To be read out at all Masses for
40th World Day of Prayer for Vocations
11 May 2003
My dear brothers and sisters in the diocese,
I had a letter the other week from a man who appeared to represent the Vauxhall Motor Company. He seemed very concerned that it might be time for me to bring my car to him for a period check and whatever work needed to be done. Naturally I was touched by his personal interest and will consider his suggestion.
What he was offering was, of course what we call a 'service' for the car. And his concern was not for me personally, nor for the welfare of my car, but it was part of his business. In short, he was trying to make money (quite fairly) by selling a service for my car.
It is probably fair to say that today most people would respond to the word 'service' as something they buy. It is a commodity like bread or electricity - indeed electricity is often spoken of as one of the 'essential services' - and there is a whole area of the commercial world that is described as 'service providers'.
I don't think this represents just a shift in the way we use language - language is changing all the time. I think it also represents a way in which we think differently, a way in which concepts and not just words have changed.
In his letter for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, Pope John Paul II focuses on the notion of a call to service. If we are to follow Christ in any significant way - in other words if we are at all serious about being a Christian - then we are called to serve. He acknowledges that the idea of 'servant' and 'service' clash with contemporary culture, certainly here in the West, but there are people still whose lives and work are essentially service to others. Other people might see the work of teachers, nurses and doctors, for example as just another profession, but these professions are not chosen because they will make you wealthy. They are chosen, I am sure, because teachers, doctors, nurses, police, social workers, charity workers all want to serve the needs of other people.
To be a Christian, then, is to acknowledge that we are called to praise God and express our praise of God in our willingness to be of service to our neighbour. There is no choice in this and no alternatives. If we think that somehow we can worship God and at the same time cut ourselves off from others, then we are simply foolish and deceiving ourselves. Those who appear to have cut themselves off from society and joined enclosed religious orders offer a different sort of service to others: they pray constantly for the people around them whose needs they acknowledge very explicitly in prayer.
The Pope asks us today to make a particular prayer for men and women to respond to that call to serve in a specific way - that they will consider a life in the priesthood, the diaconate or religious life. It is not easy to make that choice today. The Pope admits that some things make the choice especially hard. Many will find it too difficult to commit themselves to a life of celibacy, and indeed the whole notion of a life-long commitment is not easily understood in today's culture, where many things are so temporary and short-lived. Even the buildings we put up have a short life expectancy. Everything has a limited 'shelf-life'. And then the recent scandals, particularly regarding child abuse, have made the priesthood an unattractive choice and a difficult place for the priest to be. Many priests not only feel but are actually threatened just because they are priests. It is proper here, perhaps, to affirm the devoted and loyal service that the great majority of our priests give. They work long hours, trying to respond to the needs of their people. Those needs are becoming greater and more complex and increasing burdens are being loaded onto fewer and fewer priests. Many people only see their priests in church and might imagine that the rest of his life is fairly quiet. If you want an answer to the question, "What does a priest do all day?" ask a mother who 'only' stays at home with young children. The dedication of both is often almost heroic.
What matters, though, is not that we need to maintain a 'quota' of priests, deacons and religious, but that we need to develop a climate in our parishes and schools where young people (and not only the young) might consider a life of service in this particular way. Ask most priests if they think they made the right choice and if they are fulfilled in what they do, and they will say yes. Speaking personally, I have always been happy that I decided to become a priest. It has had its difficulties, especially recently, but I never regret that I didn't choose a different path.
Pray today, and not just today, that people in your parish and school might think about serving their fellow Christians and others as priests, deacons or religious. Let them feel that it is not an odd or strange choice - this will be helped by the way you relate to your priest. He is there as a servant, but treat him like a friend. And let people see that we are willing to serve one another. The idea of service will only be real if our behaviour towards one another is considerate, tolerant, helpful and gentle. Otherwise, service will remain what we do to cars and what we get in shops.
With my good wishes to you all and my prayers for the Lord's blessings on you.
Rt. Rev. Kieran Conry
Bishop of Arundel and Brighton
Links
Vocations PageNational Vocations Office
