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!
