August 2014
HELP! My
Wants to be a
By Christie Bourg
Ask any young child what he or she would like to be
when grown, and you may get answers like ‘a doctor,’ or ‘an
astronaut,’ or ‘a ballerina.” Parents generally smile and tell
their children that they can be anything they want to be
when they grow up; then parents pray that their child will be
“successful.”
But what if a child says he or she wants to be in the
religious life? What if a young boy expresses an interest in
becoming a priest? What if a young girl says she wants to
be a nun? Do parents consider those vocations as
“successful” jobs?
Coming to terms with the fact that your child may
have a religious calling can be quite difficult. There’s often
an inner conflict between the joy of knowing your child is
faith-filled and the fear of knowing he or she will never “give
you grandchildren.”
So what are parents to do when their child
announces that he or she may have a religious calling? The
Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that: “Parents
have the mission of teaching their children to pray and to
discover their vocation as children of God;” (#2226) and that
“They should encourage them in the vocation which is
proper to each child, fostering with special care any
religious vocation.” (#1656) Here are some simple ways to
nurture vocations:
Pray as a family
Get involved in parish ministries or service together
Invite a priest, sister, or brother to dinner at your home
Attend an ordination
Contact your Archdiocesan Vocations Office (by the
way, the New Orleans Vocations Office website is
HERE.)
Sai