With the 32nd pick in the NFL draft, the New Orleans Saints select Patrick Robinson. Yes, coming off that Super Bowl victory I still can't get enough of all things Saints; so I watched the NFL draft on TV. Recognizing that many of us did not watch the draft let me summarize: it's all about these college prospects waiting and listening to hear their name called. When they hear their name, they know they have been selected to become part of a NFL team!
We have had many opportunities in our life when we have been called by name. We hear our names called by a loving parent or grandparent beckoning us to dinner, or chores as we played outside in the yard. Our teachers called us by name every morning during roll call. Perhaps we waited to hear our name called by friends as teams were being picked for a friendly game of neighborhood baseball. All throughout life, we have listened for our name to be called.
As people of faith, are we waiting and listening to hear our name called by the Good Shepherd, and when we do, are we prepared to follow Him?
Today's Gospel, albeit short, is powerful in many ways. As Jesus is walking along during an important Jewish feast, the crowds pressed in on him and begged him to declare that He is the Messiah. And they were specific in their request of Jesus; they asked Him to tell them plainly. Instead, Jesus replied: "My sheep hear my voice; I know them and they follow me." Jesus chose the image of sheep to explain what his followers must be like. Why sheep? After all, are not sheep, beautiful to look at, among some of the least intelligient of all animals? Perhaps. But maybe Jesus was more focused on a teaching moment. You see as sheep are being moved from place to place, many shepherds would place their herds together for safety at night. They would be mixed together. And in the morning, the sheep, supposedly not very smart, would know which shepherd to go to simply by the sound of his voice as he called them by name.
We are sheep. Hopefully we are His sheep. As we travel on this journey called life, we are herded together with sheep of different flocks. We survive this life among those who are not Catholic, those who are not Christian, those who do not love, those who do not believe in God, those who just don't know and those that are just confused and afraid and unsure. Yet Jesus is calling His sheep and we are called to listen, hear Him and follow Him. But, unlike those shepherds on the hillside the Good Shepherd, Jesus, is calling all. Yes, he wants all the sheep to become sheep of His flock. Not all will hear that call. Yet Jesus is calling and He is calling all of us by name.
What is Jesus calling us to? This is a wonderful question to ponder this Sunday as we celebrate "vocation Sunday". On the day we hear this powerful Gospel, the Church allows us to focus intently on vocation. All of us are called to a vocation. Our state of life is a vocation. A committed single life or married life is a vocation. Today, just for a minute let's focus on vocations to the Priesthood, the religious life and the diaconate. Can we acknowlede for a moment that we are in need of more vocations. And at the same time, can we celebrate that much good is happening in vocations these days. Despite all the turmoil the Church is enduring, including attacks from the outside, vocations are showing signs of life. We are blessed to be located just miles from one of our two seminaries in the Archdiocese, St. Joseph Seminary College. They have just ordained a new deacon who will be ordained to the Priesthood in a few months. Currently, we have an increase in undergraduates studying now at St. Jospeh.
Vocations to the Priesthood, while still in need of more positive responses, are showing good signs in many dioceses in our country and in many parts of the world. We should take great joy in knowing that our new Archbishop, Gregory Aymond, grew vocations in his previous diocese of Austin. He has asked us to pray for vocations and pray specifically for vocations from OUR parish.
Let me mention the diaconate, a ministry that I was called to, by name, just a few short years ago. In just a few months, we will ordain 10 new Permanent Deacons for our Archdiocese. 3 of them will be serving in our neighboring parishes. And in a few short weeks, the diaconate will start a new inquiry for men who may feel like they too are being called by name. If you feel that you are being called by name, please talk with me after Mass or anytime in the weeks ahead.
For all of us here, we are indeed called to pray for vocations to the Priesthood, the religious life and the diaconate. And we are called to pray for someone by name, and pray for vocations from our parish. And we are called to do this TODAY and in the days ahead. And while we are doing this, we are called to live our vocation, whatever it may be. And by living out our vocation in our schools, the workplace and the community, we are to be like sheep, following the Good Shepherd and listening for Him to call us by name.
No, our names will not be called out by the NFL commissioner calling us to football glory. We listen for our name to be called by the Good Shepherd as we are invited to share with Jesus and the Father our vocation in this life and the glory to share with them eternal life forever!
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