Brother Paul, vocations and how you can help

Yesterday, Paul Jenkins was ordained to the diaconate, and it was a really joyful occasion. Paul was ordained by Archbishop Peter Smith, and he spoke movingly about the importance of vocations to the church. The whole celebration was one of hope and thanksgiving, and it was wonderful to celebrate it on the Feast of St Joseph. I pray that Joseph will give courage and help to Paul in his ministry to the church.

As I said in the recent Carmelite News: “The Harvest is great, but the labourers are few. There is wonderful work to be done in spreading the Gospel and all of us are called to be heralds of good news. The Carmelites are called in a special way to be a school of prayer, helping people to relate in an intimate way with God. St Teresa spoke of prayer as having a conversation with God. Besides being praying communities, Carmelites are called to be prophetic;  proclaiming God’s message in and out of season. As Pope Francis has said, we speak to the people on the margins from the margins ourselves. We are called to be in solidarity with those who could be voiceless.”

“I am conscious that my time working for the Lord is limited, and I would like you to join my prayer to ask the Lord to call folk to continue God’s calling  to Carmel. No calling is easy, but we do not answer the call relying on our own resources but open to God’s grace, this is his gift of helping us risk doing something that’s new. I was moved to become a Carmelite because I saw great humanity in those who were living the Carmelite way. The more human we become, the more we are like Jesus Christ who has shown us what it is to be fully human, fully alive.”

THANK YOU to all the supporters of the Shrine of Saint Jude who have made Paul’s special day possible. It is YOUR support, through your donations and prayers, which enable the Carmelites to minister in Britain and beyond. GOD BLESS YOU FOR YOUR KINDNESS. If you would like to help us further, please visit our online shop where you can purchase gifts from the Shrine, or make a donation. THANK YOU.

Fr Wilfrid McGreal, O.Carm