"When Samuel went to sleep in his place, the LORD came and revealed his presence, calling out as before, 'Samuel, Samuel!' Samuel answered, 'Speak, for your servant is listening.' Samuel grew up, and the LORD was with him, not permitting any word of his to be without effect."
1 Sam 1:9b-10, 19
Vocations, the Culture of Death, and the Crisis of Faith
I'm sorry for taking so long to post this weekend's homily, but here goes.
This Sunday was an important one in two ways. The Diocese of Manchester held the annual Seminarian Collection in order to raise the funds to educate the men in our diocese studying for the priesthood, and this week on January 22nd is the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. where more than 500,000 people descend upon the nation's capitol in order to pray for an end to abortion and the culture of death that so plagues us.
There is, it seems, a vocations crisis in the Church. Fewer men being ordained as priests, fewer Catholics getting married, fewer men and women entering religious life; and the culture of death only seems to be growing. I think that these two problems are linked. They have the same root and the same solution. The root — a crisis of faith, the solution — intentional discipleship.
This Sunday was an important one in two ways. The Diocese of Manchester held the annual Seminarian Collection in order to raise the funds to educate the men in our diocese studying for the priesthood, and this week on January 22nd is the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. where more than 500,000 people descend upon the nation's capitol in order to pray for an end to abortion and the culture of death that so plagues us.
There is, it seems, a vocations crisis in the Church. Fewer men being ordained as priests, fewer Catholics getting married, fewer men and women entering religious life; and the culture of death only seems to be growing. I think that these two problems are linked. They have the same root and the same solution. The root — a crisis of faith, the solution — intentional discipleship.
| For 42 years our country has been perpetrating a genocide against the most vulnerable among us, the unborn, under the guise of "privacy." MILLIONS of innocent lives snuffed out, millions of women scarred and wounded, and millions of men shirking their duty as fathers, all under the false understanding that "a woman can do what she wants with her body." I don't know about you, but in biology class I learned that humans only have one heart, two legs, two arms, and one brain, so how an unborn child with unique DNA and a distinct body can be considered part of the woman's body I don't know. |  |
One way you can pray with us this week is by joining in on the novena for life that the US Bishops have started: Nine Days of Prayer, Penance, and Pilgrimage. Its not too late to pray!
Click here to get the app!
In the first reading today Samuel hears God's call and he responds, "Here I am Lord, I come to do your will." Do we hear the Lord when he calls us? How do we answer?
It seems that there are some good things happening in regard to priestly vocations in the Diocese of Manchester. We have 9 men studying for the priesthood in our diocese, and just a few weeks ago at a gathering with the Bishop there were over fifty young men present who were discerning a vocation to the priesthood in our diocese, FOUR OF THEM FROM OUR PARISH! Here is the flyer for the special collection.
It seems that there are some good things happening in regard to priestly vocations in the Diocese of Manchester. We have 9 men studying for the priesthood in our diocese, and just a few weeks ago at a gathering with the Bishop there were over fifty young men present who were discerning a vocation to the priesthood in our diocese, FOUR OF THEM FROM OUR PARISH! Here is the flyer for the special collection.
Please SUPPORT OUR SEMINARIANS and encourage young men to be open to God's call. We need a few good men (more than a few would be better). If you want to hear a little bit more on these issues, you can listen to my homily below.
FULFILL THE MISSION: BE A DISCIPLE AND MAKE DISCIPLES!
Pray for vocations, and pray for an end to the culture of death! Also please pray for the pilgrims from our parish who are going to the March for Life. But don't JUST pray, DO SOMETHING!
- Fr. Jeff
- Fr. Jeff
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