Dear Parishioners,
Fourth Sunday of Easter is the world day of prayer for vocations, also known as "Good Shepherd Sunday". The purpose of this day is to publicly fulfill the Lord's instruction to, "Pray the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest" (Mt 9:38; Lk 10:2). Please pray that young men and women may hear and respond generously to the Lord's call to the priesthood, diaconate, religious life, societies of apostolic life and secular institutes.
On this day I thought of sharing with you my vocational story. I was born in a catholic family in the southern state of India called Kerala. As the second child to my parents, I have an elder sister and a younger brother. Kerala is blessed to have a better catholic population and is well practised. So going to the church from the very childhood was a regular practice. Regular Sunday catechism with fixed curriculum was a must for all catholic students. Thus church was part and parcel of my growth. Faith formation at home also was inevitable. Daily evening prayers with rosary were a must in all Christian families. This helps to keep you closer to the divine.
I started my education in catholic primary and upper primary schools, as the curriculum is slightly different than that we have here. It was during these years of study, the desire for priesthood started to bloom within me. It must be, when I was in year five or six, that is, at the age of ten or eleven. I was so attracted to the manager of our school, who was also the parish priest. He used to be so nice with the children, encouraging them to go to church during the lunch breaks. At these breaks, you will find him around to help children grab mangoes from the church campus, which otherwise is forbidden to children. He often visits children with chocolates in the big pockets of his white cassock (it is white cassock we use there, as it is a warm place).
He also used to encourage children to have regular mass attendance, especially in advent and lent, which were rewarded by nominal gifts after Christmas and Easter. Thus church was always an inevitable part of my growing up. Then the time came for us to move our home. So we moved into a different parish but continued the same school until year seven.
Now, in the new parish I started to serve at the altar and slowly started to read a catholic weekly. It was in this weekly I started to notice that the Salesians of Don Bosco were accepting boys at the age of 12, so I decided at that age to go for their vocation camp. But for many reasons did not pursue with that.
At the end of my high school studies, I received a post-card from my cousin, who was a seminarian then, inviting me to join the vocation camp in their seminary. And there begins my journey to priesthood. Thus I started my vocational journey in the congregation of the Rogationists of the Heart of Jesus in 1997 at the age of 15.
The formation to religious life and priesthood is a lengthy one. It was a total of thirteen years of formation. This includes, pre-college, under graduation in Philosophy, novitiate, practical experience of two years and four years of Theology. Most of my formation was done at St. Joseph's Pontifical institute of philosophy and theology in Kerala - India. Novitiate and one year of practical experience was done in the Philippines.
Thus I made my first profession of vows in 2004 and final profession of vows in 2009 and was ordained to the holy orders in the year 2010, 11th of February, on the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes. First two years of priesthood was a parish experience and various works of the congregation. After which I continued with my post graduation in Human Resource Management. This was followed by again a parish and school experience in the diocese.
At the end of this experience, received the request to join the missions in United Kingdom, and left for Italy in view of obtaining the Visa and further preparations. And finally on April 23rd, 2016 came to Colchester to start the new Phase in my vocation, which is still being continued here.
So on this day let us pray to the Lord for many and holy vocations in the Lord's vineyard. Our prayers and our exemplar lives may attract many young people to respond positively to the call of God. Every vocation is not just the effort of that person only; it is a community effort with prayers and model Christian life. So let us nurture the vocations we already have and be the reason to have much more in our communities. May god bless us all.
"Send 0 Lord, Holy Apostles into your Church"
Fr. Sabu Pariyadan RCJ
The Holy Father's Prayer intentions for 2017 in May.
Christians in Africa
That Christians in Africa, in imitation of the Merciful Jesus, may give prophetic witness to reconciliation, justice, and peace.
The sick and housebound
Those who have recently died: Mgr George Stokes
Years Mind:
Tuesday: Fr Brian Grady
Thursday: Fr Augustine Davidson, Mgr John Howell, Fr John Boyle, Fr Stanley Joynes
First Reading Acts 6: 1-7
The elected seven men full of the Holy Spirit
Second Reading 1 Peter 2:4-9
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood
Gospel John 14: 1-12
I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.