The Church calls us to reflect on the meaning of God's call and to pray for vocations. It reminds us that the entire Christian community shares the responsibility for fostering vocations.

One may ask, "What exactly is the responsibility of the Christian community to foster vocations?" The answer to this question is found in the Letter to the Romans: "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim Him? How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" [Rom. 10:13- 5]

Christians must share in the responsibility of fostering vocations. I propose four most important steps involved in this process:

 (1) Prayer is necessary. The faith community must continuously pray for vocations, day and night. Prayers should not be limited to when there is a shortage of religious vocations. The faithful should continue to raise their prayers toward the Throne of Heaven even when there is an abundant crop of priests, religious brothers and sisters.

(2) There is the responsibility of the Christian family. To foster vocations, the family must foster the Christian life. The family must live its faith in Christ on a daily basis. It must pray together, go to Church together, participate in the Church events, all including the children. When it comes to Sunday obligations, it is not a matter of choice for the children; it is a matter of obligation towards God, towards the Church, towards the family and towards oneself. It is insufficient to claim to be Catholic. One must practice the Catholic faith. One must “let his light shine before others”. [Mt. 5:16]

(3) Parents must respect and encourage the religious life. If one of their children shows an interest towards becoming a priest, a religious brother or sister, this must not be discouraged. Humbly, the parents must be thankful to God for having chosen their family. They must foster the grace of God to ensure that the Divine Will of the Lord shall be manifested in their family.

(4) To foster vocations, parents must encourage their children to be exposed to the religious life. If the children, the teens and the young adults are never exposed to the religious life, how can they know what it is all about? How can they see Jesus administering the Sacraments in the priest if they have never met or spoken to a priest? How can they see the richness of the religious calling if they do not encounter religious vocations? They cannot! It is through seeing and hearing that the grace of God touches the heart of the person.

Please pray for vocations everyday, that the Lord may send more labourers into his harvest.