As part of the Rite of Baptism, there is a prayer called “Efatha” in which the celebrant touches the child’s mouth and ears and says, “May the Lord Jesus, who makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak, grant you forgiveness.” so that soon you may receive his word with your ears and confess your faith with your lips, to the glory and praise of God the Father.”

The authors of “Raising Catholic Children According to Their Vocation” say: “For our children to receive a calling, we must make it possible for them to encounter God and to talk with God. As parents, we must find ways to encourage this encounter.”

Jane Hartey, director of religious education at Holy Family Church in Sewell, said the gathering will begin on Sunday mornings.

“It has to start with liturgy and prayer,” Hartey said. Especially Adoration to allow the Holy Spirit to welcome you. To hear God’s call, you must have a relationship with God.”

She recommends that young people spend time volunteering in the neighborhood or at other charitable causes in the community, such as soup kitchens or food pantries.

Another way young people can encourage encounter is to see men and women of faith living out their vocation, said Melissa Brino, a seventh-grade language arts and eighth-grade religion and social studies teacher at Saint Mary School in Williamstown.

“It’s better to introduce kids to careers rather than just talking about them,” Brino said. “Last year, we had students in fifth through eighth grade prepare questions for a panel discussion about jobs.” The panel included a priest, a deacon, a religious sister, a woman living a consecrated life, and a married couple.

“This was the best view we’ve ever experienced,” he said. “It gave the kids the opportunity to see what jobs are. Children need to see this concretely. It’s too dark for them to just talk.”

Oftentimes, kids aren’t exactly sure what they want to ask about jobs, Brino said. “’What are the rules for priests?’ They will ask questions like: ‘What do you have to do to become a priest?’ ‘What is the difference between a priest and a deacon?’”

“In today’s age, children are overwhelmed with information. “The most concrete examples are the most important,” he said.

Sister Dianna Higgins, FMIJ, director of campus ministry at Paul VI High School in Haddonfield, said another approach to vocations is for young people to understand what God wants them to do with their God-given talents and desires.

“What do you find joy in? What are the ways to use your gifts? “You start from there (and) then you look at different professions,” he said.

Sister Dianna also said that sometimes when a student approaches her, she gets the feeling that she is interested in a vocation because the student asks, “What do you do on the weekend?” He explained that he started asking questions like: or “How did you know you wanted to be a religious sister?” So he will share his story.

“There was a moment in my life when I asked myself, ‘What kind of values ​​do I want to live by (and) not because my family wants me to live that way?’” he said. “For me, I am a Christian, so the values ​​I want to live by are the values ​​of Jesus.”

He added that there are different ways people respond to Jesus’ values. “Maybe someone else sees Jesus as a great healer and goes into medicine, or someone sees Jesus as a great teacher and says, ‘I want to live like that, too.’”

“The answer for me was to live the religious life,” he continued. “I was worried, I had doubts and I was scared, but I took a leap of courage and did the best I could.”

She advises students that it’s normal to be unsure and that it’s part of growing up and learning about careers.

“The life of Jesus is so great and diverse,” he said. “See something you feel drawn to, pray and keep an open mind. “It’s a wonderful life.”

Fostering vocations in children takes time and prayer, which is something Sharon Cichoski knows. She is the mother of Father Adam Cichoski, vocations director and rector of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Camden.

“Be patient, be willing to listen, try not to force, let them explain and support you in their own way. Don’t be afraid. I always say, ‘Let it go, let it go to God.’ Things will turn out the way He wants,” he said in an episode of “What a Life” previously released on Talking Catholic YouTube.

She recommends letting kids know they are understood and letting things happen in their own time. And of course prayers. “Prayers, many prayers – Saint John Vianney, Padre Pio, call them all.”

To watch “What a Life” with Father Adam Cichoski and his mother, visit: youtube.com/@TalkingCatholic or minikurl.com/2nfbtccd.