April 26, 2026, 12:00 PM
If the Lord does not build the house
In vain do the builders labor.
When I was pastor at Resurrection—in the midst of a major building project—I often quoted those words from the psalms. They became part of my prayer. I hope they became part of the parish’s prayer. We all need, after all, to be reminded that all good efforts should be grounded in God. And that’s why we pray.
Today, Vocation Sunday, calls us to prayer. We can have all sorts of ideas and opinions about how best to call men to priesthood. We can create projects that keep priesthood, diaconate and religious life in the forefront. We can argue about what preparations—academic, spiritual, human—best fit a man for the job. But, as we hear Jesus’s self-identifying words about the Good Shepherd, we’re called to pray—to allow the Lord to build the foundation for priestly vocations. After all, he tells elsewhere in the gospels: Beg the harvest master to send out workers for the harvest.
In vain do the builders labor.
When I was pastor at Resurrection—in the midst of a major building project—I often quoted those words from the psalms. They became part of my prayer. I hope they became part of the parish’s prayer. We all need, after all, to be reminded that all good efforts should be grounded in God. And that’s why we pray.
Today, Vocation Sunday, calls us to prayer. We can have all sorts of ideas and opinions about how best to call men to priesthood. We can create projects that keep priesthood, diaconate and religious life in the forefront. We can argue about what preparations—academic, spiritual, human—best fit a man for the job. But, as we hear Jesus’s self-identifying words about the Good Shepherd, we’re called to pray—to allow the Lord to build the foundation for priestly vocations. After all, he tells elsewhere in the gospels: Beg the harvest master to send out workers for the harvest.
We have a particular opportunity to pray for vocations in our parishes. For many years St Ann Parish has maintained an adoration chapel. It’s located in the former convent. It’s a small place and arranged for very quiet prayer. The Blessed Sacrament is exposed on the altar. And we’re invited to pray there, particularly for those vocations so needed by the Church, so needed that Eucharist might be available to us.
Certainly, we can pray at home. Certainly, we can walk into any Catholic church and find the tabernacle. Christ hears us wherever we’re praying. But, there’s something especially attractive about Eucharistic adoration. It holds us in continued reverence for the mystery we celebrate at Mass. Of course, the Eucharist is primarily given to us as sacrifice and meal. But, those earthly elements remain changed. That’s why we genuflect when we enter the building. That’s why we keep a quiet atmosphere in our churches. (Something visitors always notice!) We’re in the presence of Christ himself. In gratitude for that gift, in a desire to see that mystery continue to be celebrated, we pour out our prayers. That God should touch hearts. That God should embolden wills. That God should transform lives. Let the Lord build the house—let him build the house of vocation with the help of our prayers!
Fr. McCreary
