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Thank you for joining us in our mission to promote vocations! Following is an introductory newsletter that will prepare you for the task at hand. Remember to check the website regularly for new ideas and resources to help you along the way. If you need help with anything please don't hesitate to contact us or your local coordinator.
Why promote vocations?
Love for the Church and Souls
There should be two factors that motivate our work promoting vocations: our love for the Church and our love for souls.
The priesthood and consecrated life are essential to the life and mission of the Church. They serve us in such a special and unique way through the sacraments and spiritual life. Indeed, we would be in a desert without them. Our love for the Church should compel us to do more to promote vocations working with a great zeal to keep the faith alive.
The second motivation love for souls, comes with our desire to help young people find happiness. True fulfillment comes from following God's plan for our lives. The young men and women who God is calling to the priesthood or consecrated life are searching for happiness that is not found very easily in our culture. By promoting vocations, we are helping young people discover and follow the path that is going to lead them to this happiness. They, in turn, will bring so many souls to discover the purpose of their lives in Christ.
How can we promote vocations?
Promoting Vocations 101
Prayer – constant prayer for vocations and for the grace to promote vocations the way God asks us is what should be the basis of all our work.
Respect –everything we say and do has an impact on others around us and by being more conscientious we can make opportunities to build esteem and respect for the priesthood and consecrated life each day.
Optimism – working with confidence that this is God’s plan and we are instruments. If we make ourselves available to Him putting aside our fear or doubts, He will use our willingness to bring about great fruit in the lives of others.
Multiply yourself – always inviting others to join us in our work. The more promoters, the more souls we can touch.
Opportunity - keeping materials for promoting vocations and youth activities on hand so you can make the most of every opportunity that presents itself to:
- invite others to pray for and promote vocations
- invite youth to events and activities that will bring them closer to Christ and equip them to discern a vocation better.
Think big using small steps – each little seed planted today will bring change to the landscape of our world tomorrow.
Encourage – supporting all young people with means to grow in generosity and sincerity will enable them to discover God's will in their life and follow it.
Responsibility – God is counting on you to make an impact on the souls around you and nobody else can reach them in the same way. It is important to remember that God will give you the grace when you are sincere in your prayer and work.
Who should promote vocations?
We are all called!
Each Catholic has a role in promoting vocations, responding to the call of John Paul II in his address to the Church for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations in 1981 “The Second Vatican Council rightly emphasized that the duty of promoting vocations belongs to the whole Christian Community. If the Lord has seen fit to give us such great responsibility for the life and future of the Church, can we reject the honor that He bestows on us and the confidence that He places in us? Here there arises a problem of conscience. No one, before God can say: Let others see to it.” The beautiful thing about Vocation Action Network is that it gives us a way to work together by helping each member make vocation promotion a part of their lives. Together we can make a difference by developing a culture that supports each young person as he or she discerns God’s will for his or her life.
How can Vocation Action Network help?
A Website with a Personal Touch
Our goal is to be an effective resource to you the promoters and we knew how important it was to give this program a personal touch so we have asked many faithful vocation promoters throughout the United States and Canada to help us in our mission and act as local Vocation Action Coordinators (VAC). In this way each area has been given to one of our well trained and generous VAC to help you in any way they can. They will keep you up to date on new developments in VAN and also in your local diocese's vocation work. Don’t hesitate to ask them for guidance on how you can promote vocations more effectively in your particular situation, that’s what they are there for. Also if you have any changes in your contact information or questions regarding the Vocation Action Network program or materials please let them know. Your feedback and ideas are essential for us to meet our goal. The website will be an ongoing tool for all promoters to:
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become better formed in how to best work as a vocation promoter changing the culture to one that respects and appreciates the vocation to the priesthood and consecrated life
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become better informed of what is going on in the Church today with vocations and opportunities for young people to discern
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materials that will help you work as a promoter
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ideas of things you can implement to actively promote vocations in your parish, school or youth group.
So please visit frequently and if you have an idea for a “blue print” or some great local news you would like to share, be sure to take the time to pass it on to us. info@VocationActionNetwork.com
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