As the Church honors Christ as the Good Shepherd on the Fourth Sunday of the Easter Season, I think it is providential that we as Church use this Sunday to pray for and think about vocations—especially our vocation in life.  How am I called to use the gifts and talents God has given me to serve Him and others?  The gifts we have been given; we must give as a gift. For everyone, this will take a different shape.  Some will offer their gifts as priests and vowed religious men and women.  Others will do so as married or single people.

Everyone in the living of his or her vocation, however, continues the work of Christ and participates in His saving work.  As our Holy Father writes: “Indeed, God with his call reaches each individual and the Spirit, who abides deep within each disciple, give himself to each Christian with different charisms and special signs.  Each one, there-fore, must be helpful to embrace the gift entrusted to him as a completely unique person, and to hear the words which the Spirit of God personally addresses to him.”  Let us remember that God has given each of us a unique task to do with our lives.  If we fail to do it, it does not get done.

Let us also lift up in prayer those in our second grade who received Jesus for the first time in Holy Eucharist this Saturday.  May Jesus, the Children’s Friend, bless our little ones as they take these first steps in their faith journey. Please don’t forget to honor Our Bless Mother Mary by participating in our parish May Crowning this Monday, May 1st at 6:30pm in church.