A Call to Vocation?
Today at Mass, two odd things happened.
First, I should mention for those not Catholic that today’s second reading at Mass was from the Epistle of Saint James, specifically 2:14-18.
What good is it, my brothers and sisters,
if someone says he has faith but does not have works?
Can that faith save him?
If a brother or sister has nothing to wear
and has no food for the day,
and one of you says to them,
“Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well, ”
but you do not give them the necessities of the body,
what good is it?
So also faith of itself,
if it does not have works, is dead.Indeed someone might say,
“You have faith and I have works.”
Demonstrate your faith to me without works,
and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works.
So that was sort of rumbling around my head.
After receiving Holy Communion, Francine and I returned to our pew to kneel in thanksgiving. At this time, I always pray for the conversion of my children, and then the idea suddenly popped into my head – “God, I’m a little thick. If you are calling me, could you be a little clearer?”
At that moment, Francine’s rosary exploded in her hands. Beads bounced everywhere. The sound was quite startling, and there were some gasps around us.
I helped her pick up what beads we could find on the pew in front of us, all the while thinking, “clearly a sign. Clearly too thick to interpret it.”
This was unnerving enough, but then after Mass the Holy Names Society put on one of their famous breakfasts in the basement. This coincides with their monthly meeting, which they very cleverly begin before everyone has finished eating.
I took the opportunity during a particularly boring bit of the meeting to sneak back upstairs to the church. I prayed before Our Lady and asked if she might not provide a little clarification, as I was clearly a bear of very little brain.
As I knelt in front of her altar, I heard Father Sacco’s voice rumbling up from the basement, saying “…Thom and Francine…”
I had the sudden urge to run back downstairs to find out what we’d just been volunteered for.
I finished my prayers and in perfect serenity returned to the basement. Francine and I are going to be working with the parish outreach and communications to lapsed Catholics.
The entire archdiocese will be launching a program related to CatholicsComeHome.org. I’m not sure what our jobs will actually entail, but I’m very excited at the prospect.
Where does this leave my call? I hate to read tea leaves, but it seems that God is making sure that both of us are on board for this before we go too much further.
And I think I might talk to Father Sacco about this.