By Fr. Scott Archer
“Fear
not, from henceforth thou shalt catch men” (Lk 5:11).
In the gospel today Our Lord speaks to Peter and foreshadows the
vocation of the apostles as priests winning souls for Christ and bringing
countless multitudes to heaven. This same ministry of priests must be continued
throughout time, which is why we must pray for vocations to the priesthood. When
praying for vocations to the priesthood we pray that young men will respond to
the voice of Christ, that parents will encourage vocations in their own
families, and that those who respond will be holy men who persevere.
In every age there is a challenge in responding to a vocation
to the priesthood because of various obstacles, both internal and external. In
the past several decades a contributing factor to the vocations crisis is the
secular and sexualized society in which we live; however, factors within the Church
contribute to the crises as well.
When I went to the seminary there was much confusion in the
Church, seminaries were theologically shaky, formation was weak, the liturgy
was in a constant state of flux, and there were very few men presenting themselves
as candidates. One exception was the Diocese of Peoria, which had a strong
vocations program. There are different challenges today. I admire young men,
considering what the Church has been through in recent years, who respond to
God’s call. I respect the young men in the seminary who have said “Yes” to God
at a time when that is one of the least popular decisions they could make. It
reinforces how supernatural a priestly vocation really is.
A call to the priesthood is not dramatic; it is
profoundly deep, personal, and sacred. Of his own vocation, the soon-to-be
Blessed Fulton Sheen wrote, “A vocation is so very sacred that one does not
like to speak of it…Always associated with that sense of the gift of a treasure
was the frailty of the earthenware pot which was to house it. I would often
drive it out of my mind, only to have it come back again. For the most part,
the religious vocation is rather a silent but insistent whisper, yet one that
demands a response; no violent shaking of bedposts or loud noises in the night.
Just ‘you are called to be a priest.’”
Those with a vocation to the priesthood simply know what God
wants of them, they respond because they love Jesus and Mary, and they know the
safest and easiest way to heaven is to follow His will. There is little value
in the modern understanding of discernment, in my opinion, as this can
sometimes be used as an excuse to be in a continuous state of noncommitment. To
reiterate Fulton Sheen, “Just, ‘you are called to be a priest.’” It truly is that
simple.
To help the seeds of a vocation grow in a family, holiness
needs to be fostered within the home. The spirituality of the family must be grounded
in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and devotion to the Mother of God. The graces
of a vocation come through the hands of Our Lady, Mediatrix of all graces. When
a young man expresses a desire to enter the seminary, this should be met with
encouragement and not derision because, despite those who have brought
disgrace, scandal, and dishonor on the priesthood, it is a lofty and holy
vocation.
Saint John Vianney said, “O how great is the priest! If he realized
what he is he would die… God obeys him: he utters a few words and the Lord
descends from Heaven at his voice, to be contained within a small host. Without
the Sacrament of Holy Orders, we would not have the Lord. Who put him there in
the tabernacle? The priest. Who welcomed your soul at the beginning of life?
The priest. Who feeds your soul and gives it strength for the journey? The
priest. Who will prepare it to appear before God, bathing it one last time in
the blood of Jesus Christ? The priest—always the priest. And if the soul should
happen to die who will raise it up, who will restore its calm and peace? Again,
the priest. After God, the priest is everything. Only in heaven will he fully
realize what he is.”
Christ
tells his priests “fear not” because He will be with them as they preach His
Word, offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and administer the Sacraments. Let
us pray earnestly for young men to respond positively to the voice of Christ as
He calls them to “Launch out into the deep” to catch souls.
