“The Holy Hour became like an oxygen tank to revive the breath of the Holy Spirit in the midst of the foul and fetid atmosphere of the world. Even when it seemed so unprofitable and lacking in spiritual intimacy, I still had the sensation of being at least like a dog at the master’s door, ready in case he called me.”
These words of Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, so stunning in their humility and honesty, were written as a reflection on his devotion to the Eucharistic Holy Hour in his autobiography, Treasure in Clay.
I used this quote in a talk I gave at the Avila Institute Eucharistic Retreat, “Possessing Everything”, this past November. I shared about the immense impact men like Archbishop Sheen and Pope St. John Paul II had on my prayer life and my love of the Eucharist.
We have all been formed and spiritually fed by men whose love of God inspires our own.
Spiritual fathers: living, deceased, canonized, simple, academic, mystic, working class, or world leaders. We cannot survive much less thrive without the witness of their faith.
And we simply cannot–we must not–endure the thought of a world without them.
Isn’t that what the crisis in the priesthood has forced us to face? To wonder how many more parishes must close? To imagine a world stripped of the sacraments and bereft of solid spiritual leadership?
We wonder, we imagine–but at the same time, we hope. We look around and see signs of emerging life. We see posters on our parish walls with faces of eager, smiling young men and we feel a spring-like faith. Is the winter about to end?
But we know that in the harshness of our cultural climate, each priestly vocation, and each young discerner’s heart, is a fragile thing that must be loved and held sacred and formed into maturity. It must stay anchored to an unflinching branch in order to become fully itself: healed, restored and radically free. Free to be given away in radical generosity to the Church.
That’s one reason why I’m so honored to work for the Avila Foundation, an organization that has discerned its own call to nurture priestly vocations through the High Calling Program. Each year, men come to us from dozens of dioceses around the country to experience:
- Powerful courses on prayer, the priesthood, healing, spiritual theology, theology of the body, and more
- Solid spiritual direction
- Patient accompaniment
- Human and spiritual formation
- Fatherly mentorship
In short, they are fathered–so that they can be spiritual fathers and the anchors we need to face the storms ahead.
Whatever the end result of their discernment, whether it be to seminary or to marriage, the world wins a man after God’s own heart. A man ready at the Master’s door.
But here’s the thing.
Such a high calling comes at a high cost. The highest cost is to the man: it is his life he is asked for. But there is a cost every bishop must foot, too–the cost to educate and form each man who comes to him. And thankfully–so thankfully–there are more and more of these men. Therefore, the cost is too high for many dioceses to send us their discerners without significant aid. We don’t want to turn anyone away. The Church cannot afford to lose a single vocation. But we need help covering these costs.
As you’ve heard in some recent emails from Dan and Ann, we have a new opportunity to close the gap: we need $320,000 in scholarships for the High Calling program in order to welcome the men ready at our doors–ready to begin to discern in earnest.
Will you help us–please–so that not one is turned away?
A triple-matching gift of $100,000 has been made available through the end of the year. For a few more days, anything you give will be tripled. Please take advantage of this incredible opportunity to make a massive impact on the priesthood and the Church.
You can have your donation tripled at this secure link.
I’ve never been good at asking for anything, especially help. But this is a cause I staunchly believe in, and I’ve seen the fruits. Please join us and ensure the sacramental and spiritual health of the Church we love. Please strengthen the hearts of future priests.
Partner with us to restore the priesthood today. https://secure.spiritualdirection.com/2024
Yours in Christ,
Claire Dwyer
______________________________________________________________
Image: Unsplash
