Keeping lines of communication open and functioning well is a “must” in everyone’s life. I suspect that everyone has experienced the frustration of missing a very important phone call, such as a job offer, or a special friend who wanted to visit, or that long-awaited date from a beau. Perhaps your answering machine was not ready to be used. Then there is that distracting TV program, or a radio blaring with music that “drowned out” the phone bell. More often than not, a family member just neglected to tell you that you had a call. Maybe worst of all is the vice of laziness: you just didn’t want to take the time to find out about the call.

The “missed call” I am taking about is a very special one. It is the Call from the Lord himself, inviting a boy or a girl, a man or a woman, to consider a life of serving the Lord in a very special way. Perhaps it is a call for a married man to become a Deacon. Perhaps it is a gentle signal to a young boy to become aware that the Lord would like him to pray about a career as a Priest or a Brother. Perhaps it is a call to a younger or older woman to look into religious life as a Sister, or maybe the lay consecrated life.

I am going to hazard a guess that if a Call from the Lord is missed, then it is always our fault. I am also suggesting below that each of us make a New Year Resolution to correct this.

There is a lot of “noise” out there that interferes with lines of divine communication. First, every person needs to have a regular prayer life. That is a “given” for every baptized Catholic. If you do not take “quiet time” to have a prayer talk with Jesus, then which party do you think is responsible for a breakdown in communications? Within that prayer life, one must constantly seek God’s will, not our will, to discern the path of life that He desires for us.

Second, if you personally do not have a Call to the priesthood, sisterhood, brotherhood, diaconate, or consecrated life, you still have an obligation! If is our responsibility to pray daily for vocations. That is part of the Church’s mission; you are part of the Church. We also need to pray that each parishioner who does have an authentic Call from God will be open to hear God’s special word for them.

Here is where a New Year Resolution can come into play. I am suggesting, and urging, that each one of us make a firm resolution to pray in a special way for vocations. Direct your prayer to the Guardian Angel of everyone the Lord is calling, perhaps unknown to you, to lead them and guide them in a prayer life that is open to God’s voice. There are wonderful stories about results obtained by people praying in this manner. All the future priest needs is YOU!

   Deacon Paul Rooney
   Mary Our Queen Parish, Omaha
   December 31, 2006
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