Monday, February 3, 2014

The Following was written by Br. Paul Duplessie. Br. Paul was born in Stoney Point, ON, in July of 1945. He professed solemn vows on, September first 1967, and was ordained on, August 07, 1971. He has served as provincial minister to the Capuchins of Central Canada from 1995-2001 and 2008-2010.

BR. PAUL DUPLESSIE OFM CAP.
 A VOCATION STORY

There is a story told about two buckets who met at a well. One of them looked morose. "What's the trouble?" asked the second bucket sympathetically.
"Oh!" replied the first gloomy bucket, "I get so weary of being dragged to this well. No matter how full I am, I always come back here empty." The second bucket chuckled. "How curious! Why, I always come here empty and go away full. I'm sure if you started to think this way, you would feel more cheerful."
This story reminds me of my own approach to ministering in God's name. One can think of ministry as tedious and draining or as full-filling. It is so, not only for the person who needs my help, but to myself as well since I am convinced that this is what God has called me to do. Vocation is more than just a call from God; it is also a call to serve God and his people. Sure, there are moments that are challenging and stressful. However, the realization that I have been called to touch the life of an individual gives me satisfaction and leaves me with a sense of accomplishment (even if this individual is someone I may never meet again and upon whose life I may only make a small difference). God put that individual in my path and it was up to me to respond with loving concern. That is doing God's work! Many years ago when I chose to answer God's call to service in the Church as a Capuchin-Franciscan priest, I did not know where this call would take me or what form my ministry would take. Besides parish ministry, God would also call me to: teaching, retreat work, formation of young students, and even to leadership within the community.
Each ministry would have its own special joys and pitfalls. But Jesus remained in the centre of all of them. He would minister through me as well as being the object of my ministry. Prayer has always been at the centre of the challenges life brings. Through prayer, I find direction by allowing the Holy Spirit to point out the way that I must take to accomplish the mission at hand. At times, failure has been the hallmark of trying to do things without the inspiration of God. In the midst of hectic ministry, there has also been the need at various times to get away and be refreshed physically, emotionally and spiritually. These times apart have given me the space and energy I so dearly needed.
Furthermore, guilt about not being around the parish to help people when I have needed to get away has never entered my mind. The need to be personally refreshed was too important. I am not the Messiah and the Messiah must be allowed to do his own work! Unexpected experiences in life have a way of molding us into a different shape than what we sometimes would have imagined for ourselves. My personal dream had always been to become a priest like the priests that had been part of my life in my home parish of Stoney Point, ON and in the person of my father's first cousin. But God had other plans for me.
My grade eight teacher exposed me to the Capuchin-Franciscans, who at the time had a minor seminary in Blenheim, ON for boys interested in the priesthood.  The simplicity of their life resonated with me profoundly and by the end of high school I had decided to join them. This new journey would take me to many new places for study and ministry. It truly was a formative experience in my life.
Several years later God would call me to a leadership role in my own religious community. Challenges followed. Some of those moments were very trying and extremely stressful.
            These challenges really opened my mind to the need of becoming more prayerful. I realized that I needed to bring my concerns to God for support, and to allow the Holy Spirit to guide my decision-making. If God is for us, who can be against!  God has been good. Like the bucket in the opening story, when I have felt empty God has always been there to fill me up!

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

It has been a while since I put up a new post. I have been busy over the Advent and Christmas seasons, but it is now back to work as normal. I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas and look forward to a wonderful new year. Recently an article was written about our Brother Fadi. Click on the link below to read the article.
http://cosmopolistoronto.com/fadi-syria/

Pax Et Bonum
Br. Stephen Van Massenhoven
Vocation Director