because they know his voice. Our God calls to us with the tender voice of a shepherd who knows his sheep. He invites each of us to follow him as he helps us to discover the vocation that he has planned for us. The gentle, loving voice of God speaks to us in the quiet of prayer, and invites some of us to follow him by serving his people as priests, others he invites to serve as deacons or as religious men and women. Some of us, he calls to be committed parents who live lives of faith for the benefit of their children and as examples of faith for those who see in them witnesses of humility and service.
Some of us are called to bear witness to our faith through spoken words. Today’s first and second readings both remind us of the words that Saint Peter spoke so bravely: words with which he challenged the house of Israel to repent and be baptized … in the name of Jesus Christ; and words with which he encouraged the first believers to persevere in their faith, even if it meant that they would be put to the test because of it. Imagine for a moment what it must have been like to be a Christian in those early years. Even after the first men of Israel had agreed to be baptized, it was still dangerous to utter the name Christian, or to profess faith in Jesus who had been crucified, yet Peter reminded this little band of followers that Christ, when he was abused, … did not return abuse. From that day until now, Christians have continued to endure persecution because of our choice to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, but it is precisely through our strength of commitment that we bear witness to Christ who bore our sins in his body on the Cross.
Today, we are also celebrating Mothers’ Day. This is the day set aside once a year to remember and to give thanks for the women who have given us the gift of life, the women who have formed us and taught us by their words and examples how to be committed people of faith and service. Like the Good Shepherd, our mothers are often the ones whose voices have been imprinted on our memories. Theirs are the voices that first spoke to us tenderly, that first spoke to us of love. Theirs are the voices that we first recognized, that we still recognize even if we can no longer hear them with our own ears. Like Jesus, our mothers are often the ones who know when and how to call out to us, to warn us when we are dangerously close to straying from the path that we are meant to walk, to praise us when we have managed to do something truly good and praiseworthy, to recognize within us the gift of self confidence and to challenge us to always strive for our fullest potential.
On this day when we remember our earthly mothers, let us not forget the invaluable role that Mary, our Heavenly Mother also plays. She too calls to us, protecting us from danger and leading us on the path we are meant to follow. Let us ask her to guide us always, and to help us to grow always stronger and more committed to our faith. Let us ask her to watch over us, and over all those we love, and let us ask her to guard our souls and to lead us to her Son.
Since we also celebrate Mothers' Day on this weekend, the following blessing was pronounced at the conclusion of all the Masses this weekend:
Prayer for our mothers
Loving God,
We thank you for the gift of our mothers. Their untiring love is a living witness for us of the love you have for your people. Bless and reward our mothers for their unfailing courage and willingness to be living signs of your presence among us.
We thank you for the gift of expectant mothers, and we ask you to look lovingly on those who await the joyful birth of their children. Grant them safety during their pregnancies, and the presence of supportive hands and hearts to walk beside them, especially in their time of need.
We pray for the gift of your healing for mothers who grieve the loss of their children, dispel the darkness of doubt and kindle in their hearts the promise of the Resurrection so that they might grow to believe that the holy innocents are held tenderly in your loving embrace.
May
Mary our heavenly Mother accompany our earthly mothers who have returned to
their heavenly home, and intercede for all of us, guiding us with the tender
care of her maternal heart. May she
instruct us in the way of love and accompany our efforts with her faithful
embrace.
We ask this prayer through Our Lord, Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment