The readings over the past few Sundays have focused on Jesus revealing himself as the Bread of Life. He is laying the foundation for his teaching on the Holy Eucharist and ultimately upon the Mass as the summit and font of the life of the Church.

Who will keep this promise of the Lord to feed his sheep? Who will say yes to the call of Christ, to give them a shepherd’s care?

Vocation promoters are needed in our families and parish communities. Once upon a time, many years ago, I served my previous diocese as the vocation director for several years. It was a tough ministry. There are not many takers when the invitation or call is put out to men to consider the holy priesthood.

I hope that our parish community does not expect the priests who serve our Catholics to always come from “somewhere else.” I can say for a fact, that the Holy Spirit has not looked at our parish boundaries and said, “I shall not cross those boundaries and enter Saint Clare Parish.”

The solution to the shortage of priests is for Catholic parishioners to pray every day for vocations to priesthood, diaconate, consecrated religious life and sacramental marriage. All of these human states of life are suffering today. They need the support of prayer.

People need a proper understanding of the sacrament of Holy Matrimony as a sacrificial gift and a witness to Christ’s fidelity, generosity, mercy and of his presence. He calls parents to shepherd their children and feed them with the life-giving teachings of Christ and his Church.

Love is by nature a sacrifice of self for a greater good. Children need to be taught moral virtues. And we all need to recognize that if we are not in training to be saints, then we are missing out on the best things about life, and that our spiritual muscles are getting weak.

Mary’s Holy Assumption into Heaven was a natural result of her consistent, life-long “yes” to God’s call. Her soul proclaims the greatness of God. Do our souls do that?

How is your soul doing and how are you training to become a saint?

Is God calling you into service? The answer is always a resounding YES!

Are you fostering and promoting vocations to the priesthood to continue the promise of Christ to give us all the Bread of Life in the Holy Eucharist? Without priests, there is no Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

— Fr Hans Ruygt

BACK TO LIST