The January Promoter

Spotlight:

Vocation Awareness Week

January 13-19, 2008

Since 1997 the United States has set aside the week beginning with the Baptism of our Lord as National Vocation Awareness Week.  The Church celebrates the Feast of the Baptism of our Lord remembering that it was on this day that Jesus began His public ministry.  Just as Christ received the gifts of the Holy Spirit, each of us through baptism received our own unique gifts and talents. 

National Vocation Awareness Week gives us the opportunity to help young people see more clearly what a vocation is and how they can best use the gifts God has given them. It is also a special time to highlight the specific call to the priesthood and consecrated life within the Catholic Church, encouraging others to pray for vocations and increasing an appreciation for those who have answered God’s call.

Some dioceses may celebrate it later in the year and many have special activities, promotional materials and events planned.  As a vocation promoter, it is a good time to take an active role if possible and check with your diocese to determine if there is something you can organize or promote to support their efforts to build the culture of vocations during this special time of year granted us! 

Promoting Vocations 101

 Optimism – working with confidence that our efforts to promote vocations are part of God’s plan and we are his instruments.  If we make ourselves available to him, putting aside our fear and doubts, he will use our willingness to bring about abundant blessings in the lives of others. 

Vocation Awareness Week gives us an opportunity to step out and organize something that will have a direct impact on the lives of young people; to plant seeds that will create the culture of vocations we are working to attain. Many vocation testimonies include a time of confrontation with the real idea of a personal calling by God which was sparked by an event or a remark made by someone. Docile to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit, we must take advantage of the opportunities we have to promote vocations, never knowing when God may choose us to be his instrument. There are many ways for parishes and Catholic schools to participate in this opportunity to educate young people about vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life.  A few examples:

1. encourage prayer for vocations: give some of the prayer for vocation cards from Vocation Action Network or your diocese to a group of young people

 

2.  fundraisers for vocations: Cents for Seminarians can be found on VocationActionNetwork.com which is a simple initiative that can be integrated into a school or religious education program  

 

3. special talks by priests, religious or other consecrated men and women, including their testimony of living their vocation

 

4. Q&A time with someone living a vocation to the priesthood or consecrated life

 

5. vocation.com promotion – a great way for young people to become more aware of vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life.  Visiting vocation.com during technology classes is a great way to bring Vocation Awareness Week to high schools. 

 

6. Shorelines: give a subscription of this weekly e-newsletter from vocation.com to a high school or college student.  It includes meditations and news from around the world from a Catholic perspective. 

 “Sr. Ily’s talk made me realize that I need to be more open to God’s call. I think in today’s society, the married life is portrayed as the most accepted type of life, but we learned that all vocations – whether it be the married, single or religious – are important. At this point in my life, I shouldn’t be planning my future, but rather I should be listening to God and doing His will, not mine.” 

 high school senior 

following the testimony of a 

religious sister during NVAW 2007

In some way discuss with a young person Vocation Awareness Week and why the Church gives it to us, asking him or her to please remember to pray for priests and consecrated men and women.