Sister Kathleen Murphy reminds us of Pope Francis’ April prayer intention of Vocations, while Sister Natalie Binversie’s shares the call of Sister Florence Piotrzkowski. Sister Florence’s family is a model of prayerful support, the kind of family Pope Francis sees as tremendous blessing in our Church today.
April marked World Day of Prayer for Vocations. In that spirit, we pray with the Church, that young people may respond generously to their vocations and seriously consider offering themselves to God in the priesthood or consecrated life.
Prayer and sacrifice for the gift of vocations is nothing new to us as a community. We do it in some form every day, and God continues to bless us in His own time. This is a good month to increase our prayers and sacrifices in union with the whole Church. It is a good time to re-read the stories of the calls of Francis and Clare. It is a good time to reflect on the blessings of our own vocation.
This is a good time to consider the fact that no vocation comes out of a vacuum. As Pope Francis says, “Vocations are born within the Church. From the moment a vocation begins to become evident, it is necessary to have an adequate “sense” of the Church. No one is called exclusively for a particular region, or for a group or for an ecclesial movement, but rather for the Church and for the world. “A sure sign of the authenticity of a charism is its ecclesial character, its ability to be integrated harmoniously into the life of God’s holy and faithful people for the good of all.” In responding to God’s call, young people see their own ecclesial horizon expand; they are able to consider various charisms and to undertake a more objective discernment. In this way, the community becomes the home and the family where vocations are born. Candidates gratefully contemplate this mediation of the community as an essential element for their future. They learn to know and to love their brothers and sisters who pursue paths different from their own; and these bonds strengthen in everyone the communion which they share.”
Let us take some time to thank the Lord of the Harvest for our own vocation and for the ecclesial nature that St. Francis brought to our spirituality as he sought to have his little band blessed by the Church.
Read about Sister Florence’s call to be a Franciscan Sister: Franciscan Sister Florence Reflection
