Why a Vocations Chalice?

Why A Vocations Chalice?

By Fr. Mark Noonan - a Priest at St. Amelia Parish in Tonawanda, NY

Many may wonder why we have a vocations Chalice.

It is first important to understand that the Church, which is the Mystical Body of Christ, is, by nature, totally and completely united. We share one Lord, one Faith, and one Baptism, as St. Paul tells us. We recognize that every member of the Church is called to build up the whole body of the Church by faithfully living our vocation (to marriage, priesthood, religious life, etc.), and through fervent reception of the Sacraments, daily prayer, and growth in holiness – all done in faith, hope, and charity.

As Catholics, we realize that Christ himself was a priest, who offered the sacrifice of himself for the sake of his body, the Church. He gave to his Church the continual gift of his priestly life by calling certain men to share in his priesthood. Thus, from the very beginning of the Church, certain men have been called to lay down their lives for the sake of the Body of Christ, the Church, by providing for the faithful the Sacraments and guiding the faithful in their relationship with God, i.e. their spiritual life.

In every age the Lord has called men to serve his people in this way. However, at certain times in the Church’s history there have not been enough priests. Now we live in one of those times, when the harvest his great, but the laborers are few. The consequences of this have already begun to be felt in our diocese, but the full reality of what lies ahead if we continue to have such few men entering the priesthood is more drastic than most imagine.

The truth is that every priest comes from a family. His life is the fruit of the relationship of a man and a woman, a husband and wife, and he is first formed by their care and goodness. From the goodness of families springs men and women who are willing to give their entire lives to Christ as priests or as religious brothers and sisters.

Amazingly, a key part of the mission of every priest is to care for families. He prepares the young couple for marriage, baptizes their children, co-operates with the parents in instructing the children in the faith, nurtures the faith of the family by giving them Holy Communion, hearing their confessions, teaching them in his homilies, praying for and with them, counseling them when difficulties arise, anointing them when they are ill, and simply being present in their life. The priest thus belongs to each family in his parish. He, following the example of Christ, gives his life to the Father for their sake. His role is to build of family life, one family at a time. And families are called to support and sustain him as well – and if God’s will be so, to provide from their own home a priest. The priest is bound to the family, and the family is bound to the priest!

This is the primary way in which the faith has spread over the centuries. So what will we do now, when there is a slow erosion of faith in our society, an indifference to marriage and family life, and a great shortage of priests looming?

We will pray!

The Travelling Vocation Chalice brings the family and the priesthood face to face with one another again, so that they may recognize their mutual dependence. The Chalice gives the host family a chance to pray together again, engendering the in the family the practice of daily family prayer, which the children so greatly need. The Chalice gives parents an opportunity to teach their children about the reality that God has a plan for their lives – a calling – and they want to be attentive to it because, above all other possibilities, God’s will is the road to authentic happiness. And lastly, the Chalice in the home brings us to our knees, to ask God to give us holy priests who will give us the Sacraments, guide us in the true faith, and help us along to the joys of Heaven.

May the Lord, give us Holy Families and Holy Priests!