FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER 2006 May 7, 2006

Acts 4: 7-12  Psalm 118 1 John 3: 1-2 John 10: 11-18

1. Comparisons are odious. When we say of someone that they are the wisest or the prettiest or the best in some skill or the other. There could be immediate feelings of “I envy them, I hate them, I wish something terrible happens to them.” It is quite human and natural. 

 The Fourth Sunday in Easter was usually considered Vocation Sunday with the emphasis on Priestly vocations. It dealt with the Good Shepherd or as in Latin: Bonus Pastor - and hence Pastors of the Parish. Speaking of Vocations and referring only to the Priesthood, often gave rise to the feelings mentioned above. I even heard one say to me, “and what do you think I am: chopped liver?”

 We have gradually matured into realising that every one has a Vocation. Every Vocation comes from God and hence all are equal, but as George Orwell said, “some are more equal than others” and we behave accordingly.

• a. The Religious Life and Priesthood are way up there, close to God, instant holiness like Instant Coffee. Intellectually we know that is not true , but we behave as if it were so. Please say a prayer for me is a request I get so often. But why can’t you pray for your own needs. And the reply is: “I do, but you have an inside edge.” Or someone will tell me, Sr. X was so rude to me. I am hurt. When I say, “Why don’t you tell her so?” How could I do that, she is a Sister. God will get me.
   
• b. We speak of marriage as a vocation. But we act as if the Choice made is ours. When I used to give Marriage Encounter weekends, couples would talk of how they met each other. “I saw Laura working in an Office. She was calm, attractive and had a beautiful smile. I knew that I was going to ask her to be my wife.” In all those weekends, I do not think I heard a person say: “I prayed and asked God if I were called to a Married Life, and would God show me the one I was to marry.” We chose to be married. Everyone gets married. It is a normal thing. And hence Single people were looked at with pity.

As we reflect in this manner about VOCATIONS: the word of Jesus that comes to mind: “you belong to this earth and you speak about earthly things.” We must look at Vocations from the point of view of God. And the view of God is from those who are being served, from those who have been entrusted to our care.

2. Perhaps instead of starting with “My vocation” we start with the realisation that EVERYONE is called. We are called to have impact on the lives of others. We are called to be the guides and mentors of one person, or a group of persons, or perhaps a whole community of persons.

We are called to reflect God to God’s people

We are called because we are made in God’s image and likeness.

We are called with our strengths and especially our weaknesses - just in case we might this is our Work and not God’s work. Our Opus and Not Opus Dei.

Given this understanding, it really does not matter whether we are man or woman, gay or straight, young or old. We are all called.

But - and it is a big BUT... God has given us a pattern in the scriptures concerning our Vocation.

• a. “You have not chosen me, I have chosen you.” - as we go out we realise that it is always God that the initiative. Every call begins from Jesus and is brought to its ultimate fruition through the suffering, death and Resurrection of Jesus. Priests and Prophets in the Old Testament who had the arrogance of assuming that they CHOSE God and not the other way about, paid the consequences. In our own times, we have known unhappy priests, who joined because a Mother made a promise similar to Hannah “I will offer my child to God.” We can offer our children to God, but as Jesus says, “You have not chosen me, I have chosen you.”
   
• b. “Abide in me, apart from me you can do nothing.” We realise that even though we have been given a mandate, we have given a commission, it is only with the help of the Lord we can accomplish things. Furthermore we cannot “accomplish” or be successful according to the Standards of the world. By the world’s standards Jesus was an utter failure: his apostle betrayed him, another denied him, all the rest fled, and Jesus ended up as a common Criminal on a Cross. But as Paul reminded us: it was in this very Suffering that death was conquered and lost its sting.
   
• c. As we work in our Vocation, Jesus does not call those who are Qualified  but Jesus qualifies those whom he calls. Jesus tells us, “Ask anything you want in my name.” We will find difficulties, we will find that we cannot do much, we will be discouraged. Do not be afraid to ask.. And ask for the impossible, the miraculous - because nothing is impossible with God. 
   
• d. Jesus reminds us that unless the Grain of wheat falls into the Ground and dies it will not bear fruit. Our Vocation by its very nature will bring Suffering, and in some cases the Loss of life. We seek this specially in the Vocation of Married Couples. They will undergo all types of hardships for their children and will be totally selfless in this vocation - giving up career, prestige and honour for their children.
   
• e. “I will be with you at all times, unto the ends of the world.” Wherever we go, Jesus is always with us. You will find energy, wisdom and resourcefulness where you never imagined possible. Each of you can tell stories of strength where you never thought you could manage. We are never alone. We need to hold someone’s hand. And we are invited to put our hand in the Hand of the Man from Galilee.

Giving heed to these Scriptural Passages, we can be bold like Peter and the Apostles in that first reading. And the second reading from John gives us the “raison d’etre” of our Vocation, being Children of God all we have to do is reflect God’s goodness and love to all. Who could ask for anything more !