A Possbility

In the USA this week is National Vocations Awareness Week. We ask Jesus the Divine Master and Shepherd to inspire many more young men and women to follow Christ more closely as priests, religious brothers, religious sisters and as members of the consecrated life.
This is a Prayer for Vocations from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops:

God Our Father, we thank you for calling men and women to serve

in your Son's Kingdom as priests, deacons, and consecrated persons.

Send your Holy Spirit to help us respond generously and courageously

to your call.

May our community of faith support vocations of sacrificial love in our youth

and young adults. Through our Lord Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with you

in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Saturday evening I touched base with a friend who is part of our Pauline Family. She is a single woman who has vowed her life to Christ as a consecrated person. She has taken the vows of obedience, chastity and poverty in the Institute of Our Lady of the Annunciation. She lives and works in the Boston area.
Single Catholic women who want to live in closer union with Christ in the midst of the every day work world may want to check out the possibility of becoming a member of the IOLA group. Each vowed woman lives in the midst of the secular world, but she is not "of" it. Unlike women religious who live a "community" life with other like-minded women, the Institute members live at home or by themselves. They share in the same spirituality as the other members, they make an annual retreat together and follow the same Rule of Life. The Institute has a web site for all who may want to know more: www.instituteofourladyoftheannunciation.com.
If you have trouble accessing that site, check out www.alberione.org to find out about all the groups which form the Pauline Family founded by Blessed James Alberione of the Society of St. Paul.
O Jesus Eternal Shepherd of our souls, send good laborers into your vineyard!