PRIESTS AND RELIGIOUS; PROTAGONISTS OF THE DREAM OF GOD. (HOMILY FOR THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER YEAR C-GOOD SHEPHERD SUNDAY/ VOCATION SUNDAY

THEME: PRIESTS AND RELIGIOUS; PROTAGONISTS OF THE DREAM OF GOD. (HOMILY FOR THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER YEAR C-GOOD SHEPHERD SUNDAY/

VOCATION SUNDAY

1st reading:Acts 13:14, 43-52 

2nd reading:Rev 7:9,14-17

Gospel: John 10:27-30

On this day, the 8th of May, 2022 which is the 4th Sunday of Easter, also called the Good Shepherd Sunday, the Church celebrates the 59th World Day of Prayer and Promotion for Vocations; vocations to the priesthood and religious life. 

This celebration was established in the year 1963 by Pope Paul VI, designating the place of religious life and the priesthood in the church and to the whole world. Thus, today can likewise be referred to as “Vocation Sunday”. 

Pope Francis in his message for this 59th World Day of Prayer for Vocations on the theme “Called to Build the Human Family” noted in his message to priests and religious that when we speak of “vocation,” it is not just about choosing this or that way of life, or devoting one’s life to a certain ministry, or being attracted by the charism of a religious family, movement, or ecclesial community rather “It is about making God’s dream come true, the great vision of fraternity that Jesus cherished when He prayed to the Father 'that they may all be one, just as you Father, are in me and I am in you, so that they may also be in us.” (Jn 17:21). 

In his message, the Pope, therefore, reminded the religious and clergy that they are called: to be protagonists of the Church’s mission; to be guardians of one another and creation; to welcome God’s gaze; to respond to God’s gaze, and to build a fraternal world. 

Addressing priests, religious, consecrated women and men, and the lay faithful, the Pope encouraged everyone to “journey and work together in bearing witness to the truth that one great human family united in love is no utopian vision, but the very purpose for which God created us.”. The Pope concluded his message for World Day of Prayer for Vocations with an appeal to the entire Church to work together, inspired by God’s love.

There was once a statue of our Lord. During the war, the place was bombarded. The hands of the statue were destroyed. After the war, they put up the statue without repairing it but with the inscription: “I have no hands. I need you.”. Dear priests and religious, the Pope this day, guides us once again towards the rediscovery of the aspirations of our vocations and mission in the church and society, which is as protagonists (the hands and feet of Jesus) to realize the plan and vision of God, that is the unity of the human family through the person of the Holy Spirit (that they may be one just, as you Father are in me and I in you). Therefore, every priest and consecrated person this day must make that re-commitment within our communities and respective places of pastoral assignments e.g parishes, schools, hospitals, retreat centres, etc, the onerous task of creating a human family that is in communion with God.

In the first reading from the Acts of the apostles 13:14, 43-52, Paul and Barnabas carried the goodness of the kingdom of God through Perga to the city of Antioch in Pisidia. We are told that when the meeting broke up many of the Jews and devout converts joined them and that on the next Sabbath almost the whole town assembled to hear the word of God. This notwithstanding, some Jews prompted by jealousy used blasphemies and contradicted everything that Paul said. The Jews even worked upon some of the devout women of the upper classes and the leading men of the city to turn against Paul and Barnabas and expel them from their territory. Paul and Barnabas, shaking off the dust from their feet, responded to this sad situation saying that since you have rejected the word of God and do not think yourself worthy of eternal life, we must turn to the pagans. This gladdened the hearts of the Pagans as they became beneficiaries of the word of God and were destined for eternal life.

Dear Priests and religious, like Paul and Barnabas, while working assiduously as missionaries in making the dream of God come true by establishing a human family united and holy in the sight of God, let us not be overwhelmed and dissuaded with repudiations, contradictions and rejections that may come our way. May we like Paul and Barnabas who despite the negativities were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit, constantly draw strength from Matt 28:20 “I will be with you always, even to the end of the age”. In John 15:16 He said, “You did not choose me but I chose you”. May He who had called you and consecrated you empower you with sufficient grace to carry out with joy the dream of God for the good of the human family. 

On the 6th of May, 2022, we celebrated the conversion of St. Paul. We may ask ourselves: What if Saul had dared to respond to the heavenly voice in the negative? What if Saul had simply said that he had other things to do and among those were included the crushing of the infant Christian community? He perhaps would have remained blind. We would not have had Paul, the Apostle of the Gentiles, the pillar of the church of God. May God comfort and strengthen all Priest and religious facing hard times in their respective places of pastoral assignment.

Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, the Laity are also invited to support the mission entrusted to the church. Pope Benedict XVI introducing the term co-responsibility, stated that the laity can “make its specific contribution to the ecclesial mission with respect for the ministries and tasks that each one has in the life of the Church and always in cordial communion with the bishops.”. Therefore, it is not the duty of the Priests and religious alone to accomplish a human family in communion with God but with the collaborative efforts of the lay faithful the dream of God (human family born of the spirit of unity, oneness and communion with God) can be fulfilled in our Parishes and outstations, our families, our neighbourhoods and localities, and our society in general.

It is worth noting that the characteristics of this human family in communion with God are designated in the gospel of today. According to John 10:27, It must be a family that “knows the good shepherd” (knowledge). It must be a family that “listens to the good shepherd”  (hearing and understanding), and it must be a family that “follows the good shepherd” whom we are told in the second reading from Rev 9:17 that “ the shepherd will lead them to springs of living water”. These characteristics must be evident to ascertain that we are indeed genuine members of this family in communion with God. This is the only family where eternal life and security of life are assured. He says “ I will give them eternal life; they will never be lost and no one will steal them from me” Jn 10:28.

Dearest brothers and sisters in Christ, the Eucharistic family is the human family in communion with God. You are in the right place. All you need to do is to see that these characteristics of the Eucharistic family are made manifest in you through the power of the Holy Spirit in whom we accomplish all things.

I bless all priest and religious who by their exemplary way of life continue to promote the vocations to the priesthood and religious life, I bless the families who by their appreciation of the gift of the vocation to the priesthood and religious life offer one on their members, and to priests the people of God, who by their fervent and constant prayer support this precious vocation.

Happy Good Shepherd Sunday to you all,

Fr Remigius Okafor, osj