‘Vocations come from the heart of Christ’

By Wendy Shaw

Fervent prayer helps to nurture vocations.

That is one of the messages from the Prioress at the Carmelite Monastery in Launceston.

Mother Teresa Benedicta, OCD was reflected on the recent Holy Hour for Vocations to the Priesthood and Consecrated Life held on Good Shepherd Sunday, 26 April at the monastery.

“Vocations come from the heart of Christ,” she explained.

“He chooses men and women to follow Him in this particular way, giving Him their entire lives. But that call will only be welcomed and nurtured through fervent prayer.”

Mother  Teresa Benedicta went on to say that World Day of Prayer for Vocations is most important as a yearly reminder to “pray in union with the Holy Father and the whole church to the Lord of the harvest to send us more labourers, that is, men and women in love with the Lord who want to give their lives in loving service of the Church and to support people in all vocations on the path to holiness, so that all may know the joy of following Christ”.

“This day reminds the Church universal that praying is the most important thing to do in order to receive the gift of more vocations,” she said.

Emeritus Archbishop Julian Porteous led the Holy Hour. Second year seminarian for the Archdiocese of Hobart Nathaniel Bradley, together with brothers Logan, Brock, Hayden, Kohan and Levi Harsh, of Launceston, were altar servers.

Mother Teresa Benedicta suggested some steps that parishioners can take in support of vocations. They include making a commitment to pray every day for vocations and offering friendly encouragement to those in the process of discerning a vocation.

“A heartfelt prayer each day for the gift of more priests and consecrated men and women, as well as adding a prayer for vocations to the general intercessions every Sunday at all parish Masses, helps to foster a genuine culture of vocations,” Mother said.

“Encouragement is also very important for a young person who may be considering a vocation, or who perhaps may not yet even be sure what they are called to but possibly may be sensing a desire to serve in a more radical way or just helping out in the parish.

“A friendly comment such as, ‘You’d make a great priest!’ or ‘I can imagine you being a nun one day’ can sometimes give a young person the courage they need to take the next step in discerning a vocation.

“I had an experience of this kind when I was in my early teens when a retired Sister of Mercy in my parish said to me one day, ‘I won’t be surprised if you put a veil on that head one day!’ Although I blushed outwardly, I also felt a flutter of excitement deep in my heart and I think I gained from this the confidence I needed to consider this option more seriously because someone else saw something in me and gave me that little word of encouragement.

“It was really an early validation of the claim the Lord had made on my life.”

 The Prioress said that vocations are born in faithful Catholic families, nurtured in parishes and schools and brought to maturity through the ongoing prayer and practical support of parishioners who love their priests and religious and who support them with prayer and other practical gestures. This culture has a great impact on those who may be considering a vocation.  

She also underlined the importance of priests promoting vocations through their witness, example and preaching, and added that it was wonderful that Launceston’s parish priest team of Fr Shammi Perera, Fr Vinco Muriyadan and Fr Jonas Donasco joined in the congregation at Holy Hour.

The archdiocese’s Director of Youth Evangelisation, Darcy Rogers, said the Holy Hour was “a beautiful affirmation of both the vocation to the priesthood and the vocation of religious life”. 

“It brought lay families, seminarian, priest, and religious together to pray for past, current, and future vocations,” he said.

“Events like the Holy Hour for clergy and religious drive hope.”

He said it emphasised the importance of a community of faith coming together in prayer to wait on Jesus and His plan for the Tasmanian faithful.

“All eyes were on Christ as He was listening to the prayer of His people, hopeful for the current and future vocations of priesthood and religious life in Tasmania,” Darcy added.