The priests and people of the Diocese of Dunkeld gathered in St Andrew’s Cathedral, Dundee, on the feast of St Matthew to celebrate the annual Vocations Mass. A large number of senior pupils from the three Catholic secondary schools in the diocese were also present. Bishop Stephen Robson was the principal celebrant, and Diocesan Director of Priestly Vocations, Fr Michael Carrie was the preacher. Fr Michael told those present, “Matthew, would have been quite surprised to have been called by Jesus to follow him. In the famous painting of the call of Matthew, by Caravaggio, Matthew is depicted with a look of surprise and is pointing to himself, in as much to say, “Who, me?” after the Lord, asks him to follow him…because of his job as a tax collector he would have thought himself unworthy of following the Lord.” Fr Carrie pointed out that each of us might feel just as unworthy as St Matthew, but God sees something good in us. The Lord seeks us out in our brokenness. He is seeking us out long before we ever think of seeking him out. Our calling is to respond to the Lord’s initiative towards us, just as St Matthew did. He asked those present to pray for those currently discerning vocations to the priesthood for the diocese, and also to pray for the priests of the diocese, that they may continue to be faithful to the promises made on the day of their ordination.
