National Vocation Awareness Week

Stories of parish closings or mergers continue to dis-hearten the Catholic Community throughout the nation and the shrinking number of Sisters and Brothers worldwide makes it evident that the time for serious prayer, fasting and effort is here. It has been given lip-service for decades, and some efforts are paying off, such as the St. Andrew Dinner, an evenning of prayer, a meal, and vocation talks presided over by Cardinal Sean, in its second year in the Archdiocese of Boston. Following this model, the Marist Brothers in Lawrence, will host a Champagnat Dinner in March to invite young men to pray, hear vocation stories, and enjoy good table fellowship around a meal prepared by Br. Tom, president of Central Catholic. Vocation presentations to Junior Religion Classes will span an number of weeks in the second semester, high-lighting to universal call to holiness, and giving details concerning the priesthood, religious life, marriage and the single life. Today, a new video, LIVE MARIST, will be available at http://www.maristbr.com/. Containing testimonies of students involved in Marist retreats and activities, it shows that our charism is very much alive, still effective and as much needed as in 1817. We hope that it will inspire many to go from talk to entrance into our brotherhood. Personal prayer, sacrifices, fasting are an important part of this process. Continued joyfilled dedication to the education of youth, personal interviews and encouragement are important, but remembering the a vocation is a call from God, the spiritual element is key. All can join us at this level. Let us have a special intention for vocations in our prayers and sacrifices this week in particular, and continued into the future, for the "harvest is plenty, but the laborers are few."
Bro. Rene