Ingredients of SaFa vocation animation 7

Vocation Animation: WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?

We had said that vocation is a gift, a personal call for the mission in life and that the work of a vocational animator is to help others to discover that call. At the same time, not all the people feel that they have the capacity to awaken in others a vocation.  So what should we take into account to be vocational animators?

VOCATIONAL ANIMATION:

It is a complex and continuous process that is carried out in different ways and at different times, but always supported by God and his Word.

Vocational animation means entering and participating in the mission or project of Jesus, where candidates are helped and guided to be able to listen and respond to God's call.

It is a mission where few things are controlled, since it is a task in which God is the primary actor and man with his freedom is the determining agent in supporting with his choices and actions the mission of accompanying the processes and the journey of the candidates.

On the other hand, it is a matter of faith, therefore it is necessary to enter into an attitude of trust and abandonment in the hands of God, so that He may give the necessary actions.

Vocational promotion is an art that improves as it is shared with others, it is like an epidemic that is contagious and to transmit it is essential to give testimony of life.

Success is not always associated with fruitfulness, sometimes the processes take other times, and sometimes it is a very hard and "ungrateful" mission because it is not understood or valued by others. 

The promotion of vocations offers a daily, successive and progressive learning, as in drops; it is like learning a trade, it is a process of evolution where nothing can be done all at once. Therefore, it is necessary to understand that vocation promotion, like vocation promoters, is not born or grow with perfection achieved, but that it is learned and grows along the way.

THE VOCATIONAL ANIMATOR:

First of all, he must recognize the call to be an animator, understand that he is only a mediator between the young person and God. He must perceive the vocation to animate as a gift from God and he must be the main reason for responding to that call, not for personal interests, the interests of the Congregation, or of the pastoral ministry or of the mission. 

He must be attentive, so silence and prayer are necessary in order to be aware of God's will and to know how to leave everything in his hands.

A vocational animator is not born, he is made. At the beginning, he does not know how to begin, but by looking at others, he learns this art little by little.

Sometimes everyone is directly involved and sometimes he is the one in charge, talking about it in community meetings and sharing experiences to coordinate and organize efforts with simple and practical plans, with teamwork and collaboration. In this way, even if the activity is demanding and challenging, the person in charge of vocational activities feels supported and the result is more fruitful.

The process is like an “osmosis” of conscience, which is achieved with accompaniment, with the simple fact of being, listening, with constancy and dedication, without haste, with creativity, empathy, effort.

An animator must feel a "motivation to infect", have patience, be very careful when entering into the heart of the candidate and be open to listen without judging, accepting him as he is. The vocational animator must try to connect with the person being accompanied so that he may have faith in God, he must be responsible and look for different instances of formation and planning.

In short, his accompaniment requires a lot of persistence, faith, commitment and organization.

SOME TIPS FOR VOCATIONAL ANIMATION:

 The most important ingredients for vocational animation are:

# To trust in God, who is the Master of the mission and of the harvest.

# To be responsible so that the work may be fruitful.

# To have richness and charismatic strength by being connected to the Spirit of God.

# To work as a team with other Brothers.

# To be attentive to the candidate's feelings and sensitivities.

# To go out of the comfort zone and seek the paths that are necessary.

# To recognize the need for self-confidence in order to be more credible and reliable.

# To bear witness of life by being consistent between what it is said and what it is practiced.

# To be creative and know how to adapt to the requirements of each candidate.

# To take into account cultural and family contexts.

# To respect the processes and times of each one.

# To pray with great faith.

As Christians we have the mission of Jesus who sends us to evangelize, in the places and with the people we meet along the way. Likewise, the Shared Mission, together with the Brothers of the Holy Family, impels and inspires us to try to be faithful to the foundational legacy of Brother Gabriel.

Christ loves us with all that we are; there is always ways for improvement with Jesus of Nazareth as our image, the Holy Family as our model and Brother Gabriel as our example.

We should give testimony of our own process, of when I felt the call and how I decided to follow Christ; of the falls and the ups and downs, of how we continue walking and learning in community.

Finally, we must keep in mind that vocational animation is of great importance for the continuity of the Institute and gives us the opportunity to become salt and light for the life of others and to bring more workers to the harvest of the Congregation.