The Call

Pope Francis once shared the story of his unexpected call to the priesthood and later, to the papacy. These were not paths he sought out, but roads that unfolded before him as part of God’s divine mission. He came to understand, as we all must, that God doesn’t call the equipped - God equips those who answer the call, even when it feels uncertain or overwhelming.

In the silence, Jesus waits. He knocks gently at the door of our hearts. The Holy Spirit doesn’t shout over the noise of life but speaks in quiet whispers, urging us toward something deeper, something greater. But how do we recognise that voice? What does it mean to be called?

So often, we expect God’s voice to arrive with drama, a booming word, a sudden revelation, a late-night phone call that changes everything. Yet, as the saints have shown us, God rarely speaks through spectacle. God’s voice is found in the stillness, in the sacred pauses of our lives, where something stirs quietly in our spirit. It’s there in the calm, the discomfort, and the ordinary that we begin to hear God.

And still we struggle to listen. Why?

G.K. Chesterton once wrote, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried.” He recognised that the Christian life isn’t always easy. It asks something of us, courage in small things, faith in unseen outcomes, obedience without full understanding. But in its simplicity lies its power to transform.

When we say yes to God’s call, however it comes, we open ourselves to the strength of the Spirit. We begin to live our vocation. And in doing so, we help others encounter Christ.

In the end, we don’t need to be world-changers, heroes, or podium speakers. We are called, simply, to listen. To be faithful to the whisper. To follow “The Call” with integrity, even when no one is watching. That is where transformation happens. That is how we make the most profound difference.

And now, in this moment in the life of the Church, we welcome a new Pope! Another humble servant stepping into the shoes of the fisherman. Popes come and go, but Jesus remains the same: the unchanging cornerstone, the Good Shepherd who leads His flock through every season.

We pray that this new Holy Father may be strengthened to serve with wisdom, compassion, and courage. May he, like Peter before him, say yes, not because the path is easy, but because Christ has called him. Just as Pope Francis once shared how his call came quietly and unexpectedly, we remember that the call to serve is rarely glamorous and often comes when we feel least ready. But we know this truth: God equips those who answer, and blesses those who serve His Church with an open heart.

Let us ask the Lord to bless Pope Leo XIV , guide him with the fire of the Holy Spirit, and to help him lead us in faith, hope, and love.