APRIL 21, 2026 FATHER BRANDEN GORDON
Many years ago, I had a conversation with one of my fellow Salesian
priests, and in this conversation, I referred to the modern day vocations
crisis.
But that priest corrected me, and he told me something that has stuck to
me to this day. He said that we’re not living through a vocations crisis,
but rather a crisis of response.
He explained that God still continues to call people. In other words,
many still are being called to priesthood and religious life, but
unfortunately, many aren’t accepting the call, many are not responding
to it. I think that one of the reasons for this crisis of response is that
some people feel “unworthy,” quote‑unquote, of the call to consecrated
life and priesthood.
Well, St. Paul addresses this issue in his first letter to the Corinthians
vis‑a‑vis the call to Christian life in general, the life of discipleship.
He says, “Consider your own call, brothers and sisters. Not many of you
were wise by human standards. Not many were powerful. Not many
were of noble birth.”
In this verse, Paul is reminding the Corinthians of a fundamental truth of
Christianity, that our call to discipleship isn’t based on our own merit,
but rather on the love of the one who calls.
And I think that the Bible is chock full of examples which illustrate
exactly this point. You may be familiar with that list of, quote‑unquote,
“unworthy people,” who nonetheless were called by God and entrusted
with special missions.
Noah got drunk. Abraham was too old.
Isaac was a daydreamer.
Jacob was a liar.
Moses was a murderer, and he also happened to have a speech
impediment.
Rahab was a prostitute.
David was both a murderer and an adulterer.
Peter denied Christ.
Mary Magdalene was possessed by demons.
Paul was a persecutor of Christians.
Timothy had chronic stomach issues.
And Lazarus, well, he was dead.
Despite all their imperfections, despite their unworthiness, each one of
these men or women were called by God, and with the help of God’s
grace, accomplished great things.
This goes to show the truth of that commonly used phrase, that God
doesn’t call the qualified, but rather qualifies those whom he calls.
Maybe you’ve thought to yourself at one point or another that you’re not
worthy of living the consecrated life, or of serving God and his people at
the altar as a priest. Well, in a certain sense, you would be right.
You aren’t worthy, nor am I worthy, nor is anyone worthy of these
vocations except for the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
And the argument can also be made that none of us are worthy of getting
married and having children either, for the vocation to married life is a
call to share in the love of Christ for his Church, as well as in the
creative power of God by the bringing forth of new life into the world,
and none of us mere mortals can say that we are truly worthy of such
privileges as these.
But just remember this: your vocation isn’t based on your own merit, but
rather on the love of the one who calls.
And as St. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians, “God chooses – God chooses
what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, what is weak in the world
to shame the strong, and what is low and despised in the world to reduce
to nothing that which is high and mighty.”
In religious life, men and women follow Christ more closely in
community, through vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
Today, we give thanks for this gift to the Church, and pray that many
may be drawn to live the evangelical counsels in joyful witness.
