Dear parents, we need your help!
December 27, 2016
Last month marked the 20th anniversary of one of my all-time favorite movies: Space Jam. One of my favorite scenes is when Bugs Bunny and friends pull Michael Jordan down a golf hole into Looney Toon Land. When they get the basketball legend on the ground, Bugs Bunny grabs him, gets in his face, grabs him by the collar and screams, “We need your help!”
I feel like Bugs Bunny quite frequently in this ministry because parents: I really, really, really need your help! I don’t think I can express enough how much our Church needs vocations to the priesthood and religious life and I am asking for your help in promoting these options to your children.
When I was ordained to the priesthood, I gave my parents some of the coolest gifts I have ever given anyone. In the ancient tradition of the Catholic Church, a newly ordained priest has his hands anointed with the Sacred Chrism as his hands are used as vessels for God’s love in the Sacrament.
Through the priest’s hands, he calls forth the Holy Spirit to change bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. Through his hands, the priest is a vessel of healing in the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick. Through his hands, he baptizes and blesses. After this rite during the ordination Mass, the priest then removes any excess chrism from his hands by wiping them on the Chrism cloth (called ‘manutergium’ in Latin).
On my Ordination day, I presented this cloth to my mom in a sealed bag as a way to express my gratitude in teaching me how to use my hands to heal and bless. I also presented my dad the stole that I heard my first confessions in as a sign of gratitude for him teaching me how to be kind and merciful.
In this beautiful tradition, my parents keep both of these items in a special place in their home as a reminder of that beautiful day when the Church called me to be a priest. They will keep those sacred items with them until they are called home to Heaven.
When that day comes, my dad will hold the stole in his hands and my mom will have the cloth wrapped around her hands as a sign that they gave one of their most special gifts — their very flesh and blood — to serve the Church as a priest.
Parents, vocations are born in your homes. You have the responsibility to teach them how to love, grow in their faith and teach others the love of Christ. Please encourage them to consider giving their lives in service to God and His Church as priests, brothers, sisters and nuns.
There is no greater gift that you can give the Church than one of your very own flesh and blood laying down his or her life in service to Christ and His Holy Church. Please, parents, we need your help. Please encourage and pray that your kids may be open to a vocation to the priesthood or religious life because we need more help!
Father T.J. Dolce is the director of the Archdiocesan Office of Vocations.
| Last month marked the 20th anniversary of one of my all-time favorite movies: Space Jam. One of my favorite scenes is when Bugs Bunny and friends pull Michael Jordan down a golf hole into Looney Toon Land. When they get the basketball legend on the ground, Bugs Bunny grabs him, gets in his face, grabs him by the collar and screams, “We need your help!” I feel like Bugs Bunny quite frequently in this ministry because parents: I really, really, really need your help! I don’t think I can express enough how much our Church needs vocations to the priesthood and religious life and I am asking for your help in promoting these options to your children. When I was ordained to the priesthood, I gave my parents some of the coolest gifts I have ever given anyone. In the ancient tradition of the Catholic Church, a newly ordained priest has his hands anointed with the Sacred Chrism as his hands are used as vessels for God’s love in the Sacrament. Through the priest’s hands, he calls forth the Holy Spirit to change bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. Through his hands, the priest is a vessel of healing in the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick. Through his hands, he baptizes and blesses. After this rite during the ordination Mass, the priest then removes any excess chrism from his hands by wiping them on the Chrism cloth (called ‘manutergium’ in Latin). On my Ordination day, I presented this cloth to my mom in a sealed bag as a way to express my gratitude in teaching me how to use my hands to heal and bless. I also presented my dad the stole that I heard my first confessions in as a sign of gratitude for him teaching me how to be kind and merciful. In this beautiful tradition, my parents keep both of these items in a special place in their home as a reminder of that beautiful day when the Church called me to be a priest. They will keep those sacred items with them until they are called home to Heaven. When that day comes, my dad will hold the stole in his hands and my mom will have the cloth wrapped around her hands as a sign that they gave one of their most special gifts — their very flesh and blood — to serve the Church as a priest. Parents, vocations are born in your homes. You have the responsibility to teach them how to love, grow in their faith and teach others the love of Christ. Please encourage them to consider giving their lives in service to God and His Church as priests, brothers, sisters and nuns. There is no greater gift that you can give the Church than one of your very own flesh and blood laying down his or her life in service to Christ and His Holy Church. Please, parents, we need your help. Please encourage and pray that your kids may be open to a vocation to the priesthood or religious life because we need more help! Father T.J. Dolce is the director of the Archdiocesan Office of Vocations. |