Finding the

“Pearl of Great Price”

Don Bosco Spiritual Adventures

Don Bosco Youth Services (DBYS)
Matunga—Mumbai 400 019
dbysmatunga@gmail.com
 12 STATIONS OF‘ C OME FOLLOW ME ’

Introduction: Vocation is a ‘Call’ from God. He takes the initiative

to choose ordinary people and summons them for a Mission. The
one called has to respond lovingly, freely and generously. It is a
human emotion to feel unworthy, unprepared and frightened to
respond to the Divine Caller.
Every call entails a ‘leaving behind’ and a ‘taking upon self’ invitation. Every call comes
with a significant amount of sacrifice, and demands commitment and total fidelity.
As we journey through these ‘12 Vocation stories’ of people in the Bible, we pray for the
grace and inspiration to follow our call in life; to discern well and respond to God’s invi-
tation in our personal life. May Mary Our Mother be with us and draw us closer, more
attentively, to “do whatever he tells us to do”.
FIRST STATION: CALL OF ABRAHAM (Gen 12: 1-4) - Setting on a Journey of Faith
The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and
our father’s household to the land I will show you. 2 “I will make you
into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name
great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be
blessed through you.” 4 So Abram went, as the Lord said.
REFLECTION: Abraham seems to arrive on the scene two millennia
since creation. God was tracking down a man who would be able to
reconstruct the lost covenant. Abram was that man, a name that
would be changed to Abraham— ‘Father of Nations’. God’s logic is
simple, he chooses a frail vessel, with strengths and weakness to
start a new love story between God and humanity. From Abram the childless one, to
Abraham the father of Nations, is how God transforms and qualifies his faithful servant.
Life offers us many paths to choose from. Abraham aligned himself to the path God
chose for him. This is what Vocation is all about; not you choosing what is best for you,
but aligning to what God has, in his infinite plan, chosen for us! This is where your jour-
ney of faith begins.

SECOND STATION: CALL OF MOSES (Gen 3: 1– 14) - Rediscovering God alive

1
Moses was looking after the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he
led it to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
2
The angel of Yahweh appeared to him in a flame blazing from the middle of a
bush. Moses looked; there was the bush blazing, but the bush was not being burnt up.
3
Moses said, 'I must go across and see this strange sight, and why the bush is not being
burnt up.'4 When Yahweh saw him going across to look, God called to him from the mid-
dle of the bush. 'Moses, Moses!' he said. 'Here I am,' he answered. 5 'Come no nearer,'
he said. 'Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing
is holy ground. 6 I am the God of your ancestors,' he said, 'the God of
Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.' At
this Moses covered his face, for he was afraid to look at
God.7 Yahweh then said, 'I have indeed seen the misery of my people
in Egypt. I have heard them crying for help on account of their task-
masters. Yes, I am well aware of their sufferings. 8 And I have come
down to rescue them from the clutches of the Egyptians and bring
them up out of that country, to a country rich and broad, to a coun-
try flowing with milk and honey, to the home of the Canaanites, the
Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites. 9 Yes indeed, the Isra-
elites' cry for help has reached me, and I have also seen the cruel way in which the Egyp-
tians are oppressing them. 10 So now I am sending you to Pharaoh, for you to bring my
people the Israelites out of Egypt.' 11 Moses said to God, 'Who am I to go to Pharaoh and
bring the Israelites out of Egypt?' 12 'I shall be with you,' God said, 'and this is the sign by
which you will know that I was the one who sent you. After you have led the people out
of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.' 13 Moses then said to God, 'Look, if I go
to the Israelites and say to them, "The God of your ancestors has sent me to you," and
they say to me, "What is his name?" what am I to tell them?' 14 God said to Moses, 'I am
he who is.' And he said, 'This is what you are to say to the Israelites, "I am has sent me
to you." '
REFLECTION: On a mountain called ‘Horeb’, which means ‘desert’ or ‘desolation’, Yah-
weh reveals himself mysteriously through the presence of an angel and the sign of a
burning bush. Moses is magnetically draw to this ‘burning bush’ image—of Israel being
afflicted but not destroyed—because God is in their midst. God’s first words to him are
“Moses, Moses” - a double calling like Abraham, Abraham! (Gen 22:11), Samuel, Samu-
el! (1 Sam 3:10), Simon, Simon (Lk 22:31), Martha, Martha (Lk 10:41), and Saul,
Saul (Acts 9:4). The double calling implies ‘importance and urgency’. Moses is invited
to keep a distance - even in all our human perfection, we will never be equal to God. He
is also invited to humble himself and ‘show reverence in God’s presence’ - take off your
shoes, for the ground on which you stand is holy! God reveals himself to Moses as a
‘God of relationships’, the God of ‘all time’ and the ‘God who has no equal’. God’s
identity is more important than the identity of the one called. In Divine vocabulary, God
has no past or future tense. God IS. The God of NOW promises hope and freedom NOW
to the people of Israel. Moses, the one called is now given a mission bigger than him-
self. Moses responds with faith and trust.
THIRD STATION: CALL OF JOSHUA (Joshua 1: 1-9) - Called to Continue God’s Mission
1 And after the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, it happened that the Lord spoke
to Joshua, the son of Nun, the minister of Moses, and he said to him:
2 “Moses, my servant, has died. Rise up, and cross this Jordan, you and all the people
with you, into the land which I will give to the sons of Israel. 3 I will deliver to you every
place that the step of your foot will tread upon, just as I said to Moses. 4 From
the desert and from Lebanon, even to the great river Euphrates, all the land of the
Hittites, as far as the great sea opposite the setting of the sun, shall be your border.5 No
one will be able to resist you during all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so
will I be with you. I will not leave you, nor will I forsake you. 6 Be strengthened and
be steadfast. For you shall divide by lot, to this people, the land about which I swore to
their fathers that I would deliver it to them. 7 Therefore, be strengthened and be very
steadfast, so that you may observe and accomplish the entire law, which Moses, my
servant, instructed to you. You may not turn aside from it to the right, nor to the left. So
may you understand all that you should do 8 The book of this law shall not depart from
your mouth. Instead, you shall meditate upon it, day and night, so that you may observe
and do all the things that are written in it. Then you shall direct your way and under-
stand it. 9 Behold, I am instructing you. Be strengthened, and be steadfast. Do not
dread, and do not fear. For the Lord your God is with you in all things, wherever you may
go.”
REFLECTION: God’s mission is not fragmented, broken or short lived. Joshua’s name
meant ‘Yahweh is Salvation’. The Promise Land had to be reached and Joshua is com-
missioned to complete that mission on the twin virtues of ’strength and courage’ in the
God of Salvation. Joshua listens to God’s word and follows it in faith. ‘Listening’ is
always the key element in discovering God’s call. God calls people to start pioneering
missions. He may call you to continue and carry on a particular mission. Both are equal-
ly difficult and we need to be reassured by the same words; “Do not be afraid for I am
with you in all things and wherever you go too”.
FOURTH STATION: CALL OF SAMUEL (1Sam 3: 3-10) - Called to Active Listening
Samuel was lying in Yahweh's sanctuary, where the ark of God
was, hen Yahweh called, 'Samuel! Samuel!' He answered, 'Here
I am,' 5 and, running to Eli, he said, 'Here I am, as you called
me.' Eli said, 'I did not call. Go back and lie down.' So he went
and lay down. 6 And again Yahweh called, 'Samuel! Samuel!' He
got up and went to Eli and said, 'Here I am, as you called me.'
He replied, 'I did not call, my son; go back and lie down.' 7 As
yet, Samuel had no knowledge of Yahweh and the word
of Yahweh had not yet been revealed to him. 8 Again Yahweh called, the third time. He
got up and went to Eli and said, 'Here I am, as you called me.' Elithen understood
that Yahweh was calling the child, 9 and he said to Samuel, 'Go and lie down, and if
someone calls say, "Speak, Yahweh; for your servant is listening." ' So Samuel went and
lay down in his place. 10 Yahweh then came and stood by, calling as he had done before,
'Samuel! Samuel!' Samuel answered, 'Speak, Yahweh; for your servant is listening.'

REFLECTION: Samuel means ‘God has heard’, a name given by Hanna his mother in
response to her persistent prayer for the gift of a child. Hanna keeps her promise and
dedicates her son to the Lord’s service with a grateful heart. Samuel begins to minister
to the Lord from his childhood and ‘grew before the Lord’ (1Sam 2:21). Samuel repre-
sents godly leadership. In Samuel, the roles have to change: The God who heard, now
expects the young Samuel to hear. The one who is called to lead God’s people is the one
who has to ‘Listen to his Voice, heed His Words and Speak the truth’ from his heart.
When God calls, he has no favourite age; the old Abraham and the young Samuel are
called. Are you afraid to respond because you are too young? Or because you feel too
sleepy doing the Lord’s work? The Lord calls anytime, anywhere, anyone. You may be
called now. Are you ready to respond? When in doubt, like Samuel, do you have a
‘spiritual director’ to help you discern your vocation?

FIFTH STATION: CALL OF ISAIAH (Is 6:1-8)- Called from Sinfulness to Fruitfulness

1
In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw
the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne; his train
filled the sanctuary. 2 Above him stood seraphs,
each one with six wings: two to cover its face, two
to cover its feet and two for flying; 3 and they were
shouting these words to each other: Holy, holy,
holy is Yahweh Sabaoth. His glory fills the whole
earth. 4 The door-posts shook at the sound of their
shouting, and the Temple was full of smoke. 5 Then I said: 'Woe is me! I am lost, for I am
a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen
the King, Yahweh Sabaoth.' 6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding in its hand a
live coal which it had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. 7 With this it touched my
mouth and said: 'Look, this has touched your lips, your guilt has been removed and
your sin forgiven.' 8 I then heard the voice of the Lord saying: 'Whom shall I send?
Who will go for us?' And I said, 'Here am I, send me.'

REFLECTION: In the presence of a heavenly vision, Isaiah recognizes his own sinful-
ness— he is a man of unclean lips. Why would God call someone who is a bad-mouthed
individual and living in the midst of fellow sinners to ‘speak in God’s name’? God need-
ed a messenger and God chose Isaiah! Isaiah recognizes God’s holiness while his own
lifestyle does not match. God only needs a willing heart and a generous response. God
takes the initiative to ‘renew and cleanse the tongue’. The messenger is now invited
and the response is immediate, “Here I am Lord, Send me”! Isaiah steps forward with
no excuses; he knows this opportunity has come his way and he grabs it willingly, in-
stantly and without reserve. God needs messengers to proclaim his word today. We
identify ourselves easily with Isaiah. We are bad mouthed when we speak ill of others,
back bite, curse, use foul language, slander others and use God’s holy name in vain. Like
Isaiah, we too feel that we are unworthy to proclaim the joy of the Gospel. Pray that we
may be graced like Isaiah and allow God to purify our lips to sing his praises forever.

SIXTH STATION: Call of Jeremiah (Jer 1:4-10) Empowered to Lead and Face Opposition
4
The word of Yahweh came to me, saying: 5 'Before I formed you in the womb I knew
you; before you came to birth I consecrated you; I appointed you as prophet to the
nations.' 6 I then said, 'Ah, ah, ah, Lord Yahweh; you see, I do not know how to speak: I
am only a child!' 7 But Yahweh replied, 'Do not say, "I am only a child," for you must go
to all to whom I send you and say whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid of con-
fronting them, for I am with you to rescue u, Yahweh declares.'9 Then Yahweh stretched
out his hand and touched my mouth, and Yahweh said to me: 'There! I have put my
words into your mouth. 10 Look, today I have set you over the nations and kingdoms, to
uproot and to knock down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.'

REFLECTION: All of us are created for a purpose and a mission. Youth is never an obsta-
cle in God’s plan. When God gives man a mission, he also qualifies him to serve fully and
without reserve and to proclaim his message. Jeremiah, like Moses, complained of his
inability to speak. But God thought otherwise, the name Jeremiah means ‘the Lord
exalts’. God commissioned the young Jeremiah to deliver a hard message—one of eval-
uation rather than salvation— to call them to repentance and change of heart, to recap-
ture their lost values and rich heritage. Jeremiah is known for tenaciously clinging on to
his assigned mission all through long years of rejection and persecution. He is the
“weeping prophet’ of the Old Testament. In spite of his many tears and complaints, he
clung on to his core convictions, he never lost his compassion, he didn’t grow clod and
crust despite the calloused hearts of his listeners. Jeremiah continues to invest himself
in God’s agenda for his people. When God calls us, we need to learn how to rely on God
for sustaining grace in the midst of difficulties and opposition from the people.

SEVENTH STATION: CALL OF EZEKIEL (Ez2:1-10) - Called to be Strong and Convinced

1 He said to me, "Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to
you." 2 As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and
I heard him speaking to me. 3 He said: "Son of man, I am sending you to
the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they
and their fathers have been in revolt against me to this very day. 4 The
people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to
them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says.' 5 And whether they listen or
fail to listen--for they are a rebellious house--they will know that a prophet has been
among them. 6 And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be
afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do
not be afraid of what they say or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious
house. 7 You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they
are rebellious. 8 But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel like that
rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you." 9 Then I looked, and I saw a
hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll, 10 which he unrolled before me. On both
sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe.

REFLECTION: Ezekiel, whose name means ‘God Strengthens’, depicts a prophet with a
strong backbone and conviction. At every moment of his prophetic life, God directs him
through visions of ‘hands and scrolls’, vines, eagles, lions, dry bones and fires...These
visions arrived with a divine interpretation and instruction on how he was to communi-
cate God’s Word to the people clearly, creatively and constantly. God called Ezekiel to
be a ‘Watchman’(Ez3:16) over his ‘Divine Script’ and to deliver it rightly to the stubborn
people. In tough times, it is easy to tone down God’s message, to make it sound nice
and pleasing to the ears. But, God’s message does not depend on human response.
Ezekiel was to stay honest and true to God’s word. We pray that we may never dilute
God’s message to suit our own comforts or situations.

EIGHT STATION: CALL OF MARY (Lk1:26-38)-Chosen Vessel for God’s Highest Purpose

26 Inthe sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called
Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and
the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And coming to her, he said, “Hail, favored one! The Lord
is with you.” 29 But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of
greeting this might be. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you
have found favor with God. 31 Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called Son of the Most
High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, 33 and he will rule
over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 But Mary
said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” 35 And the
angel said to her in reply, “The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the
Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the
Son of God. 36 And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old
age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; 37 for nothing will be im-
possible for God.” 38 Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done
to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

REFLECTION: Mary means ‘sea of distress’. Why would God chose

‘one in distress’ to be his chosen vessel to bring the Messiah into the
world? When visited by the Angel Gabriel , Mary is deeply troubled.
She responds with a legitimate question, “How can this be?” The
Creator of the universe had to wait for a human response to fulfill his
highest purpose. God sees solutions even in human impossibilities.
Mary freely responds, “Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord, be it
done to me according to your word.” God chose Mary who stands as
a model of chastity, of inner beauty, of humility and of purity; a
golden vessel, chosen to carry the most important life the world will
ever know ‘Jesus Christ’. Like Mary, God invites us and calls us to be
his ‘Christ bearer’, to bring the Light to our darkened world. Pray that
we too may humble ourselves, become God’s servants and offer to
align our lives with God’s purpose, “I am your servant! May it be
done to me as you have said.”
NINTH STATION: Call of Four Fishermen (Mt4:18-22) - Called to Discipleship
18
As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two broth-
ers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a
net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,”
Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they
left their nets and followed him. 21 Going on from there, he saw two
other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They
were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus
called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

REFLECTION: Jesus, the Messiah, could have fulfilled his Father’s mission single-
handedly. Yet, he choose to form a team. Divine intervention always seeks our human
cooperation. Jesus chooses ordinary men for an extraordinary mission! All that he want-
ed from them was a movement from a ’leaving behind’ to a ’committed following of
him’. Fishermen ‘leaving father and boats’ to follow a carpenter was unthinkable. They
were enemies by profession. And yet, the unthinkable happened! The call to be ‘fishers
of men’ was radical and their response was immediate and without reserve. Jesus’ invi-
tation was, no doubt, to a ‘higher call’ that needed an ‘attitude adjustment’. The Ser-
mon on the Mount was just the right start. They followed Jesus, the ‘pearl of great
price’, and were ready to pay the ultimate price for it. Jesus' call in the initial stage may
look very fascinating and attractive. But then, along the way, the call gets tougher and
difficult. Some disciples denied him, betrayed him, and abandoned him. Yet, Jesus con-
tinued to believe in them and empowered them with the gift of the Holy Spirit. Today,
the Church stands on the foundations of these same apostles. Jesus invites you too, to
‘leave and follow’ and he will give you the grace to live this ‘higher calling’. Let go and
trust the one who calls you! Let the Beatitudes change your attitude too.

TENTH STATION: CALL OF LEVI (Mt 9:9-13) - Called from Worldliness to Holiness

9
As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collec-
tor’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. 10 While
Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and
ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples,
“Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 On hearing this, Jesus
said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this
means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sin-
ners.”

REFLECTION: Life can change at an unexpected moment, especially when Jesus

crosses your path. Matthew, which means ‘gift of God’ also called Levi, was comfortable
in his world of money and friends. His profession as a tax collector earned him the title
‘sinner’ and ‘enemy of his own people’. Money was all he needed and he had plenty of
it. Suddenly, two separate worlds meet and the spiritual encounter is too hard to resist.
He gets up immediately to follow the beckoning Galilean.
Money, that was central to Matthew’s life is now replaced by
an attraction to the ‘pearl of great price’. He also has to leave
behind his ‘old friends’ and join a band of disciples.
Matthew’s worldliness is not an obstacle to be called. In fact,
its part of Jesus’ criteria. God works through weak
instruments. God’s message can even shine through the pen of a ‘sinful tax collector’.
Everyday, like Matthew, we too may be caught up in a ‘tug-of-war’ situation; between
the spiritual and the worldly, freedom and poverty and the glamour of money, the call
to discipleship and clinging to old friends. The choice for Jesus always wins!
ELEVENTH STATION: CALL OF MATTHIAS (Acts1:15-26) Numbered with the 12 Apostles

15
During this time, when about 120 believers were together in one place, Peter stood up
and addressed them. 16 “Brothers,” he said, “the Scriptures had to be fulfilled concerning
Judas, who guided those who arrested Jesus. This was predicted long ago by the Holy
Spirit, speaking through King David. 17 Judas was one of us and shared in the ministry
with us.”…. 21 “So now we must choose a replacement for Judas from among the men
who were with us the entire time we were traveling with the Lord Jesus— 22 from the
time he was baptized by John until the day he was taken from us. Whoever is chosen will
join us as a witness of Jesus’ resurrection.” 23 So they nominated two men: Joseph called
Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. 24 Then they all prayed, “O Lord, you
know every heart. Show us which of these men you have chosen 25 as an apostle to re-
place Judas in this ministry, for he has deserted us and gone where he belongs.” 26 Then
they cast lots, and Matthias was selected to become an apostle with the other eleven.

REFLECTION: Throughout the history of Vocation in the church, there are sad instances
of ‘abandonment of the call’. When God calls, He respects our will and freedom to
follow him. He doesn’t force his call on anyone. Judas, who spent three years at the
school of Jesus, opted to walk out and to betray the Lord. God’s work doesn’t stop be-
cause we choose to walk out. God’s mission continues and He calls people continually
to serve him and to witness to his resurrection. After deep prayer, and using the old
testament method of ‘casting of lots’, Matthias is given that special privilege to be
counted among the twelve apostles. He is called to ‘witness to the Lord’s resurrection’ -
the central theme of Christianity. He is empowered to apostleship with the anointing
by the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. Let not someone else’s decision to leave or abandon his
vocation prevent you from following Jesus. Every vocation is a very personal calling.
Pray for the grace to be ‘witnesses of Jesus’ wherever you are.

TWELTH STATION: CALL OF SAUL (Acts9:1-19): Persecutor to Preacher of Gentiles

1
Now Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord, went to
the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, that, if he
should find any men or women who belonged to the Way,* he might bring them back to
Jerusalem in chains. 3 On his journey, as he was nearing Damascus, a light from the sky
suddenly flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him,
“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 He said, “Who are you, sir?”
The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 Now get up and
go into the city and you will be told what you must do.” 7 The men who
were traveling with him stood speechless, for they heard the voice but
could see no one. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his
eyes he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him to
Damascus. 9 For three days he was unable to see, and he neither ate nor
drank. 10 There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias, and the Lord
said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 The
Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight and ask at the house of
Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is there praying, 12 and [in a vision] he has
seen a man named Ananias come in and lay [his] hands on him, that he may regain his
sight.” 13 But Ananias replied, “Lord, I have heard from many sources about this man,
what evil things he has done to your holy ones in Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority
from the chief priests to imprison all who call upon your name.” 15 But the Lord said to
him, “Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before Gentiles,
kings, and Israelites, 16 and I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name.” 17
So Ananias went and entered the house; laying his hands on him, he said, “Saul, my
brother, the Lord has sent me, Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you
came, that you may regain your sight and be filled with the holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately
things like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. He got up and was bap-
tized, 19 and when he had eaten, he recovered his strength.

REFLECTION: Saul of Tarsus was a highly qualified man; he was a Hebrew, a self right-
eous Pharisee, studied under the influential Gamaliel, grew up in Tarsus which gave him
his Roman citizenship, and a renowned communicator. Yet, he breathed fury against
the ‘people who were of the Way’. On a journey to Damascus, Saul is struck by a bolt of
light. He falls from the darkness of hate and anger into the light of Jesus’ love and
peace. Saul the persecutor of Christians becomes Paul the preacher. “Woe to me if I do
not preach the Gospel” . His conversion stems from the disturbing question “Saul, Saul,
why are you persecuting me?” Paul, channels his passion and energy to bring the love of
Christ to the Gentiles. He becomes, only second to Jesus, the greatest apostle of Christi-
anity. He uses his skills to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ, risen from the dead,
to bring hope and strength to the early Christians. His letters to the early churches are
the foundation of Christian theology. Paul recognized his own weaknesses and believed
that with God’s grace he could do all things. God’s call can stop anyone on his tracks
and turn around everything for good. God’s grace is sufficient for you to turn around
and to use your gifts for building up his ‘persecuted church’ even today.

Pope Francis, World Day of Prayer for Vocations, May 11, 2014 : ‘VOCATIONS—WITNESS TO THE TRUTH’
“A vocation is a fruit that ripens in a well cultivated field of mutual love that becomes mutual service, in the context of
an authentic ecclesial life. No vocation is born of itself or lives for itself. A vocation flows from the heart of God and
blossoms in the good soil of faithful people, in the experience of fraternal love”
“We Christians were not chosen by the Lord for small things;
push onwards toward the highest principles. Stake your lives on noble ideals!”
 Salesian Youth Spirituality (SYS)
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