JOYFUL WITNESSES | KAIROS GLOBAL | DECEMBER 2020

Author: Fr. Tomy Philip SAC

Intro: Fr. Tomy Philip describes the instrumental role of the Christian community in nurturing vocations, using the Jesus Youth movement as a case, in the light of the recent group vocations from Technopark, Trivandrum.

The Bible speaks about the different vocations initiated by God and responded to by many individuals. The lives of the people of God have been greatly influenced and conditioned by recognised vocations, both during the Old Testament period and the New Testament that extends to today. It is a call and a response. No vocation is derived of itself or designed for itself, because all the vocations germinate in the heart of God, grows and then flowers in the conducive environment of the lives of God’s people. 

The whole Christian community is involved in helping an individual discern his/her vocation because of its influence and prayerful living, at various levels. Though the response is made at a personal level, the communitarian aspect of Christian vocation cannot be ignored. Only from a good Christian community can we expect good vocations. This is clearly explained by Pope Francis: ‘I urge all the faithful to assume their responsibility for the care and discernment of vocations. When the apostles sought someone to take the place of Judas Iscariot, Saint Peter brought together one-hundred-and-twenty of the brethren (Cf. Acts 1:15); and in order to choose seven deacons, a group of disciples was gathered (cf. Acts 6:2). Saint Paul gave Titus specific criteria for the selection of presbyters (Titus 1: 5-9). Till today, the Christian community is always present in the discernment of vocations, in their formation and in their perseverance.’ (29 November 2015)

A spark is insignificant unless it gives rise to a flame. It is a joy to see many young people nowadays discerning their vocation; some to the priesthood, others to the consecrated life, some to the possibility of remaining single and the vast majority being called to marriage. The Jesus Youth movement is playing a great role in nurturing vocations. Many joined the consecrated life from the platform of Jesus Youth over the past two decades and the number of young missionaries who discern their vocation and have joined seminaries or convents has also considerably increased. Many made radical decisions to leave highly reputed professions to be numbered among God’s chosen people and proclaim the gospel to the ends of the world.

Vocation is a radical call to follow Jesus, discerned in a person at a certain important moment in life. It is a gracious gift born out of love and is connected with one’s origin and destiny. The call is personal and unique. While some recognise this call in a clear way, for others it remains in a dormant state. However, it involves the totality of the person. In the context of Jesus Youth, one can say without doubt that all those who joined the religious life have been inspired and formed by the guidance and witness of many leaders and collaborators, who have been instrumental in helping the candidates discern their vocation. All these candidates found themselves in the company of other Jesus Youth, who wholeheartedly offered their time and energy in journeying with them, praying for them and helping them discern all aspects of their vocation including the congregation or diocese to belong to. The Christian community’s role in vocation promotion is very much present in the Jesus Youth movement. Thus, the missionary movement at the service of the Church becomes like a lighthouse in making missionaries among missionaries. 

‘Consecrated life is not about survival, it is not about preparing ourselves for ars bene moriendi (art of dying well): this is the temptation of our days, in the face of declining vocations. No, it is not about survival, but new life… It is a living encounter with the Lord in his people. It is a call to the faithful obedience of daily life and to the unexpected surprises from the Spirit. It is a vision of what we need to embrace in order to experience joy: Jesus’ (Pope Francis, World Day of Consecrated Life, on February 2, 2019). The sole motivation of these young engineers, doctors, nurses, techies and college students who embrace the religious life is none other than Jesus, who is the source of unending joy and fulfilment. 

Pope St. John Paul II considered priesthood as the channel of grace made available to the people of God. He said, ‘Do not forget that today too there is need of holy priests, of persons wholly consecrated to the service of God’ (Novo Millennio Ineunte, 46). This invitation has been wholeheartedly accepted by many Jesus Youth in recent years. When media highlights the absence of expected holiness in every sphere of Church’s life, it is delightful to see how these young men stand in line to respond to God’s call to holiness in general and to act in persona Christi. Many congregations and dioceses have been made colourful with the presence of these young Jesus Youth seminarians and priests, who consider their educational excellence, career background and social status as nothing, compared to the knowledge and love of Jesus. 

 ‘I am counting on you to wake up the world, since the distinctive sign of consecrated life is prophecy’ (Pope Francis, Witnesses of Joy). Jesus Youth can rejoice because it is not only becoming the evangelical trumpet, calling everyone to participate in the apostolate and mission of Jesus Christ, but also waking many young women to become religious sisters. These young missionary women willingly give up their high yielding professions and attractions of the world, ‘to be prophets who witness to how Jesus lives on this earth’ (Pope Francis). When the whole world mocks religious life, these young women stand up with the uncompromising conviction that only Jesus Christ can satisfy their existence with his love. They proclaim to the world that there is an alternative way of life to be joyful always – to be a consecrated person! 

The principal concern of these candidates should be the willingness to walk along with Jesus in all circumstances. Only through this personal walk with Jesus, can they know him more clearly, love him more dearly and follow him more nearly. But this walking along with Jesus is a long process with many possibilities of stumbling. Just as a vine passes through every stage of growth to reach fruitfulness, in all persons there is a need to develop in every stage of the formative journey. For its proper growth, the vine needs to be nourished with water and manure and for better production it needs to be pruned. Similarly, these young candidates to priesthood and religious life need to be nourished with all the spiritual and material elements, without excluding the regenerating process of proper ‘pruning’, which may be very hard and painful.  But the promise of God remains always very relevant – ‘Do not be afraid, for I am with you until the end of the world!’

If Jesus Youth has generated many young priestly/religious candidates, then it is our responsibility to offer constant spiritual and moral support for all of them. We need to continually raise prayers for these candidates, who are the face of the movement in different walks of religious life. With our encouragement and prayerful support, they will be strengthened in their adherence to the new life style, with unshaken commitment to the person of Jesus, the Eternal High Priest, and find their vocational fulfilment. 

‘Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses’ (Pope Benedict XVI). Let us wish and pray that all Jesus Youth priestly/religious candidates may joyfully witness the Son of God who loved us and gave himself up for us.

Fr. Tomy Philip SAC belongs to the Pallottine congregation and is the rector of Pallottigiri Minor Seminary in Trivandrum, South India. He is also the chaplain for the National Family team and Trivandrum Central Campus team.