Vocations and Saints Go Hand in Hand

There is much to learn from the lives of saints which can inspire vocations and help remind us to pray, "Lord, I want what you want for me.  Help me to know what that is." 

Joyful feelings often arise within us when we spend time learning about the lives of saints.   

For example, when I read about a particular saint, I discover something very ordinary which occurred in the saint's life, which although commonplace, is nonetheless an experience which I can identify with in my own life.   

As a result, I begin to feel a special kinship with the saint, and this in turn brings me feelings of happiness and nurtures a closer relationship with God’s holy people who have gone before me. 

What is most interesting to me is how their life experiences, which may have broken their spirit or perhaps even caused them to seek forgiveness from the Lord, did not disrupt their pathway to sainthood. In fact, the heaviness of their cross only strengthened their journey. 

A common thread which I also find in reading the lives of the saints is their ability to keep God at the center of all they do. 

I remember when a teacher asked a group of teens, “What does a round table represent to you?”  The teens offered many good answers, such as a meal, a family game night, or a place for friends to sit and talk together or hold a meeting.  However, the answer that stood out the most for me was when a young man responded, “The table represents God. When we gather around the table, God is in the center, and He should always be at the center of all we do.” 

On November 1st, we celebrate “All Saints Day”, a Holy Day of obligation. 

We also kick off the month of November with “National Vocations Awareness Week”. 

The two go beautifully hand in hand, and also provide a good opportunity for you to perhaps re read the story of your favorite saint and ask yourself, “Do I just know the facts about their heroic life, or have I entered into a relationship with them?”  “Do I pray to them regularly?” 

A favorite saint of mine is St. Therese of the Little Flower, with whom I have developed a special relationship.  Not only have I read the story of her life, but there is never a time when I can see a rose petal without thanking her for comforting me. 

This also may be a good opportunity for you to research a new saint or saint to be. What inspires you most about them?  Does their vocation help you explore a vocation to the priesthood, diaconate, religious life, lay ministry, or sacramental marriage?  Does their vocation help deepen the vocation to which you have already committed? 

This summer I participated in a small group book study on six Black Catholics from the United States whose causes are under consideration for Canonization.  The "Book Black Catholics on the Road to Sainthood" by Michael R. Heinlein highlights these ordinary men and women who lived extraordinary lives of faith and virtue. 

One of the black women, the Venerable Henriette Delille, is a shining example of the beauty found in responding to the Lord’s call to sisterhood.  Just as Jesus was rejected, so too was Henriette. Being a black Catholic did not always give her a seat at the table. By following her example, I am reminded to pray for the strong women in my life, be thankful for their love and friendship, and intentionally look outward to invite all to the sisterhood. 

Please God, if it is your will, let us come to know our vocation and be raised as saints! 

There is a Solemnity of All Saints Day Mass schedule and Christ By The Sea Collaborative has planned events for National Vocations Awareness Week. Please find the details for both in the weekly church bulletin and join us.