My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
I hope you are enjoying this blessed season. We are now on the Fourth Sunday of Easter, also known as “Good Shepherd Sunday.” In today’s Gospel, Jesus calls himself the “Good Shepherd.” A good shepherd knows his sheep and what they need. This differs from a hireling who does not care about the sheep because they are not his own. A good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep, but a hireling abandons them at the first sight of danger. This is exactly what Jesus has done for us. He laid down his life for us, His sheep, to save us.
But the mission of Jesus did not end there. Even though He ascended into heaven, Jesus decided to continue His ministry of shepherding His people through His disciples, the first priests. We see this clearly in the first reading where Peter not only heals the cripple but also proclaims the Gospel to those that witness the miracle. Like the good shepherd, Peter shares in Jesus’ mission of saving souls. But again, this mission did not end with the death of the last apostle. Rather, it continues throughout generations because God keeps calling good men to become priests, to shepherd His flock. This is true even in our day and age.
Sometimes a lie enters into our mind that says, “God calls men to be priests, but not in our time, and not in our parish.” This is a lie. God still is calling men to be priests, to lay down their lives for the people of God. God is calling men in our parishes to be priests. Nevertheless, this call is hard to hear because we live in a day and age where becoming a priest is unthinkable. But our faith tells us that God is still alive, and still calling young men to be priests.
A survey of the recently ordained priests in the USA revealed that 90% of them considered the priesthood because someone else asked them.
One of the most important ways that men answer the call to be priests is through the encouragement of others. A survey of the recently ordained priests in the USA revealed that 90% of them considered the priesthood because someone else asked them. So, we can help promote vocations just by asking. So, this week, you are going to find handouts in the pews that describe the qualities of a good priest. Then, think who is a man in our parishes who has these qualities, and then write down his name. After that, hand that name in the collection basket as we would like to pray for these men and encourage them to discern the call to be a priest. Finally, I ask you to keep praying for the vocations that we need so that many young men will answer God’s call.
In Christ,
Fr. Cesar Valencia P.E.S