From the Pastor's Desk

May 13, 2012

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,       

     One of the basic tenets of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that each and every disciple of Christ, by virtue of his/her Baptism, has received from Christ a vocation (literally, a “calling”).  For each and every Christian, this baptismal calling is a summons to holiness of life.  It is a vocation to imitate, with help of the Holy Spirit, the very holiness of God.  Pope Benedict XVI has described this fundamental Christian vocation as a “personal friendship with Jesus Christ, which gives meaning to one’s life and makes it available for the Kingdom of God.”       

     We also believe and recognize as Catholics that some of the baptized are also called to particular vocations that involve particular forms of service or particular modes of life and prayer.  For example, some may be called to the vocation of marriage and family life.  Others may be called to one of the various forms of consecrated life lived out in the religious orders and communities of the Church, such as the Jesuits, the Dominicans, the Franciscans, or the Benedictines, to name only a few.  Still others may be called to lay ecclesial ministry through service in Catholic parishes, schools, hospitals and diocesan ministries.  And some may be given a vocation to ordained ministry (Holy Orders) in the Church as a deacon or a priest.       

     In my own life and experience, I discovered an initial calling from God to serve as a lay ecclesial minister in the Church, first as a religion teacher at two of the Catholic High Schools in our Archdiocese (1977-85), and later as lay pastoral associate at a Catholic parish in Tacoma (1985-95).  These years, and the experiences that were a part of them, were very significant and formative for me, and laid a foundation for what I eventually came to realize was a vocation to ordained ministry as a Catholic priest.  In every stage and aspect of my vocation to ministry, each particular call to some specific aspect of service — teaching, parish pastoral ministry, priesthood — involved a fuller response to, and flowering of, the basic call that had come with my Baptism.       

     One of the responsibilities that we all have as Christians is to pray for vocations in the Church.  But we also have a responsibility to actively encourage vocations in the Church, and to help one another discern those vocations.  For example, while God spoke directly to the young Samuel, Samuel needed the help of Eli to discern and understand that it was God who was calling him (1 Samuel 3:3-10).        

     With this in mind, I ask us all to pray for the upcoming Quo Vadis Days scheduled for June 24th – 27th at Camp Don Bosco in Carnation.  Quo Vadis is Latin for “Where are you going?”  Quo Vadis Days is three-day vocations camp that invites young men aged 13-18 to learn more about priesthood, to deepen their faith, and to better discern God’s call in their lives.  If you know of any young man in whom you see signs of a potential vocation to priesthood, please encourage them to sign up for Quo Vadis Days, or refer them to me.  To register for, or to learn more about, Quo Vadis Days, please go to the website www.qvdays.org, or call (360) 479-3777.        

     God bless you all,