Think Vocations in 2024 – Prompts for Parishes

Bulletin and Website Notices for Parishes

Ordinary Time, Lent and Easter 2024 (to Pentecost 2024)

Follow the links below to find brief reflections drawn from the Mass readings for each Sunday or feast day throughout the months ahead, helping to prompt some consideration and prayer about vocations to priesthood, diaconate and consecrated life. By making use of them in parish Bulletins, websites or social media feeds, you might just be dropping a little suggestion to someone that God might be calling him or her to follow Him in a life of service to the Church.

Since we are guided by the Gospel of Mark each Sunday this year, the Call of the Fisherman can act as a useful background image for our weekly Vocation reflections. Hence, the famous painting by James Tissot of the call of Saints Peter and Andrew shows them standing in the lake, casting their nets, as Jesus calls to them. Tissot shows them standing in the shallows, close to the shore, with their nets tied to their waists so that they can more easily pull in their catch. Jesus calls to them and they, without a word, leave their nets to follow him. We can almost see them stepping towards the shore as they loosen the nets, laying them down and going off behind Jesus.

The Call of the Fishermen can be a story we keep in our minds all this year, as disciples trying to live the Master’s ways. But especially as we consider that special call to leave all and follow him in the service of others, to be “fishers of men” as priests, deacons or in consecrated life. Who will you help hear the Master’s call to consider this radical way of serving and living the Gospel?

Remember to tag us when you post (@priestsforscot) or use the hashtags #thinkvocations2024 or #vocation2024.

The brief reflections which follow can be copied into your weekly parish or school newsletter or other publications. You may want to copy and paste them onto your website as a banner message or news item, to place a link to this page as a whole there, or to use them as Facebook or Twitter posts on or around the relevant Sunday. We continue using the format we have used previously, streamlining the contact details etc. (Note that some posts may be a bit long for Twitter, but they can be edited by removing the email link and/or some of the contact information.)

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Sundays in Ordinary Time

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time – 14th January 2024
Jesus invites the hesitant disciples to “Come and See”. Will you hear that invitation and go deeper in getting to know him and his call for you? Could you be invited to come and see what priesthood or religious life might be like for you? Talk to your local Vocations Director or visit the Priests for Scotland website or our Facebook pages (PFS or Vocation Network Scotland) for more.

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time – 21st January 2024
“Follow me and I will make you into fishers of men.” Is Jesus making the same invitation to you to leave everything in order to serve him and his people? Speak to your local Vocations Director, contact Priests for Scotland or check out Facebook (PFS or Vocation Network Scotland) for more.

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time – 28th January 2024
“He taught them with authority” Jesus mission of proclaiming the Kingdom goes on the preaching of the Church today. Could He be inviting you to share in that mission, to share the power of Christ’s word with people? Contact your local Vocations Director or Priests for Scotland (www.pfs.org.uk) for advice and support.