Help families promote vocations

One of the most important institutions for promotion of vocations is also one of the most basic--the family.

As young people mature, their families are the first point of contact with the faith, as well as the lived example of vocations. So vocation promotion really hinges on Catholic family life.

Consider this crucial observation from the 2012 letter Pastoral Guidelines for Fostering Vocations to Priestly Ministry, "The family remains the primary community for the transmission of the Christian faith. It can be seen everywhere that many priestly vocations are born in families where the example of a Christian life in keeping with its calling and the practice of the evangelical virtues give rise to the desire for complete self-giving. Care for vocations presupposes, in reality, a strong family pastoral ministry."

This can, of course, be applied to each vocation.

But while it may be obvious that families are a key point in promoting vocations, it is not always clear how we can help them. Here are some pointers you may find helpful in encouraging vocations in younger people and families:

Discipleship is key. If we are not helping families to encourage discipleship in young people, it will be almost impossible to expect them to be able to discern a vocation. The rest of these points, therefore, are really about discipleship.

Young people today, as always, want to be challenged. This is particularly poignant in a society that values ease and luxury. Because they know the difficulties inherent in life, young people look to the Church to give them direction with her tradition of solid moral doctrine and practical wisdom. Do not be afraid to challenge young people.

Young parents can feel left out of parish life for various reasons. It is difficult to raise a family today. While in the past, families could often rely on extended family members and community for help; modern circumstances frequently separate families by distance, leaving young couples feeling more isolated and even frustrated. Whatever you can do to be warmly encouraging to young parents, without making them feel awkward, will help them feel more welcomed, and they and their children will be more likely to participate in the Catholic culture and grow holy vocations.

Young people and families do not need "programs." They need a living, breathing culture, a faith that is well taught, lived, and loved by the church. Programs can help with this, but they are no substitution for living an active faith. Young people, especially families with children, want to belong to something important--they want to belong to God. The church can provide this by just being what she really is.

Young people are not interested as much in politics as previous generations, particularly in Church politics. While these things may seem important to some, in general, younger people would prefer to avoid that and just learn and live the faith. If politics get in the way, it can be a real turnoff to them, and a hindrance to real vocational discernment.

One of the most important things you can do to help young people and families live the faith is find out what they really need. The best way to do this is personal contact and friendship. Committees and surveys may have their place, but these often do not represent what is really helpful. Find out from the source.

Reviving the faith of our young people and families is key to encouraging holy vocations in the church. Let us work to strengthen Catholic family life so that all young members of the church will be inspired to live their vocations in a holy way.