I preached the following for a Mass with children and I wanted to underscore the importance of a vocation. This is what the Holy Spirit gave me. Also, I was showing different pictures to correspond to what I was talking about.
If
I were to ask you what comes to mind when I say superhero, my guess is your
first thought would be to think of Superman, Spiderman, Batman, maybe the
Avengers, since that is out in the movies or maybe even someone else.
Either way, you would be thinking of men and women who somehow were given extraordinary powers through either an accident or some other way, powers, however, that they would use to do good for others. So that with extraordinary strength, amazing speed, incredible agility they would be able to do what no one else in this world could do.
However, these people, who had no special powers of their own, were, perhaps, stronger and more heroic than those dreamed up by any artist. Because these people were priests, deacons, laypersons, nuns and religious, and all of them with the power they were given by God alone were able to do good for others as well.
In fact, this guy by the name of St. Maximilian Kolbe saved someone else’s life not by flying, not by fighting but, instead, by giving up his own life and taking the place of another. Or this woman by the name of Blessed Kateri risked losing her family, her friends, everyone and everything she knew in order to to convert to Catholicism.
Or this guy, by the name of St. Pio was a monk who never left his monastery, never left his town, but with God’s help could not only tell people their sins but was able to communicate with people, by means of his angel, across the world.
Normal men and women who had extraordinary powers that were given to them exclusively by God Himself, their wasn’t a major disaster that gave them their powers, no freak accident that occurred, the only thing they did was pray and pray a lot, and out of that prayer they were obedient to what God asked of them.
That is why today we not only celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday, as we heard in our Gospel, but, also World Day for the Prayer of Vocations, because, like those true heroes we just heard about, God asks everyone of us to be like them.
That is why, too, especially, today, we are being asked to pray for vocations, that men and women, young and old, will stand up, as they have for centuries, and answer the call that God has placed within their hearts, listening to the whisper of God’s voice.
That, even these young men and women, the very future of the Church, sitting before us today may be encouraged if they might have a religious vocation, that seeds are planted and that parents are willing to give them to that life, as a priest, as a nun or as a religious brother or sister if God so calls them to that.
Because, while it is not seen as a glamorous or common vocation, to be called, by God, in whatever way, should be an honor, and to be called to dedicate ourselves to Him for the rest of our lives, is something all of us should desire.
For, while that call may not make us superheroes, we will be able to do extraordinary things, because our power will not be our own, but God’s. So that our lives will be super, supernatural, but, unlike Batman, they won’t call on us with a signal in the sky, but, instead look to the sky, knowing our power, all power and all authority comes from above.
Either way, you would be thinking of men and women who somehow were given extraordinary powers through either an accident or some other way, powers, however, that they would use to do good for others. So that with extraordinary strength, amazing speed, incredible agility they would be able to do what no one else in this world could do.
However, these people, who had no special powers of their own, were, perhaps, stronger and more heroic than those dreamed up by any artist. Because these people were priests, deacons, laypersons, nuns and religious, and all of them with the power they were given by God alone were able to do good for others as well.
In fact, this guy by the name of St. Maximilian Kolbe saved someone else’s life not by flying, not by fighting but, instead, by giving up his own life and taking the place of another. Or this woman by the name of Blessed Kateri risked losing her family, her friends, everyone and everything she knew in order to to convert to Catholicism.
Or this guy, by the name of St. Pio was a monk who never left his monastery, never left his town, but with God’s help could not only tell people their sins but was able to communicate with people, by means of his angel, across the world.
Normal men and women who had extraordinary powers that were given to them exclusively by God Himself, their wasn’t a major disaster that gave them their powers, no freak accident that occurred, the only thing they did was pray and pray a lot, and out of that prayer they were obedient to what God asked of them.
That is why today we not only celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday, as we heard in our Gospel, but, also World Day for the Prayer of Vocations, because, like those true heroes we just heard about, God asks everyone of us to be like them.
That is why, too, especially, today, we are being asked to pray for vocations, that men and women, young and old, will stand up, as they have for centuries, and answer the call that God has placed within their hearts, listening to the whisper of God’s voice.
That, even these young men and women, the very future of the Church, sitting before us today may be encouraged if they might have a religious vocation, that seeds are planted and that parents are willing to give them to that life, as a priest, as a nun or as a religious brother or sister if God so calls them to that.
Because, while it is not seen as a glamorous or common vocation, to be called, by God, in whatever way, should be an honor, and to be called to dedicate ourselves to Him for the rest of our lives, is something all of us should desire.
For, while that call may not make us superheroes, we will be able to do extraordinary things, because our power will not be our own, but God’s. So that our lives will be super, supernatural, but, unlike Batman, they won’t call on us with a signal in the sky, but, instead look to the sky, knowing our power, all power and all authority comes from above.
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