Last Sunday, as part of our celebration of World Day of Prayer for Vocations, about sixty people gathered for an Emmaus walk outside of Muckross Abbey. It was to be a day of reflective prayer, where we walked in two or threes, thinking about the story of those disciples fleeing Jerusalem after their experience of Holy Week. It was about a journey from despair to hope and from darkness to light. Thankfully the day was beautiful and our spirits were high as we set out.
We were joined by people not just from Ireland, but from all around the world, including South America, Africa and Asia. There was a real sense of belonging to something international, something universal. We were part of that response to God’s invitation, His call extended to all His children to follow Him in our lives. We thought about the need to share the possibility of a vocation with those we know and perhaps some we don’t. Jesus always seemed to exercise a recklessness in who he called as His disciples, but we are reminded in Scripture that while man may look at appearances, God looks at the heart.
On arriving at the Friary in Killarney our crowd had grown to almost two hundred people and our celebration began in earnest. We lifted hearts and minds in song and thanksgiving as we continued to pray for vocations to religious life and the priesthood. We prayed that these men and women would be called to mirror, as best they could, that love of God which Pope Benedict XVI spoke of in his message for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. As MSCs we prayed for people who could follow the example of Jesus in loving divinely with a human heart.
The day ended with the breaking of bread together, not to mention sandwiches, scones and copious amounts of tea. Many thanks to all who helped out and to the team in the Friary for all their hospitality.