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Today is being observed across the Diocese as Vocation Sunday. We are encouraged to talk or preach about vocation, to priestly, diaconate and religious life.

In our first reading, Jeremiah the servant of the Lord, offers to the people of Israel, a message of comfort, consolation and restoration. In his words: “For thus says the LORD; shout for joy for Jacob, exult at the head of the nations; proclaim your praise and say: The Lord has delivered his people…Behold, I will bring them back…I will gather them from the ends of the world, with the blind and the lame in their midst.”

The themes of Jesus’ Passion and his title as a servant run through our readings of this Sunday. In our first reading the Prophet Isaiah tells us that God was pleased to crush him (Jesus) in infirmity/with suffering. If he gives his life as an offering for sin, he will bring long life/salvation and the will of the Lord will be accomplished in him. Through his suffering, obedience, my servant will bring divine light and justification to many.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes prayer as, “…the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or requesting of good things from God (St. John Damascene), …humility is the foundation of prayer” CCC 2559. The Church teaches us also that it’s the heart that prays. If our heart is far from God, the words of prayer are in vain, CCC 2562. The author of the book of Wisdom requested for what is good, Wisdom. He prayed and prudence was given to him. He pleaded, and the spirit of wisdom came to him.

Today, the church invites us to reflect on the sacred institution of Marriage. The book of Genesis 2:18-24 gives us an account of the establishment of marriage. “The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a suitable partner for him.” It is very clear here that God founded, created and established marriage and not man. The LORD God then built up into a woman the rib that he had taken from man. When he brought her to the man, the man said: “This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this shall be called ‘woman,’…That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one flesh.”