Scottish Catholic Observer

Life is precious. Sometimes it takes a natural disaster—such as the tragic earthquake in Nepal on Saturday that claimed so many lives—or the power of the SPUC Scotland pro-life chain in Edinburgh last weekend or the general election message from Scotland’s bishops to remind us just how precious life truly is and how we must support our fellow man.

The work of SPUC Scotland and other pro-life groups such as the Cardinal Winning Initiative needs our support, and the politicians who court our votes need to be reminded where we stand on issues such as abortion, assisted suicide and the future of the NHS.

More than just something to be treasured, however, life is a Gift from God to be used—and used well. How we spend our lives matters. Finding our vocation, what we were born to do, is key. A wise nun once told the SCO: “It is not if we love, it is how we love that determines our vocation in life.” Some are called to marriage, others to the single life and others to the priesthood or the religious life. No matter what our calling, however, lay Catholics and the ordained alike all have something to give back to the Faith, as Anton Colella, Institute of Chartered Accountants Scotland’s chief executive and a former RE teacher, illustrated so well on page 8 as he took up the post as chairman of the Scottish Catholic Education Commission.

Many will remember the World Day of Prayer for Vocations this year because of Pope Francis’s light-hearted words on Good Shepherd Sunday to the 19 priests he ordained about not giving ‘boring’ homilies. Others will recall the Holy Father’s deeper message when he urged the new priests: “Aware of being chosen from among men and being favoured among them to attend to the things of God, exercise in joy and sincere charity the priestly work of Christ, intent only on pleasing God and not yourselves.”

Here in Scotland, Archbishop Leo Cushley is paving the way in support and prayer for vocations to the priesthood through the new Come and See initiative. The Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh has outlined ‘the essential nature of the priesthood and of the centrality of the Sunday Eucharist’ as part of the initiative calling men to consider the priesthood. And his words ring true, especially in light of the possibility of parish merges and closures in the future. Few would disagree that even the most reverential Eucharistic service is no long-term replacement for Mass. To celebrate Mass, among a myriad of other spiritual duties, we need priests. Please keep this intention in your thoughts and prayers and encourage your friends and family to find their true vocations.