It is by the grace of God.

It is by the grace of God that sinful people; Isaiah, St. Paul, you, and I, are made able to carry out the works that God has planned for us. The Prophet Isaiah was assured that he could respond to God’s call and be sent to proclaim the glory of God to the people. St. Paul, though having persecuted the Church, was also chosen by God to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ to the people. You and I, through our Baptism, now have the ability to say yes to God’s requests of us and fulfill our calling to share Jesus Christ with those around us, through our words and actions. Everything that we need to do so has been given to us through the Sacred Scriptures and the Church and Her Sacraments. The fishermen: Simon Peter, James, and John, witnessed the power of Jesus by bringing in a catch of fish that nearly swamped their two boats. They too were sinners, but they responded to Jesus’ calling them to be fishers of men and left everything and followed Jesus. May we have the courage to help others to recognize a calling to the priesthood or the religious life that we see in them and not be afraid to ask them if they have thought about such a calling.

Blessings,
Fr. Fred