Vocations
One Life to Live
During my final years in secondary school, when I was considering what I might do in life, Sr Bernard Lynch, RSM, who has since died, gave me this prayer called One Solitary Life.
He was born in an obscure village
The child of a peasant woman
He grew up in another obscure village
Where he worked in a carpenter shop
Until he was thirty
He never wrote a book
He never held an office
He never went to college
He never visited a big city
He never travelled more than two hundred miles
From the place where he was born
He did none of the things
Usually associated with greatness
He had no credentials but himself
He was only thirty three
His friends ran away
One of them denied him
He was turned over to his enemies
And went through the mockery of a trial
He was nailed to a cross between two thieves
While dying, his executioners gambled for his clothing
The only property he had on earth
When he was dead
He was laid in a borrowed grave
Through the pity of a friend
Nineteen centuries have come and gone
And today Jesus is the central figure of the human race
And the leader of mankind’s progress
All the armies that have ever marched
All the navies that have ever sailed
All the parliaments that have ever sat
All the kings that ever reigned put together
Have not affected the life of mankind on earth
As powerfully as that one solitary life.
(James Allen Francis)
It got me thinking about the life that I had been given and about what I really wanted to do with it. I certainly did not want find it all over without me having achieved something that made myself and, if possible, the world a little better.
In time, this desire led me to becoming a Priest. If you are thinking in a similar way. You might consider Priesthood in the Diocese of Clonfert as a way of life. To explore this further please make contact with Fr Aidan Costello, our Vocations Director or with me and we can chat it over. (Bishop Michael Duignan)
To Make Contact
Fr Aidan Costello, The Presbytery, Loughrea, Co. Galway.
Tel: 091 841 212
Email: office@clonfertdiocese.ie
National Vocations Office
The National Vocations Office is an office of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference and was established in July 2017 to assist the Diocesan Vocation Directors to promote vocations to the Diocesan ministry. The office will oversee and coordinate the delivery of formation and on-going training of Diocesan Vocation Directors and Vocation Teams and the promotion of vocations to Diocesan Priesthood and the Permanent Diaconate. The Office will work in collaboration with Vocations Ireland who promote vocations for men and women for religious and consecrated life.
Prayer for Vocations
Lord of the Harvest,
bless young people in the Diocese of Clonfert with the gift of
courage to respond to your call of service.
Open their hearts to great ideals and wonderful things.
Inspire all of your disciples to mutual love and giving;
for vocations blossom in the rich soil of faithful people.
Inspire priests and religious, all our parishioners and families
with the confidence and grace to invite our young people
to consider the exciting and noble path of life dedicated and consecrated to You.
Unite us to Jesus
through prayer and sacrament,
so that we may cooperate
with you in building your kingdom of
mercy and truth, of justice and peace. Amen.
Adapted from the Message of Pope Francis on the 51st World Day of Prayer for Vocations.