{"id":2990,"date":"2012-02-09T06:09:15","date_gmt":"2012-02-09T14:09:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/?p=2990"},"modified":"2012-02-09T06:09:15","modified_gmt":"2012-02-09T14:09:15","slug":"a-phone-call-from-god-vocations-and-catholic-schools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/a-phone-call-from-god-vocations-and-catholic-schools","title":{"rendered":"A Phone Call from God: Vocations and Catholic Schools"},"content":{"rendered":"

The following reflection was written for Catholic Schools Week 2012 as part of a series for ACE Advocates for Catholic Schools<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"PhoneIn the Spring of 1990, I got a phone call from God. I wasn\u2019t home to get the call, but my answering machine picked it up. It\u2019s a good thing, too. Brenda and I were about to be married, we were moving to Boise, Idaho, and I had no job. God had called to offer me a teaching position at Sacred Heart Catholic School. (Click here to find out what God sounds like<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Ok, so the call was from Marge Ransley, the principal at Sacred Heart; but one of the most important things my Catholic education has taught me is that God speaks to us through other people. That answering machine message may have sounded like Marge, but it was really God calling me to begin my vocation as a Catholic educator.<\/p>\n

Catholic schools are in a unique position to help students hear the voice of God in their lives. Today\u2019s young Catholics are bombarded with hundreds if not thousands of different messages each day. From tweets to text messages, from TV shows to YouTube videos, God\u2019s call can get lost in a cacophony of misleading and distracting noise. Kids need help discerning God\u2019s invitation to wholeness and holiness, and that\u2019s where Catholic schools come in.<\/p>\n

Catholic schools nourish and strengthen the gift of faith present in each student so that he or she can trust that God\u2019s call will lead them to fullness of life.<\/p>\n

Catholic schools provide the academic background students need to pursue their call and respond to God\u2019s invitation.<\/p>\n

Catholic schools show students how to place their vocation at the service of the world to care for the least among us and help build up the Kingdom of God.<\/p>\n

Faith. Academics. Service. These have always been the hallmark of a Catholic education. Catholic school students don\u2019t learn how to make a living, but how to make a difference.<\/p>\n

This summer, God willing, I will be ordained a deacon, and the prospect is both exciting and frightening. It has been the same with all my vocational calls. Before Brenda and I got married, before our first child was born, and before I first stepped into that classroom in Boise twenty-two years ago, I wondered if I knew what I was getting myself into. Of course the answer was no, I didn\u2019t really know. How could I? How can anyone? But the faith, academics, and service I received from St. Pius X Elementary School, Billings Central Catholic High School, and Gonzaga University prepared me for each of those vocations in ways that are impossible to measure.<\/p>\n

Every child has a vocation, a particular call from God. The Holy Spirit whispers the call deep in their hearts, quietly beckoning them to a way of life that will lead them to ultimate holiness, happiness, and eternal life. Perhaps they are called to marriage, perhaps to the priesthood; maybe the whisper leads them to consecrated religious life or to serve the poorest of the poor.<\/p>\n

How sad it would be to miss that call. With all the noise and confusion in the world, isn\u2019t it comforting to know there is a sacred place kids can go to learn how to hear God\u2019s invitation, trust it, and act on it? This is the mission of Catholic schools: Faith. Academics. Service.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The following reflection was written for Catholic Schools Week 2012 as part of a series for ACE Advocates for Catholic Schools. In the Spring of 1990, I got a phone call from God. I wasn\u2019t home to get the call, but my answering machine picked it up. It\u2019s a good thing, too. Brenda and I … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “A Phone Call from God: Vocations and Catholic Schools”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3298,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[24],"tags":[90,8,100],"class_list":["post-2990","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-spirituality","tag-catholic-schools-week","tag-inspiration","tag-vocations"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/prZ8V-Me","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2328,"url":"http:\/\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/bishop-cupich-on-why-catholic-schools","url_meta":{"origin":2990,"position":0},"title":"Bishop Cupich on Why Catholic Schools","author":"Deacon Nick","date":"January 17, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"In the latest issue of my local Catholic newspaper, the Inland Register, Bishop Blase Cupich recently responded to the question \"Why do Catholics have their own schools?\" \"It is a good question,\" he responds. \"The state allocates huge sums of money each year for public education and provides a solid\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"http:\/\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/category\/news"},"img":{"alt_text":"Bishop Blase Cupich","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/BishopBlaseCupich.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2941,"url":"http:\/\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/101-essential-resources-for-catholic-educators","url_meta":{"origin":2990,"position":1},"title":"101 Essential Resources for Catholic Educators","author":"Deacon Nick","date":"January 30, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Happy Catholic Schools Week! To celebrate, I've put together a list of 101 resources that no Catholic educator should be without. From Twitter users to bloggers, from social networks to teaching tools, it's all here in one convenient spot. Share the love, spread the news, and tell the world about\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"http:\/\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/category\/news"},"img":{"alt_text":"CRS Rice Bowls","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/IMG_1242.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/IMG_1242.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/IMG_1242.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/IMG_1242.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/IMG_1242.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/IMG_1242.jpg?resize=1400%2C800 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":702,"url":"http:\/\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/why-teach-in-a-catholic-school","url_meta":{"origin":2990,"position":2},"title":"Why Teach in a Catholic School?","author":"Deacon Nick","date":"April 12, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"So you've landed a job interview at a Catholic school, and you're trying to prepare. What will they ask you? How should you respond? I've interviewed dozens of applicants over the years, and one of the questions we often ask is, \"Why do you want to work in a Catholic\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Featured"","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"http:\/\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/category\/feature"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/04\/Jesus_Christ-150x150.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2350,"url":"http:\/\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/catholic-schools-week-2011-in-the-news","url_meta":{"origin":2990,"position":3},"title":"Catholic Schools Week 2011 in the News","author":"Deacon Nick","date":"January 24, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Catholic Schools Week officially begins next week on January 30, 2011, but some schools are so excited they just can't wait. Here's a roundup of stories featuring what some schools are doing this year: Priests witness many positive influences of Catholic schools Blessed Sacrament School schedules special events to celebrate\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"http:\/\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/category\/news"},"img":{"alt_text":"Catholic School Students","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/cathstudents-287x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2150,"url":"http:\/\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/catholic-educators-great-hope-for-the-church","url_meta":{"origin":2990,"position":4},"title":"Catholic Educators: Great Hope for the Church","author":"Deacon Nick","date":"November 24, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm currently reading Dante's Divine Comedy, which begins with these somber words: \"Midway along the journey of our life I woke to find myself in a dark wood, for I had wandered off from the straight path.\" I think there are a lot of people who feel this same way\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Spirituality"","block_context":{"text":"Spirituality","link":"http:\/\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/category\/spirituality"},"img":{"alt_text":"The Dark Forest","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/11\/darkforest-240x300.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2398,"url":"http:\/\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/a-round-up-of-catholic-schools-week-videos","url_meta":{"origin":2990,"position":5},"title":"A Round-Up of Catholic Schools Week Videos","author":"Deacon Nick","date":"February 10, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Catholic Schools Week 2011 is over, but the celebration continues thanks to many schools who posted videos of their activities. From flash mobs to bishops' homilies, the following videos show how schools around the country celebrated this national event. Faculty-staff Flash Mob at Totino-Grace High School: Homily by Bishop Michael\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"http:\/\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/category\/news"},"img":{"alt_text":"Catholic Schools Week 2011","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/02\/csw2011-300x226.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"http:\/\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/telephone-cross.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2990","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2990"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2990\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3297,"href":"http:\/\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2990\/revisions\/3297"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3298"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2990"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2990"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.nicksenger.com\/csc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2990"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}