Father Leo Haussmann
Homily from the Televised Mass, NewsCenter1
Fourth Sunday of Easter, April 30, 2023

This Sunday is known as Good Shepherd Sunday because of the shepherd and flock images in the scripture readings on this Fourth Sunday of the Easter Season. 

The church also observes this Sunday as the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, inviting the faithful to pray today, for vocations to the priesthood, the diaconate and the consecrated life. 

Both the Old and New Testaments use the image of a shepherd and his flock to describe the unique relationship of God with Israel and of the Christ with Christians.

The first reading is taken from St. Peter’s first sermon, given on the day of Pentecost and resulted in many conversions to the faith. 

The Responsorial Psalm was taken from Psalm 23, which is beloved by many for how it portrays Yahweh as the good shepherd of Israel who cares for us, his sheep, providing for our needs and protecting us. 

In the second reading, Peter encourages the suffering Christians to follow in the footsteps of their good shepherd, Jesus. Jesus is shepherd and the “suffering servant.” St. Peter wants his readers to realize that Jesus’ suffering and death have enabled them to become more fully God’s children. 

In the Gospel there were two parables, the first showing Jesus as a selfless, caring “shepherd” who provides for his sheep protection and life. The second parable gives an image of Jesus as the “sheep gate,” that is, our unique gateway to eternal salvation. So, Jesus, as the good shepherd guides us to eternal life, and is himself the gateway to eternal life.

So, I thought since it is the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, I would briefly share with you my own vocation journey to priesthood. 

When I was growing up, and even from a very young age, my father would occasionally say to me, “Leo, when you grow up you could be a fisher of men,” and then he would explain to me how Jesus called his first priests, the Apostles, who were fishermen, to become fishers of men.” 

It wasn’t often that he would tell me that, perhaps once every couple of years, even after I had graduated high school. It was a very gentle and inviting way of making me aware that priesthood was an option for me. I am so grateful that he did that.

Right out of high school I began farming and ranching with my oldest brother and was enjoying that life and imagined myself married one day. I really didn’t consider priesthood seriously until I was in my early to mid-twenties. At that point there was a growing emptiness I was feeling deep inside. The emptiness came from a desire to give my life for something bigger than myself and I began to believe that something bigger than myself was priesthood. 

Still, priesthood was kind of a fantastical idea in my mind since my personality was not comfortable with speaking publicly or being in the spotlight. I began thinking, perhaps I could be a priest in the foreign missions, hacking my way through the jungle to the next remote village. Yes, that seemed a little more my style. After a trip to Kenya and spending a month with a missionary priest, I returned home still not resolved in what I should do. 

By now I was in my late twenties and the emptiness I felt was as intense as ever. Painful enough that it finally motivated me to break out of my comfort zone and take a leap of faith and to try seminary. So, at age thirty, having had no college, having never applied myself in grade school or high school, or even learned how to study, I left for seminary. I told my parish priest, “Don’t tell anyone I went to seminary until after I’ve been gone a week because I expect I’ll be back by the end of the week. That’s how sure I was at that point! 

But I also remember that after being in seminary for about six weeks, one morning in the shower, it suddenly dawned on me that I had a deep sense of peace that I had not experienced for many years. So, as strange as it was to be in school after farming and ranching, I knew I was where I was supposed to be. And since being ordained to the priesthood, I have never looked back and know I am where God wants me and where I want to be. In fact, I am so blown away to be chosen by Christ to share in his ministerial priesthood.

My main point in telling you the story of my vocation journey to priesthood is to encourage parents and grandparents to gently keep before your children the idea that priesthood or consecrated life are options for their lives and a great honor to be called to by God.

My message for those who are still searching for their vocation, pray and listen for God’s call to whatever vocation he desires for you. It is in that vocation where you will find tremendous peace and happiness! If you think God may be calling you to priesthood, the permanent diaconate or consecrated life, boldly make that leap of faith!