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In the heart of the Advent period, which leads us to Christmas, we also celebrate, on December 8, the Immaculate Conception of Mary, the very special conception of a life with a singular destiny. The Blessed Virgin Mary is the ideal missionary who offers the world the Infant Son of God.
The month of November begins with the solemnity of All Saints, followed by the commemoration of the Faithful Departed. These celebrations invite us to cultivate the “communion of the saints”; to reflect on our supreme calling, that of the common vocation to sanctity.
We do not have the account of Luke’s vocation but his diaphanous figure, as a disciple and missionary, appears in filigree in his two works: the Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. A look at Luke’s profile can help us to live for the service of evangelizing and feeling the joy of the Gospel, which Pope Francis invites us to do.
The feast of St. Matthew has been celebrated, for a long time, on September 21. His vocation to be part of the group of the Twelve causes some wonder, given his social and religious background, but this unusual character makes him a figure for today.
Saul of Tarsus, “the 13th apostle” Paul, the great herald of the Gospel, the greatest missionary of all times. Someone calculated that Paul covered 20,000 kms. over land and by sea. But his greatness isn’t so much because of the distances covered as the extraordinary nature of his vocation and his work as an apostle.
On July 3, we celebrate the Feast of St. Thomas, famous for his proverbial incredulity, which in some way, makes him likeable, close to us, a “real” character” (Jn 20:19-29).
On June 29, we celebrate the feast of St. Peter, a good chance to visit the vocation of this apostle par excellence. Although we know St. Peter well, his figure never ceases to fascinate us. He is the great Peter, the enthusiastic and generous man who also knew our weakness and smallness! (Mt 5:1-11)
Chairs represent a role, a vocation that one has to fulfill in his or her earthly life. Throughout salvation history, we have been witness to chairs being vacated and filled, according to God’s plan. One such example is the chair vacated by Judas Iscariot, one of the original Twelve Apostles, which was subsequently occupied by Matthias. Ordinary Christians, like you and me, also have chairs to occupy, no matter what the obstacles may be. Ultimately, our goal is to assume the heavenly chair – the throne – that God has prepared for us because of our fidelity to Him.
“Tell us, Mary: What did you see along the road?” “I saw the tomb of Christ alive, and the glory of the Resurrected. I saw the witnesses of the Angels, I saw the Shroud. Christ has resurrected my hope!” (Paschal Sequence)
Martha and Mary are frequently presented as contrasting examples of action and prayer. Because of this comparison, one is led to ask who between them is the best. This question has animated spiritual reflection since time immemorial. On February 2, fourty days after Christmas, we celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of the Baby Jesus to the Temple. It is the Day of the Consecrated Vocations, whether of an active or contemplative life. Both are of vital importance for the mission of the Church. Reflecting on these two sisters may help us to have a more harmonious view of the Christian vocation.
