Each year on the fourth Sunday of Easter the Church calls us to turn our attention to vocations. This day is formally called World Day of Prayer for Vocations, established by Pope Paul VI in 1964, during the Second Vatican Council. It is also called Good Shepherd Sunday, largely because of the gospel on this day is about Jesus the good shepherd. 

What is vocation? Basically, vocation is a calling from God. But what is God calling us to? First and foremost, God calls us to life in him. God moulded us into existence and continually breathes life into us. Without God’s Spirit we cannot exist. We are continually called to recognise that it is in God that we “live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). Going further, living life in God means that we are created by love and for love because God is love. This is at the heart of who we are as humans. Our first and deepest vocation is to love and to be loved. This universal vocation is then expressed in different forms: marriage, ordained ministry, religious life, and single life. 

Sometimes too much attention is paid on the vocation to the priesthood, but this is only one among many vocations in the Church. The reason for this could be that the image of the good shepherd is often associated with the priesthood, and therefore we tend to think only of the priesthood when it comes to vocation. However, there are other vocations which are equally important in the life of the Church: vocation to religious life, vocation to marriage, and we increasingly talk about vocation to single life. 

Each of these vocations involves trust and commitment. Our individual stories are unique and precious in the eyes of God. My decision to go for priesthood was a surprise to my friends, family, and… myself. Priesthood had never been an option for me growing up. When I moved to Australia at the age of 18, life opened promising possibilities and dreams for the future. I was enjoying life and all it had to offer. And of course, I dreamed of having a family one day. 

Towards the end of my course in International Trade, at the age of 22, I found myself asking a lot of questions about life’s meaning and purpose. One thing I saw was that life is so beautiful but also fragile. I saw joy but also suffering in people’s lives and indeed in my own family and circle of friends. Then I gradually felt the call to do something to respond to that. Through a good friend of mine, who is a priest, I got to see what priests can do for others. Unexpectedly, priesthood became a possibility for me. So, I started to think and pray more seriously about it. In this time of discernment, two aspects were of particular relevance to me. I had no doubt that there was a clear invitation to go out of myself. I was also clear that priesthood is a great vocation because of what it enables you to do for others. First, I questioned my competence. With my weakness and limitations, can I do this? This is no easy task. With encouragement and affirmation from a few people, that question was resolved. Second was the question of celibacy. I remember one night I was sitting out under the stars and said to God: I feel you are calling me for others, and I want to respond to it but that means I will never get to experience marriage and family life. And at that moment I burst into tears. They were sad and happy tears. And that was it. I wiped my tears and said to God: I will give this a go and if it is your plan for me, you will have to help me. I went to the seminary. 

I look back on my journey and say: it is true that I made the decision to go to the seminary but there is a mysterious element to it as well. What I mean by this is that as I look back, I have no idea how I got through some of those challenging moments. My vocation has been a constant discovery. Vocation for me is not something where I could say ‘I have a vocation’ but rather an ongoing dialogue with God. It is an ongoing journey where I continue to discover new things. Vocation needs to be nurtured and grown, otherwise it will die. In the ‘bad days’, I go back to that fundamental conviction that first and foremost God is calling me to life and love in him. Priesthood is my response to that love. It is wonderful to realise that it is God who chose me and loved me first. God always allows me to be free to respond. 

I have also come to realise, over the years, that the heart of priesthood is the people I serve. Priesthood does not exist for its own sake. There is no priesthood without people. My vocation only makes sense because of the people that I serve. It is a great privilege to walk with people in their joys and sorrows, in the ups and downs of their lives. I am constantly touched by the stories of people that I come to encounter. It is most humbling to have their trust and being able to help them in the smallest way through ministry. The people of God have always been the number one motivation for my vocation. On the other hand, the person of Jesus Christ has been a constant model and inspiration. Jesus is our true Shepherd who laid down his life for us. He never ceases to amaze me with his story. I feel like I know Jesus but at the same time I do not know him quite yet. Because Christ is to continue to be encountered in the people that I meet and serve. 

It is an absolute honour to be at the service of the gospel. Yet, I am a human being and there are challenges that I face as well. Thus, without the support and encouragement I receive this vocation is not possible. At the moment, I am very fortunate to live and share ministry with Fathers Brendan and Hoang. It is also comforting to know that I have God’s support one hundred percent.

This Sunday we stop and give thanks to God for continuing to call us to life in him. We pray that in whatever vocation we find ourselves in, that God grant us a more generous and faithful heart to respond to the call to love.  We also pray not only for an increase in number in each of these vocations but also that we may continue to grow in our vocations.

Read the story of the four seminarians who are currently at Corpus Christi College, they come from different walks of life but all share a deep trust in God’s plan for their lives.

Pope Francis’ message for World Vocations Sunday

By Deacon Tien Tran