Youth invited to ‘Come Discover’ their calling

Apr 04, 2024

NIBONG TEBAL: Inspired by Ephesians 4:11-12, which speaks of the diverse gifts bestowed by Christ — apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers — to prepare God’s people for service and to build up the body of Christ, a group of 39 young people, aged 12 to 20, gathered at the Church of St Anthony.

They were there to deepen their understanding of vocation and what it truly means to respond to God’s call.

With the collaborative efforts of the Penang Diocese Vocation Team (PDVT), St Anthony’s parish priest, Fr Arulnathan Joseph, had initiated the vocation rally themed Come Discover ’24, which took place on March 2 from 9.30am to 1.00pm.

Present to facilitate the sessions were diocesan clergy Fr Louis Loi, Fr Raymond Raj and Fr Arulnathan; the Capuchins, Fr Gilbert James and Brothers Aldrin and Joshua, Sr Jessica from the Little Sisters of the Poor as well as Emmanuel and Victoria Dorai from the PDVT.

The sessions were concentrated on the indepth personal testimonies of the religious and priests; on how they heard God’s Call, the events in their lives that unfolded after that and how they answered His Call. Their sharings were followed by questions by the presenters as well as some important questions by the youth.

Participants were urged to dedicate themselves to their studies and to discover their areas of strength, thereby gaining the knowledge necessary to develop their unique gifts and talents. Through this process, they can better understand how to dedicate their lives to glorifying God. While one could be a great spouse and parent, they may also discover a calling that leads them to serve as a member of the religious community or as a priest.

We fervently pray that as our youth navigate the path of life, they may heed their distinct vocational calling and faithfully answer, thereby fulfilling their highest potential to glorify God in all aspects of their lives.