Vocations Prayer Newsletter December 2020

Mary's Vocation 

 

Mary is our Blessed Mother (John 19:26) and we can learn a lot from her vocation story that is at the forefront of our minds during Advent ...

 

‘God sends an angel’ - An angel is a heavenly messenger from God. We may not actually see an angel from heaven. God may send us an earthly messenger, or you yourself may be that messenger for another person.

 

‘To Nazareth in Galilee’ – Which was really nowhere special. By earthly standards Mary was not exceptional.

 

‘To a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph’ – She definitely already had plans for her life, but God has other plans for her.

 

‘Hail, highly favoured one (full of grace)’ – She had been specially chosen for this, you could say it was her destiny.

‘Do not be afraid’ – Gabriel most likely said this because Mary was afraid! So, if you are afraid when you first feel God calling you to follow Him a particular way, you’re in very good company.

 

‘Behold, you will be mother to the Son of God, the Messiah’ – this really is an amazing and shocking statement to hear!  It results in Mary questioning…

 

‘How can this be?’ – She was a virgin and had intended to remain one. How was she going to conceive? I think most of us when we are called realize that we don’t really have all it takes to do what God is asking of us. We can feel lacking in something,  Maybe we feel unworthy.

 

‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you’ – Gabriel tells Mary that it is God’s power that will make this possible, not merely her own efforts.

 

‘Elizabeth has conceived’ – Gabriel tells Mary the good news about Elizabeth, who was barren but is now expecting. This illustrates to Mary what God can do, but also gives her someone she’ll be able to relate to. Someone who will understand what she is going through. Perhaps someone who can guide her. We aren't expected to figure out our calling on our own either.

 

‘May it be done to me according to your word’ – Mary humbly submits to God's will. I imagine she still had many questions and concerns, but she gave her yes, her act of faith in God.

Then we can look at one of Mary’s opening lines to Elizabeth during her Visitation

 

‘He looks on his servant in her lowliness; henceforth all ages will call me blessed.’  - God chose Mary to fulfil His plan. She considers herself a lowly servant. This is both inspiring and also perhaps a little frightening for us to think about! God chose someone who appeared (to the world) to be so ordinary. What then, may God have in mind or expect from us?

 

We can sometimes use our ordinariness, our weaknesses and our frailties to hide from God or to ignore His promptings. Not only does God call us, He seeks us to first listen to Him and then to answer His call. He asks us to have the faith we need, in order to respond. Mary did not ask the Angel Gabriel whether he would keep her safe from gossip or the risk of stoning, neither did she ask the messenger if he could help her to explain the situation to Anne & Joachim! 

She did not stop to ask how a ‘simple’ girl from Nazareth would be able to raise, to protect and to teach the Son of God. Mary had something that we can sometimes lack - a deep, unwavering trust in God.  She believed that God would provide. 

 

If you feel a daunting call from the Lord, look to Mary for her generous response and be encouraged.  Or perhaps you know someone who is grappling with a call right now - perhaps you could be the encourager, the catalyst that is needed to help that person to move forward in faith. The Holy Spirit is most definitely at work in our lives and in our Church.  May this Advent, with the start of a new liturgical year, bring a new focus for all of us on the coming of the Lord into our own lives and our response to His presence. 

Advent Wreath 

 

This Advent, Bishop Philip has been encouraging us all to create an Advent Wreath in our home as a focal point for our prayer and preparation for the birth of our Saviour. We have produced a small booklet (click below to download) with Advent wreath prayers that you could use for a daily journey through this season of grace - with a focus on praying for vocations.  

 
Advent Prayers

Seminarian of the Month

Our Seminarian to keep in your prayers this coming month:

 

Hello everyone! My name is Paul Nwune, and I am in the 6th year of seminary formation at St John’s Seminary, Wonersh. This is also my final year of seminary training and I am grateful to God for the graces He has bestowed on me all these years of training in the seminary. This past July, I received what we call ‘Candidacy’ from Bishop Philip, which is a step closer to preparation for priestly ministry. God willing, I will be ordained a Deacon in December and a priest next summer.

It has been an amazing and fruitful time in seminary formation for me. Although there are a few challenges, in the sense that we are being formed to be like Christ and to give in our best. But God has been gracious to me, encouraging and sustaining me. All these past six years I have been in the seminary discerning the will of God for me, meditating, and reflecting prayerfully on what it means to be a priest. I have come to realise that this life I have embraced to live is not all about me. Rather, it is all about Christ, and living the life of Christ, sacrificing my life for the service of others. To be a priest is a special gift from God. As the Letter to the Hebrews clearly affirms that “one does not take upon himself this honour but takes it only when called by God”.

 

In all my pastoral placements and experiences in the parishes where I have worked as a seminarian. I have come to understand the importance of being a good priest to the people of God. A priest who is always there to listen to the people and journey with them as they go through the challenges of life. My desire is to be a good priest who is very welcoming, compassionate, merciful, kind, and friendly to the people. To always lead by example and let my life be the Gospel that I preach. Through this way bring the people back to the Church, especially all those who are presently at a distance due to the negative encounter they had experienced in the Church.

 

I want to thank the good people of Portsmouth Diocese, for your prayers and financial support which makes our seminary formation possible. Please be assured of my prayers and may God grant each and everyone of you your heart desire. Amen.

Reflecting on Vocation in Advent:

 

The National Office for Vocation has put together some video reflections, focusing on different states of life that God can call individuals to and also the weekly Sunday Gospel.  They will release one on each Sunday during Advent via Social media or you can view on their website - linked below. 

Find out more via www.ukvocation.org, Facebook: @ukvocations Twitter: @ukvocation and Instagram: nationalofficeforvocation

 
www.ukvocation.org
Follow Us
Follow on Facebook
Follow on Instagram
Follow on X (Twitter)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Portsmouth Roman Catholic Diocesan Trust  Registered Charity No. 246871

Diocesan Office, St Edmund House, Edinburgh Rd, Portsmouth, PO1 3QA   www.portsmouthdiocese.org.uk <http:/portsmouthdiocese.org.uk>

 

Disclaimer.   This email and any attachments are confidential, privileged and protected by copyright. If you are not the intended recipient, dissemination or copying of this email is prohibited. If you have received this in error, please notify the sender by replying by email and then delete the email completely from your system.  Where the content of this email is personal or otherwise connected with The Portsmouth Diocese or its affiliated charities and companies, the Diocese and its affiliated charities and companies accept no responsibility or liability for such content. No contracts shall be concluded by means of this email. Internet email may be susceptible to data corruption, interception and unauthorised amendment over which we have no control. Whilst sweeping all outgoing email for viruses, we do not accept liability for the presence of any computer viruses in this email of any losses caused as a result of viruses. The Portsmouth Diocese and its affiliated charities and companies reserve the right to access and disclose all messages sent over its email system.  All personal data we collect is processed in accordance with our privacy notice, available at: http://www.portsmouthdiocese.org.uk/gdpr/DoP-Privacy-Notice-v20180524.pdf

Share on social

Share on FacebookShare on X (Twitter)

Check out my website