Holy Orders
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By virtue of our Baptism, all Christians are part of a common priesthood of believers. We are all called to participate in Christ’s mission. Through the Sacrament of Holy Orders, bishops and priests are given a special role in carrying out this mission. They exercise a ministerial priesthood. Deacons also receive a special grace through ordination and are called to assist the ministry of bishops and priests (Catechism of the Catholic Church [CCC], nos. 1547, 1554).Through ordination, priests become representatives of Christ to the Church—as witnesses of holiness and love, preachers of the Gospel, shepherds of the faithful, conveners of divine worship, and builders of the Church. Through their ministry, priests are called, in imitation of Christ, to “preach good news to the poor . . . proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord (Lk 4:18-19)” (Pope John Paul II, Pastores Dabo Vobis [I Will Give You Shepherds], no. 11). Deacons, too, are ordained to imitate Christ in his ministry of service and charity to the poor and needy in the community.
In a recent article in the Catholic Spirit, correspondent Mary Walker interviewed current vocations director Fr. Brian McMaster who explained, “Although Deacon Craig DeYoung is the only man being ordained a priest in 2014, he expects five or six priests to be ordained annually in the coming years. In addition, this fall’s class of incoming seminarians is one of the largest ever.” Fr. McMaster also added that “A year with one ordination reminds us to keep on praying for vocations and to invite men to consider the priesthood.”
If you would like to get more information about discerning a priestly or religious vocation, please contact the Diocese of Austin Office of Vocations at 512.949.2430 or visit https://godiscalling.me/.
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Austin VocationsThe first vocation, or calling, that we all have is to holiness: “This is the will of God, your holiness” (1 Thessalonians 4:3).
- Holiness is life to the full and the complete joy that will bring our hearts to rest (see John 10:10, John 15:11, and Matthew 11:30).
Part of answering this first calling to holiness is discerning our vocation- the particular way that God wants us to be holy.- Priesthood, consecrated life, and marriage are three ways of following the Lord in holiness. From all eternity, God has planned one of these vocations for you: “I know well the plans I have for you… plans for your welfare, not for your woe, plans to give you a future full of hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).
Another part of answering the first calling to holiness is praying for and promoting vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life.- Jesus felt compassion in His Sacred Heart when he saw that the crowds were like sheep without a shepherd, and then he told his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest” (Matthew 9:37-38).
- In a letter to the Church in America, St. John Paul II wrote, “The entire People of God is responsible for promoting vocations, and does so chiefly by persistent and humble prayer for vocations.”
The resources below from the Diocesan Office of Vocations will help you to discern your vocation, pray for vocations, and follow wherever God leads.
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Learn to Discern
Vocational discernment is the diligent pursuit of knowing whether God is calling you to the priesthood, to consecrated life, or to marriage. The process of vocational discernment can be summarized in three steps: learn the basics, take a step, and follow God’s direction.
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D180
Discernment 180 is a six-month guide to help you discern priesthood or the consecrated life. Somewhat like Exodus 90, Magnify 90, and similar programs, it outlines a rule of life and provides meditations for daily prayer to facilitate vocational discernment through the pursuit of holiness.
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Pray for Vocations
The first thing that the Lord tells us to do when seeking more shepherds is to ask the master of the harvest (Mt. 9:38). Only God can move the hearts of men and women to consider the priesthood and religious life- no homily, invitation, or other initiatives will bear fruit without His grace. Join hundreds of others in praying that young men and women hear and respond generously to the Lord’s call to the priesthood and religious life.
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