20/04/2026
Donal Neary, S.J
Gospel Reflections for the Year of Matthew
www.messenger.ie
Vocation Sunday..... 26 May
Follow in Love
The first big moment of vocation is baptism. The anointing of chrism at baptism might be called the anointing for vocation.
The baptismal vocation is for witness, love and service. This is expressed in ways in which people live out their baptism in married life, single life - and within the single life, maybe religious life or priesthood.
Our active witness is to the life and the values of Jesus in our lives. Teaching is not itself a vocation, for example, but the way we teach is a way of living out our vocation. It is the same with many of the helping professions and employments. Being a good neighbour can be a living out of our vocation.
We witness to love in marriage, in family, extended family, and in friendship. Any love is a sharing in the love of God. In the moments of unselfish love in any relationship we are living out our vocation. When we love, we are doing God's will!
We witness to service in the wider world in our care for the poor and in welcoming the stranger: the widow, the orphan, the immigrant- in fact anybody needy .
In a place of silence, let the words 'Come, follow me'
echo in your mind and heart.
Lord, be with me as I offer myself in partnership with you
to work in your world
and in whatever capacity you think best for me .
At Sacred Heart Messenger we publish a wide range of spirituality titles, concentrating on Jesuit books and Ignatian spirituality.
