APPRECIATION OF ONE’S VOCATION
The attack at Holguín caused Claret to re-evaluate some realities. It’s not that he wasn’t clear, of course. But the circumstances of the attack gave him the opportunity to reflect more deeply on the meaning of life, the happiness or unhappiness of his neighbours, his own identity as a priest, a prelate, a Minister of Jesus Christ.
Nobody is more than anyone else; or less either. We all have the same dignity as children of God, and we are also citizens of this world. The ‘unhappy man’ who threatened the life of Claret didn’t do it- as understood by Claret himself- except through diabolical inspiration. It is likely that he was very confused and pushed unconsciously by those from other areas, who plotted against the life and work of the Holy Archbishop. Claret forgives his attacker from the depths of his heart; and reflects that the attack is not simply against him as a human being, but that it is, above all, against his position as a man of God: priest, prelate, Minister of Jesus Christ.
It is important to acknowledge and assume our vocation in life. Every vocation is a call to service, the fulfilment of a task, and the realization of a project that God entrusts to every being that comes into the world. We are not only living organisms; we are beings made in the image and likeness of the creator. We have a duty to bring this world to its final destination: to be a home for all the children of God. So it is important to know what responsibilities we have in our everyday life. Because what we do or stop doing will have an effect, either for the benefit of or to the detriment of our own vocation and the quality of life of others.
