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March 2007 Issue
What are the "rocks"
Over
and over again since I was asked by Bishop Hurley to
assume the responsibility for recruiting and overseeing
the formation of candidates for the priesthood, Catholics
I encounter ask if God is still calling men and women
to priesthood and religious life.
My answer is always a quick and emphatic
“Yes!” But I am also quick to add, “God
is calling; however, often young people can’t
hear God’s call because the background noise of
their lives is too loud.”
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My answer points out a reality in all of our
lives. In order for us to hear God’s call to the priesthood,
religious life or to live discipleship in a more profound
way, we need to create the “condition for the possibility”
of hearing God’s call. In order to hear God’s
voice, we need to insert opportunities for prayer and reflection
into our daily lives. I’m sure your life is no different
than mine… busy-ness, noise, e-mail, voice-mail, instant
messaging, a schedule filled to capacity and a never-shrinking
“to-do” list.
All of these aspects of daily life can drown
out God’s voice, unless we take time to focus on the
voice of God, which the prophet Jeremiah said is more like
a whisper than a roar. Our 21st century lives may seem filled
to the brim and way too busy for any significant time spent
with God.
However, it may just be the way we are prioritizing
our lives. This story will illustrate my point. One day, an
expert in time management was speaking to a group introductory
comments, he pulled out a 1-gallon, wide-mouthed mason jar.
After carefully placing a dozen fist-sized rocks into the
jar, he asked the class if it was full. The class replied
that it was full. Shaking his head no, the time management
expert then dumped some gravel in and shook the jar, causing
the pieces of gravel to work between the big rocks. Again,
he asked the class if it was full, and they replied yes. Still
shaking his head no, he then took sand and followed the same
procedure as the gravel. Now the class loudly exclaimed that
the jar was full. However, it was only after the expert filled
the jar with water that it was finally full. The truth this
demonstration illustrated is: If you don’t put in the
big rocks first, then you’ll never get them in at all.
What are the big rocks in your life …
is prayer one of them? Remember to put the BIG ROCKS in first,
or you’ll never get them in at all.
Yes, God is still calling… are we listening?
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