Come, follow me...

"Come, follow me..."

To conclude this little meditation on the Sunday readings of August 28th I want to focus on the Gospel that we heard that day. It was from St Matthew.

Christ outlines in very clear and startling terms what is demanded of his followers. And, as before, I'll let the words speak for themselves...

"If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross and follow me. For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it; but anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it.What then, will a man gain if he wins the whole world and ruins his life?"

Advice from St Paul

St Paul

I mentioned earlier in the week that last Sunday's Mass Readings were very rich with advice for a discerner.

Take a look at the Second Reading, from St Paul to the Romans. Again, it speaks for itself:

"Do not model yourselves on the behaviour of the world around you, but let your behaviour change, modelled by your new mind. This is the only way to discover the will of God and know what is good, what it is that God wants, what is the perfect thing to do."

When discerners ask me how they can know the will of God, I often point them to this passage. St Paul's advice is to put on a "new mind". That new mind is in imitation of Christ. This is a big aid to those who are discerning. The more one lives the Christian life, the more the will of God should be easier to discern. And, of course, one cannot begin to think of religious life until one is already living the Christian life...

Jeremiah on Vocations

The Prophet Jeremiah

As I listened to last Sunday's Mass readings and Gospel I wondered if they had been written especially for discerners!

The words speak for themselves. Take a look at the First Reading from the prophet Jeremiah which I think might be of help to anyone who is intimidated by the challenge of being a Christian in a hostile environment or who has been trying to put the idea of a vocation out of their heads...

"You duped me, O Lord, and I let myself be duped; you were too strong for me, and you triumphed. All the day I am an object of laughter; everyone mocks me.

I say to myself, I will not mention him, I will speak in his name no more. But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones; I grow weary holding it in, I cannot endure it.

But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion: my persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph. In their failure they will be put to utter shame, to lasting, unforgettable confusion."

Come, Lord Jesus

This is a special time of year. It's about waiting and preparing. Advent demands patience. It is natural that we would wish the celebration of Christmas to come quickly but there is great wisdom in the idea of a period of repentance and readying.

There is a parallel here with the discernment of a vocation. I sometimes meet men who would like to enter religious life "in the morning". However, it can never be that simple. A process of slow and careful discernment is essential.

If you've ever considered religious life why not make it an Advent Resolution to begin discerning. Just get in touch with me at prescall@eircom.net

"In this Advent Season we shall be granted once again to experience the closeness of the One who created the world, who guides history and who cared for us to the point of deigning to become a man.

This great and fascinating mystery of the God-with-us, indeed, of the God who becomes one of us, is what we shall celebrate in the coming weeks journeying towards holy Christmas."

Pope Benedict XVI, First Vespers of Advent 2010.

Take Time Out

Trying to figure out your vocation is a tough job. It's not made any easier by the fact that life is busy and it can be difficult to find the time to stop and think about where your life is heading.

For that reason, three times per year, we offer guys who are serious about discerning their vocation an opportunity to take some "Time Out". It's a great weekend of information and reflection. A chance to have your questions answered and a chance to spend some time praying about the options available.

This weekend we will hold another "Time Out" weekend here in Dublin. For full details check out our website http://www.presentationbrothers.ie/

or email me at http://www.blogger.com/