Catholics on Call in Albany

The Vocation Office of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany is offering a "Catholics on Call in Albany" weekend for young adults (ages 18-30) on October 10-12, 2014 at the Carondelet Hospitality Center in Latham. Register today at http://albanyvocations.org/catholicsoncall/onlinereg.htmlhttp://albanyvocations.org/catholicsoncall/onlinereg.html before the October 6, 2012 deadline, for space is limited. Call Sister Rosemary at 518-674-3818 or email catholicsoncall.inalbanyny@rcda.org for more information.

From the flier:

Quiet Time
Social networking can undermine our need for quiet time. Time alone is essential for discernment. God speaks to us at every moment. When listening to a song, my soul stirs. When in conversation with another, I may gain spiritual insight. But these unplanned inspirations are not enough.

Know Yourself
I need quiet time to know myself. There is a deeper part of me which I need to own. From this deeper place come my attitudes, actions and indicators for the choices I make. I know why I choose the things I do, think or say. I know when something is not in sync with who I am. I know why something else may exhilarate me. I ask myself "Why did I do that?" or say "I made a mistake in judgment here. What influenced me to make that decision?"

When I make quiet time a daily practice, it will also become a time of prayer. I don’t face challenges alone. God is there. God speaks to me in the depths of my listening heart. God has lots to tell and to ask me. As I make time for these sacred conversations of my life, I grow more and more in my desire to be perpetually "On Call" and available to the promptings of God's voice and will for me. I learn to hear God’s voice in the ordinary.

Missed Opportunities are Sad, but Possible
The call to selfless living as a single, married, ordained or consecrated person is challenging but "sitting on the fence" is not an option if I know the truth of what God is asking of me. In 1975 I spoke with a fifty year old woman who knew herself and knew who God created her to be. I encouraged her, but she sat on the fence of decision-making and never jumped off. Today she would be in her eighties. She had missed many opportunities to live fully, because she chose to sit on the fence. She did not allow herself to be "On Call."　

I am not the only one "On Call".
It is not all up to me. God is "On Call" for me 24/7. God will help me find my way as I take the time to listen. It is as simple as that. I am and will be sustained and guided by God’s presence in my life. God is always "On Call" to help, encourage and guide me.