Today we conclude the annual National Vocations Awareness Week with prayers and education for vocations to priesthood, diaconate, and consecrated life, and I want to do so with a story and a promotion.

The story is about two people who had a tremendous influence on my own vocation, what they did for me, and how everyone (yes you!) can be a proponent of vocations in young people. Discernment is never an individual process, and those in the community have a significant influence on the process whether they know it or not. I encourage everyone to take this task seriously, and to join me in saying, “Not on my watch.” There might be a crisis of vocations, but this thing ain’t ending with me.

Secondly, I want to offer a promotion. As many of you know, my book Called: What Happens After Saying Yes to God is about discernment and discipleship. And while it speaks of vocation more broadly than just ordained and religious life, it can still serve as an excellent resource for those discerning these vocations. To make sure that it gets into the hands of those who could use it, I’m once again giving away 50 free copies. All you need to do is click here and follow the instructions. You can also purchase a copy (or copies) for yourself or others by clicking here (there appears to be a 25% discount until the end of the day!)