Vocation Essay

How do priests, deacons and religious brothers and sisters help us to hear God’s call in our lives?

This is the topic for this essay. This is an important question, but also a fairly simple question to answer. Though it is simple to answer, there’s still a lot to say. Let’s take a look at some things that Fr. Eric Johnson said in his article, “Hearing God’s Call”, which was put in the “Criterion” on January 9, 2009.
“…We are called to be people of prayer seeking to discern God’s will in all that we do and to respond faithfully with all that we have… Through their own lives and ministry, priests, deacons, and men and women religious help us to remember God’s call in our own lives… They teach us to listen, call us to service and witness to the God that calls each of us by name. Their vocation reminds us at the importance of discovering and living out our own.”
You can find many answers to the question in that passage. Just reading that passage should be enough to answer that question. Nevertheless, I will explain some things about that passage. In this next paragraph, I will explain what this passage stated.
The first part is telling us that to find what we should do in life, we should ask God through prayer, and we should respond to His answer with all of the gifts and talents that He has given us. The second part tells us that the example of the lives of the ministry, priests, deacons, and men and women religious help us know how we should be living our lives as God calls us to. The third part states that they teach us to listen to God, encourage us to serve others and God, It also states that their vocation reminds us to find ours, and live it out with all the gifts and talents that God has given us.
I, myself, am fortunate enough to be taught by Sister Nicolette Etienne, who is a Benedictine Sister. She always makes sure that we know our vocation, which is to love God, and serve His people. I am also blessed with the presence of Fr. Stan Pondo and Fr. Aaron Jenkins who teach us about living our vocations, and who live their vocations as an example to how we should live ours. I now know that it is my duty and vocation to teach others about their vocation, who aren’t as fortunate as I to be taught by these wonderful people.

Chris B 8th Grade