All of us have a vocational story to discern and to share.

The fourth Sunday of the Easter season is always Good Shepherd Sunday.  Jesus identifies Himself as the Good Shepherd.  The good shepherd is one who comes to his sheep and is recognized by them. The sheep recognize his voice as he calls them by name.

What are the voices in your life  which you know that you are safe and very much loved?  How well do you recognize the voice of Jesus in your life?

What would it take for the voice of the Good Shepherd to be the dominant voice that we hear in our society?  Perhaps a better advertising firm?  An improved website?  More money?  Surely, it is much deeper than that.  There is a critical need for moral leadership in our society and in our Church.  We need to be able to hear the stirrings of God's love that is within -- our inner voice.

For the voice of the Good Shepherd to be our dominant voice, we need to tap into the inner resources of the mystery of God love that is within each one of us,  There is a longing in the hearts of each of us to hear and to know the voice of he Good Shepherd.

I think we all agree that Pope Francis is such a beautiful example for us of the Good Shepherd.  Pope Francis is calling us to serve a purpose greater than ourselves, to get over our self-concern and devote ourselves to the concerns of others,  That means we can't sit behind the desks of our sanitized environments.  Pope Francis reminds that the Good Shepherd should smell like the sheep.  We are to immerse ourselves in the mud of human failures, human sins, and human problems.  The Pope says emphatically that Church leaders are to go out to the margins of human life, where people are actually living, and understand what they are going through before we can offer solutions that will matter.

Today is a World Day of Prayer for vocations.  Our vocation is our response to the call of God in our lives,  By Baptism, God calls us to be disciples, to be witnesses of His presence in the world.  All of us have a vocational story to tell.  Your vocational story is your continuous response to God's call.  To be aware of your vocation is to be aware of the voice of God in your life.

For me, the vocation of my ministry as a priest has been a source of grace, considerable joy, and a wonderful opportunity to make a difference in people's lives. It has given me the opportunity to get to know you and for us together to celebrate the mystery of God love in our midst.

May all of us listen to God's call on this day.  For all of us have a vocational story to discern.

What are the voices we hear that help us to discern God's call?  May we pray  today for the grace to recognize the call of Jesus the Good Shepherd of our lives.