‘You are witnesses of these things’
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Bishop Lucia delivers his Vocations Holy Hour homily. Behind him is Fr. Jason Hage, director of the diocesan Office for Vocations.
ABOVE: Bishop Lucia delivers his Vocations Holy Hour homily. Behind him is Fr. Jason Hage, director of the diocesan Office for Vocations.
Pope Francis, Bishop Lucia mark the day of prayer for vocations
By Dc. Tom Cuskey, editor
April 21, 2024 – Good Shepherd Sunday in this liturgical year – also marked the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, the 61st observance of this annual event. The two observances always go hand-in-hand. Christ, our Good Shepherd, reminds us of our universal vocation, that we are all called to follow Him, even those sheep who may not always be part of the flock.
Pope Francis marked the day with a message, stating that “Our life finds fulfillment when we discover who we are, what our gifts are, where we can make them bear fruit, and what path we can follow in order to become signs and instruments of love, generous acceptance, beauty and peace, wherever we find ourselves.”
In other words, our Holy Father reminds us that each of us has an individual calling, deep inside us. Each of us has a vocation and a responsibility to live it out in God’s plan. That might mean a call to Holy Orders, to married life, or the pursuit of a religious vocation. Or perhaps the single life, service to others in our profession or volunteer hours. It could be anything that we do that requires us to share love and care for our neighbor.
Locally, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Bishop Douglas J. Lucia led a Holy Hour for vocations on the afternoon of the 21st.
“’You are witnesses of these things.’ That one line in scripture really says, what this day, what this moment is all about.” Those opening words of Bishop’s homily, quoting from the Gospel of Luke as Christ prepared his disciples for his Ascension, are a response to that call deep inside us. “What we are really praying for in this hour is for witness that people will respond to the call to witness to the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” Bishop said.
Bishop shared the story of Margaret Mehren, a member of Hitler Youth who came to realize the horrors that Nazis inflicted on people and converted from atheism to Catholicism, finding her vocation as a Franciscan nun. Bishop shared that her efforts to prayerfully embrace the Word were rewarded, quoting from her text, “I knew He was alive. I knew He was there. Even though I could not hear or see anything. Jesus was real, more real than anything around me.”
Bishop reminded all that God still calls men and women today, just as He did in Biblical times, from Samuel to the Apostles through the present day.
“And when we speak of God’s calling to people, to be God’s prophets, to be God’s witnesses, or of Jesus’s call to be His disciples,” Bishop told the congregation. “The word we use is the word vocation … from the Latin word ‘vocare’ … to call.”
Bishop gave a number of examples of people engaged today in their call and reminded all that, regardless of our age or our situation, the Holy Spirit is always among us, ready to help us find our way.
“Are we praying for guidance? Asking God for guidance and choosing the right life’s work in the future?” he asked the group. Bishop said he prays that more men and women in the local church will themselves pray to be blessed with the discovery of God’s plan for them and take action to fulfill it.
Bishop’s complete Word Day of Prayer for Vocations Holy Hour homily can be viewed by visiting the Syracuse Diocese YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/@syrdio)
