Every year, nearly 100 young men from the diocese gather at Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland, in June. On the surface, this week away may seem like an ordinary summer camp, with games, activities and plenty of food. But this camp has a much deeper meaning.
These young men have come together to take a step in determining where God may be calling them. Could it be marriage and family? Maybe a life in ministry as a lay person? Maybe as a priest? These are the questions the annual Quo Vadis Days discernment retreat helps these young men answer.
It was also these questions, and more, that Bishop Timothy Senior was on hand to answer on June 23 when he visited the camp.
“The call of God involves a change of direction,” the bishop said during the morning Mass with the discerners. Reflecting on the first reading of God speaking to Moses in the burning bush, Bishop Senior said that God called Moses to something he didn’t want – returning to Egypt. The same could be said of St. Peter and his interaction with Jesus in the Gospel reading from Mark. Peter is telling Christ that he and the other apostles have given up everything for him, but Jesus responds that those who have given up much for Christ and the sake of the Gospel will receive 100 times more.
The bishop added that through both of these readings, we can see the deep love and trust Moses and St. Peter had in the Lord, and that we can also have that same love and trust.
“He always has a message of love and a deeper level of trust… Those of us who are priests, we have experienced that again and again.”
“During these days of reflection, first and foremost, God has a plan for your life,” the bishop said. “He desires for you to know how much you are loved. And to receive the grace to let go and follow him.”
Following the Mass, the discerners got a little more personal with Bishop Senior through a special Q&A session.
One of the first questions posed to the bishop was how he became a bishop. He explained that throughout his time as a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Bishop Senior always wanted to be a pastor and intended to tell Cardinal Justin Regali, Archbishop of Philadelphia, of his desire. But before he got the chance, the cardinal informed Bishop Senior that he had been named an auxiliary bishop for the archdiocese.
“God answered my prayers to be a pastor but in a different way,” Bishop Senior said.
And the best part of the job?
“Visiting the parishes. What I’m doing here today is one the best parts of being a bishop,” he told the men.
Bishop Senior added that when discerning what path God was calling them to, the young men gathered should remember that “God’s voice can be heard at a lot of different levels. And it is always a message of love. Remember that He’s glad to see you. He’s delighted that you’re here.”
Vocations has been an important part of Bishop Senior’s ministry since his installation as the Bishop of Harrisburg three years ago. To learn more about vocations in the Diocese, visit www.harrisburgvocations.org.
(Photos by Chris Heisey, The Catholic Witness.)
By Rachel Bryson, The Catholic Witness
