"FOR I HAVE CALLED YOU..."

By Fr. Gerald Curry, S.F.M.
March 2002

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Our modern North American culture attempts to motivate and inspire us to do what it considers to be of value and importance. Television advertisements for young people to join the military invite them to "be all that you can be." For older people, retirement ideally is "Freedom 55." Olympic athletes are urged to "light the flame within." Cultural gurus tell us that we can be all that we want to be especially in our democratic North America. Film and theatre urge us to follow our dreams and not allow anyone to take them away. Being motivated in this way helps us to strive and to live the talents and gifts that are within us.

As Christians, our inspiration, our motivation, involves the very meaning of our lives and of life itself. We are called to take part in the vision and dream of God for our world and for each other. Our faith and our hope are in God and we live our lives as participants in God's plan and purpose. This invitation begins in the Old Testament and finds its perfect expression in Christ.

In this issue, Scarboro missionaries share their experience of the call of Jesus who invites them to "come and see," to "follow me." They describe the call itself as mysterious, as a call to be prophetic, to be in solidarity; it is a call to friendship, to joy, to holiness, walking in the goodness of the Lord.

They share with us their sense of joy and fulfillment, but especially of thanksgiving and gratitude. In the myriad experiences of life, they experienced "for I have called you" and this became the driving force of their lives.

Following Christ, they seek to be 'servant'-to be for others, to be compassionate, to love and care, to share, to be just, to announce "Good News to all Creation" and to denounce evil. Following Christ, they seek to make their lives Christ-centred, to put on the mind of Christ. Despite weaknesses and failures, their words are of gift and gratitude for all that they have received and, in a special way, for their vocation.

As we prepared this issue, three of our priest members and another priest of the Diocese of Prince Edward Island (a member of our extended missionary family) passed away. As always, we remembered them in prayer and with tears, celebrating their response to Christ's invitation to follow Him.

The youngest of these was Fr. Hugh MacDougall. 'Hughie' and I were friends from university days and our friendship remained strong and true until his tragic death in Cuba last November. Hughie loved his vocation to priesthood and gave himself completely to it and to all that his Scarboro community asked of him. He loved people; he loved to laugh, to tease, to debate and to compete. He loved his quiet time and his prayer time. His life touched many in Canada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Peru. Wherever he went he gave himself in friendship and service. On his death, people gathered in many places to remember and celebrate his presence among them.

Some time ago, our community members were asked to reflect on the question, What do you find most appealing/satisfying in your missionary work? Here is Fr. Hugh's answer:

"To be able to live and mature in a context where the really important values are people, community and our faith in God. To be able to share in the struggles and aspirations of another Church community. To have time to pray and to be with the Lord. To be continually challenged about the illusive vanity of wealth and the pursuit of things by a joyful people living a vulnerable and fragile type of existence, one that I will never really know."

To honour Fr. Hugh and all other Scarboro missionaries from the Diocese of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Scarboro Missions contributed a bursary of $5,000 to the Coady International Institute, a centre of excellence for community-based development.

With this special vocations issue we honour all Scarboro missionaries. In a special way we honour and remember Hughie.

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