INGREDIENTS OF SA-FA VOCATIONAL ANIMATION 1

 

INGREDIENTES DE LA ANIMACIÓN VOCACIONAL SA-FA

INGREDIENTES DE ANIMAÇÃO VOCACIONAL SA-FA

INGREDIENTS OF SA-FA VOCATIONAL ANIMATION

LES INGRÉDIENTS DE LA ANIMATION VOCATIONNELLE SA-FA

 

Introduction

We are all called to develop our possibilities and develop ourselves. We are an open project. “To respond to our vocation, we need to foster and develop all that we are. This has nothing to do with inventing ourselves or creating ourselves out of nothing. It has to do with finding our true selves in the light of God and letting our lives flourish and bear fruit. In God’s plan, every man and woman is meant to seek self-fulfilment, for every human life is called to some task by God”[1].

 

“If we are indeed convinced that the Holy Spirit continues to inspire vocations to the priesthood and the religious life, we can “once more cast out the nets” in the Lord’s name, with complete confidence. We can dare, as we should, to tell each young person to ask whether this is the path that they are meant to follow”[2].

The work of vocation promotion is inserted in the continuity of the mission of Jesus. From this point of view, all evangelization must be soaked with the sense of vocation. The work of the evangelizer in all his mission feels like a companion, a mediator between God who loves, guides and saves the recipient of the mission. The vocation promoter is therefore "a mediation".

The vocation animator must count on the action of grace, it is God who gives the vocation, and therefore he must walk along with the young person, letting him be the protagonist of his own journey, respecting the freedom he has in this process of discernment and offering him the tools to do it well [3].

Throughout history the Holy Spirit has given rise to many forms of consecrated life which express in different ways the inexhaustible richness of the life of Christ and the variety of gifts of the Spirit. Among the forms of consecrated life are the vocation of the religious Brothers. "The Brother's vocation is not only to be a recipient of God's love, but also a witness and mediator of that same gift” [4].

Our Institute, from the particularity of the gift received from the Spirit, promotes vocational animation as an ecclesial service. In this way it does everything possible so that there will be no lack of those who continue to enrich the Church with the charism of Brother Gabriel. "Dear Brothers, you must all be concerned about increasing our community with good candidates and we invite you to do so with all the ardour of our souls because the harvest is very abundant every day"[5].

We offer a series of ingredients which form a unity, so that they can help to form the identity of the vocational animator and offer him some principles and means for the development of his mission: trust in God, responsibility in being fruitful, learning the art, teamwork and networking, constancy and dedication, relationships and personal contact, creative restlessness, fighting for the vocation of the candidates, charismatic richness and strength, authenticity.

How do I live my vocation? From what perspective do I get involved in vocation promotion?

---

[1] “Christus vivit” N° 257.

[2] “Christus vivit” N° 274.

[3] Cfr. “Christus vivit” N° 246.

[4] “Identidad y misión del Religioso Hermano en la Iglesia” N° 13.

[5] Hermano Gabriel Taborin: “Circular 17”.