A version of the homily of Bishop Peter A Comensoli at the 5pm Vigil Mass for the 4th Sunday of Easter Year C at St John the Baptist, Woy Woy, 16 April 2016.
This is not a literal transcript, but it will give you the gist of his message.
Bishop Comensoli was at Woy Woy as part of a parish visitation, and presided at all the Masses that weekend.
The Gospel reading was the John 10 passage where Jesus speaks of Himself as the Good Shepherd, including the verse, 'The sheep that belong to Me listen to My voice; I know them and they follow Me.'
This is not a literal transcript, but it will give you the gist of his message.
Bishop Comensoli was at Woy Woy as part of a parish visitation, and presided at all the Masses that weekend.
The Gospel reading was the John 10 passage where Jesus speaks of Himself as the Good Shepherd, including the verse, 'The sheep that belong to Me listen to My voice; I know them and they follow Me.'
Today is Good Shepherd Sunday, the 4th Sunday of Easter. It gets this name because each Gospel in the 3 year cycle for the 4th Sunday of Easter speaks of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. It is also traditionally a day to raise vocational awareness. As a successor of the apostles it is a good day to exercise my vocational call and echo the voice of the Good Shepherd to you.
What is a vocation? The dictionary says that it is a strong feeling of suitability for a particular career or occupation. I don't think that is enough of a description. A vocation has to be more than a combination of interest and ability. The biblical notion of vocation is that it is something to be received and lived.
Today's Gospel helps us understand that notion. 'The sheep who belong to Me listen to My voice and follow Me'. So a vocation involves being willing to listen. There needs to be something worth receiving, someone willing to listen, and willing to tune into the one making the offering/doing the giving.
Listening then becomes an essential part of vocation. We need a readiness to hear the something good that is offered to us.
At the core of all vocational calls is God's gift of Himself to us. We call this gift 'grace'. It is a true gift to receive, and very good. Accepting God's gift of Himself to us is the real beginning of a vocation.
Any vocational call is always about more than me and my life, it is a calling that involves others. Jesus always has our good in mind, which includes eternal life.
There are two words associated with the call of every disciple, 'Come' and 'Go'. Even the stained glass doors of your church mention them, 'The Lord will guard your going and coming both now and for ever'.
'Come' means to share in the life of Jesus. We do that in a special way each time we gather in this temple to share in the Eucharist.
'Go' means to be sent out as a disciple with the life of Jesus. At the end of Mass you hear, 'Go in the peace of Christ'. We take Him whom we have received out to others.
A vocation has to have both, receiving and living, coming and going. It is not just finding an interest and pursuing it. First and foremost it is the loving concern of God for you, and for us.
In the business world of corporate ladder climbing, very few are ever concerned for us and our well-being, for our good and for our lives. God is very different. He is concerned.
Tuning into this gift of God and what He has in mind for our flourishing, is what He is about, and what a vocation is about.
So tune in, and find out what He has for you.
What is a vocation? The dictionary says that it is a strong feeling of suitability for a particular career or occupation. I don't think that is enough of a description. A vocation has to be more than a combination of interest and ability. The biblical notion of vocation is that it is something to be received and lived.
Today's Gospel helps us understand that notion. 'The sheep who belong to Me listen to My voice and follow Me'. So a vocation involves being willing to listen. There needs to be something worth receiving, someone willing to listen, and willing to tune into the one making the offering/doing the giving.
Listening then becomes an essential part of vocation. We need a readiness to hear the something good that is offered to us.
At the core of all vocational calls is God's gift of Himself to us. We call this gift 'grace'. It is a true gift to receive, and very good. Accepting God's gift of Himself to us is the real beginning of a vocation.
Any vocational call is always about more than me and my life, it is a calling that involves others. Jesus always has our good in mind, which includes eternal life.
There are two words associated with the call of every disciple, 'Come' and 'Go'. Even the stained glass doors of your church mention them, 'The Lord will guard your going and coming both now and for ever'.
'Come' means to share in the life of Jesus. We do that in a special way each time we gather in this temple to share in the Eucharist.
'Go' means to be sent out as a disciple with the life of Jesus. At the end of Mass you hear, 'Go in the peace of Christ'. We take Him whom we have received out to others.
A vocation has to have both, receiving and living, coming and going. It is not just finding an interest and pursuing it. First and foremost it is the loving concern of God for you, and for us.
In the business world of corporate ladder climbing, very few are ever concerned for us and our well-being, for our good and for our lives. God is very different. He is concerned.
Tuning into this gift of God and what He has in mind for our flourishing, is what He is about, and what a vocation is about.
So tune in, and find out what He has for you.
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