Vocations: Helping our young people respond to the call to holiness

By Father Greg Gerhart | Guest Columnist

The Catholic Church in the U.S. celebrates National Vocations Awareness Week Nov. 1-7. It is an annual week-long celebration dedicated to promoting vocations to the priesthood, diaconate and consecrated life through prayer and education. This is also a time to renew our prayers and support for those who are considering one of these particular vocations.
This is my first National Vocations Awareness Week as the new vocation director for the Diocese of Austin, and I have great news to share. Although I have only been on the job for four months, I can assure you that this pandemic has not hindered God from calling young men and women to the priesthood and to the religious life. While traveling throughout the diocese and speaking at different parishes, campus ministries and Catholic schools, I have met with dozens of young men and women individually who feel they are being called to follow the Lord Jesus.
These conversations are the fruit of the “culture of vocations” that we have been fostering in the diocese for many years. First and foremost, the vocation culture that we promote includes an understanding on the part of all Catholics that we are called to holiness — called to live out our state in life as a sacrificial gift of self. This is true whether we are married, single, clergy or religious. Each of us is called to settle for nothing less than a life of holiness, nothing less than “life to the full” (Jn 10:10).
With that foundation, a vocation culture is also one in which it is natural for young Catholics to ask the question, “Lord, what do you want me to do?” They trust that God’s will for their life is not a burden to be endured, but a gift to be received. Since there is no “default” vocation, their generous question and faithful trust in God allows young men to be open to the calling to the priesthood and young women to be open to the calling to the religious life.
Jesus says in the Gospel of Luke, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest” (10:2). Of course, God could call without our help, but that’s not how he wants to do it. He wants to use our voice. Just as he used Mary’s “yes” to bring Jesus, the High Priest, into the world, so, too, God wants to use our “yes” to pray for vocations and to encourage our young Catholics.
God delights to call his sons to be priests of Jesus Christ by using our voice of encouragement, and God loves to call our sisters and daughters to be his bride as religious sisters by answering our prayers. So, let’s imitate Mary, and say “yes” — yes to praying for an increase of vocations to the priesthood and to the religious life in our daily intentions and yes to encouraging the good men and women we know to consider the priesthood or the religious life. Even something like, “You would make a good priest,” or “You would make a good sister,” can be a seed planted in a heart that will change the world.
Friends, the harvest is abundant, but the laborers are few. Let’s make a special effort during this National Vocations Awareness Week to pray and encourage our young Catholics. Together, let’s continue to foster our wonderful vocations culture in the Diocese of Austin.
For more information about vocations in the Diocese of Austin, visit https://godiscalling.me/ or call the Vocations Office at (512) 949-2430.

Father Greg Gerhart, a diocesan priest ordained in 2016, serves as the Vocations director for the Diocese of Austin. He can be reached at (512) 949-2405 or [email protected].