(This article courtesy of the Arlington Catholic Herald.)
“At the beginning of the new millennium … new stage of the Church’s journey begins, our hearts ring out with the words of Jesus when one day, after speaking to the crowds from Simon’s boat, he invited the apostle to ‘put out into the deep’ for a catch: ‘Duc in altum’ (Lk 5:4). Peter and his first companions trusted in Christ’s words and cast the nets” (Novo Millennio Inuente, 1). These words were addressed to us by our Holy Father in his Apostolic Letter on the New Millennium. Set out into the deep! We are being called to be the evangelists of the third Christian millennium. The great evangelist, St. Paul, reminds us: “But how are men to call upon him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher? And how can men preach unless they are sent? … So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ” (Rom 10:14, 15, 17).
Duc in altum! Set out into the deep! These are the words addressed to each one of you today. You are called to be the saints of the new millennium, and to be the evangelists of the third Christian millennium. Is Christ calling you to fulfill that task through the ordained priesthood or consecrated life as proclaimers of His Gospel? He might, indeed, be calling you. After all, you have come today to listen more deeply so as to discern His call in your life.
In our first reading, we have a snapshot of the lives of some of Jesus’ first disciples — Sts. Paul and Timothy. Timothy at this time was a young man who was fervent about knowing, loving and serving the Lord Jesus Christ. In St. Paul’s letters to him, we see that he stood out among the other young men and women in his commitment to Jesus Christ, that he received many of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and that later he was made a bishop. Yet, to be a devoted follower of Jesus Christ was no easier then than it is now. People back then, as now, attempted to pull people away from the path to holiness. If you discern that God is calling you to the priesthood or religious life, no doubt you too will experience resistance from those around you.
All of us, as disciples of Jesus Christ, are called to live radically the truth of His Gospel. This message has never been very popular. Indeed, it sent Jesus and most of His followers to an early death. Jesus reminds us of this fact in the Gospel passage proclaimed a few moments ago: “If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. … I have chosen you out of the world.”
If you discern that the Lord is calling you to serve the Body of Christ through the dedicated life of priesthood or religious life, follow the example of St. Peter and his companions and “trust in Christ’s words and cast the nets,” so to speak. Put your faith in Him who died to redeem you and reconcile you with God. The vocation to the priesthood or religious life is a beautiful way to radically follow Jesus Christ.
The Church is enriched with a rich diversity of cultural experiences that make up the people of God. In our diocese, we have large Hispanic, Vietnamese, Korean, Philippino and African communities. The Chinese community is also growing. Many here present are Hispanic. Up to this point, we have had very few Hispanic vocations to serve in our diocese. Yes, we have had Hispanic vocations, but most have entered religious communities to serve. When God calls people to the consecrated life, I would not stand in the way. Nonetheless, we truly need Hispanic men and women, along with Anglos, to respond to the call of Jesus to serve your brothers and sisters right here as priests and religious. The Church in Arlington is incomplete without a fuller representation of this ethnic diversity in priesthood and religious life. Let me say to you here: our Church is poorer without the particular richness of faith and culture which you who are Hispanic bring.
Each of us is called to be holy. “Be holy, even as your Father in heaven is holy” (cf. Mt. 5:48). To be holy is to become all that God created us to be. Most everyone would agree that Mother Theresa was a holy woman. She used to tell her Missionaries of Charity: “Holiness is not the luxury of a few. It is everyone's duty: yours and mine. Holiness does not consist in doing extraordinary things. It consists in accepting, with a smile, what Jesus sends us. It consists in accepting and following the will of God.”
What is the will of God for your life? That is what you must discern. Today I echo the words of Pope John Paul II: “Set out into the deep! Trust in Jesus and cast your nets!” Like the man of Macedonia described towards the end of today’s first reading, people all around us are inviting you: “Come over and help us.” Yes, God is summoning you to proclaim the good news, the news that saves, to our sisters and brothers here in this Diocese of Arlington.
