Vocare

Synod 2018

Youth vocation and DB ARK’s Preparation on it

Vocare (Lat.) means ‘To call’. Vocation (Eng.) means ‘a call’.

There might be different opinions to ‘call’, depending upon the one who explains it. Religious have their call which differs from those of lay majority. There is a misconception about ‘being called’ into different fields of our existing realities like ‘Faith’, ‘service’, ‘work’, etc.

The young doesn’t really like the word “Vocation” because it is misunderstood on a large scale in our society today. These days people immediately connect ‘Vocation’ to God’s call to leave away everything and start to follow Him, remain bachelor, forego all that flesh desires which may lead you to sin and as a result Hell is where you’ll land up. The youth today is allergic to all this and doesn’t believe in all this so called “Faith” based ideas.

A traditional, monotonous church or a priest doesn’t like this type of behavior and takes it as the sin against the Lord. As a result there comes a gap between the church, its teachings and the young people.

Young people today are out of reach of any ‘Vocation’ today or even if they hear they neglect it. May be they don’t understand that it is not limited to a particular, biased ideas of faith. The call can be for anything that you’re supposed to respond to, because you’re here on earth for a purpose, and if you don’t figure it out and do the needful, it remains undone. Hence we must let everyone know that its not an accident that we are here. There is a purpose of one’s being here.

The Catholic Church has decided to dedicate this ‘Synod 2018’ focusing on the need and the potential of the young in the church. Present Pope has said “the church will be ugly if there are no young people in it…” This is a very serious issue which should be the top most on our priority list.

DB ARK has always been following the philosophy of the founder Himself, Don Bosco. He said “no boy, no girl, is a bad boy or a bad girl.” That means all are ‘good’. It is so, all that happens in or through DB ARK, it runs through a common thread. All our programs invite young people (be it students, teachers or even parents) to find out that goodness in them that God has implanted. This goodness reverberates as it comes in contact with another human being (Ref. Mary goes to meet her cousin Elizabeth and Jesus, ‘the Good News’ leaps for joy in her womb). It compels the other people to do ‘good’ to others because inspires (Ref. to Bible: Let your light so shine before men…).

DB ARK invites the young and the youth workers to response to the call from within, board the ARK (Ref. to Noah’s ark) and respond. The call to identify that ‘Goodness’ in themselves, Nourish it, Share it with others (Inspire) and Empower them. 

DAAD (Do an ARK A Day) is one such initiative started by DB ARK which is catching up by leaps and bounds in majority of the places where we go. ARK stands for Act of random Kindness. It is a way of life, an empathic response to the need of a random living being. The young is called (vocation) to be loving and lovable by being sensitive to their needs.

Another noble step taken by DB ARK in the way of calling the young people is to make them friends with those who are less privileged. It is known as PY-YAR, where Privileged youth (PY) initiates a proposal for friendship with one who is a Young At Risk (YAR). Over a course of time they become aware of each other quiet well, including their life style and the situations in life. Hence they become empathic and care for each other.

The responses are great and exciting. We believe and assure you Synod 2018 that we are already with you. We carry out the same what you intend for calling such an extra ordinary gathering centered around and dedicated for the Young of the whole world.

Written by:

Mukesh George

Youth Animation Programs Leader