Mary as the mother of vocation grapples one most important event in history. This event happened during the Annunciation. Mary told to the Angel Gabriel, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.” Through the yes pronouncement of Mother Mary, she became the patroness of every priest and religious. She constituted herself as a mother of God. Her acceptance of God’s invitation to become Her Mother made her the mother of all vocations to the priesthood and religious life. We shall discern that Mary accept to conceive Jesus Christ. She brought into the world the one from whom every vocation is derived. We tackle now that Mary Mother of Vocations because she is the Mother of the Great High Priest. Our Lord Jesus on His behalf shares his priesthood by calling his people to follow on His footsteps.
I feel I am made, but for one thing to LOVE. Only Love can get something out of me.
-Fr. Jean Emile Anizan
founder, Sons of Charity
I was grade three then when I decided to enter the seminary to become a priest. Priesthood was not clear for me on those days. I was fascinated and attracted when our town priest, wore his vestment, saying mass both in our parish and remotest area, especially when he did his homily. I think my vocation to priesthood started from those attraction and fascination. I was attracted to the works of a priest.
After high school graduation, without hesitation, I took an exam in our diocesan seminary. Fortunately, I passed the examination and was admitted as a freshmen seminarian. I was very happy. Finally, my dreams and hope were realized. God allows to venture the realm of seminary life. Diocesan life was not kind for me. For almost three years in a diocesan seminary. I met a lot of struggles, hardships and challenges. Those experiences taught me two faces of experiences, i.e. the faces of joyful moments and sorrowful moments. Joyful moment was not always present in my experience. However, there were some defeats and difficulties. My experience told me before the two capacities which are the capacity to become and to remain. Perhaps, a capacity to become is easy thing to do. But, a capacity to remain is the hardest thing to do. To become a seminarian and to submit myself into the formation is somehow easy to achieve. But, the capacity to remain in the seminary is a difficult task to do. I never thought before, seminary life can be a garden full of flowers that has many thorns. The thorns serve as my hardship and difficulties. It is really hard for me to live in a community with a different attitudes and perspectives. It was very difficult for me to handle problems and anxieties. Hence, I asked a year of regency. Our founder Fr. Jean-Emile Anizan said: “If the world is saved, it will be through charity! Charity is the marrow of the Gospel.” When Anizan speaks about charity he means love: “The source of our apostolate is the Love of God because we are invited to make Him to be loved (...) and the sincere love, the true charity is goodness!”
This is right for all activities of a Son of Charity: our apostolate need to be inspired by charity. As parish priest of Jesus of Nazareth parish which is composed of many and very poor families, I feel that we need to be close to them, to listen to them, to love them, to enter into their homes and allow us to be invited by them... Doing so, I am amazed to discover so many beautiful things, qualities of heart like goodness, generosity, and perseverance inside trials and through poverty of life. People help one another without saying anything and they find it natural. I am amazed to see how our people and leaders are moved by charity: they receive charity from our patron Jesus of Nazareth, and they want to communicate this love to others. We have so many simple, charitable and generous leaders. They are doing like: |
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