If the place of supernatural grace disappears from our horizons no one could hope to overcome the gravity of our culture

Our culture has forgotten what grace means, says bishop

by Madeleine Teahan

Bishop Mark Davies will deliver homily at Chrism Mass at St Columba Church tomorrow: The “only vocational question which really matters” is, “do we believe in the grace of God?”, according to the Bishop of Shrewsbury.

During his homily at the Chrism Mass tomorrow at St Columba Church in Chester, Bishop Mark Davies will say: “I remember the bishop who ordained me to the priesthood asking me as a 24 year old only one question: ‘Do you believe in the grace of God?’ I have often reflected this is only the vocational question which really matters.”

Bishop Davies will say that Christians must be prepared to ask themselves if they are willing to stake their lives on God’s grace. He said: “If the place of supernatural grace disappears from our horizons no one could hope to overcome the gravity of our culture or our own weakness in to live a holy life in marriage and in family; an apostolic life in the world; the gift of a whole life (which seems so little) in the ministerial priesthood or in the consecrated life of women and men especially celebrated this year. In our Christian calling we must always ask ourselves anew: do we believe in the grace of God? Are we ready to stake our lives on what God’s grace makes possible?”

During his homily, Bishop Davies will observe that today’s “dominant culture” is frightened of commitments such as marriage.

He will say: “The dominant culture around us now all but despair of life-long commitments and often see the promises of marriage as fearful and uncertain; chastity, our contemporaries often see chastity, pure love within marriage as much as outside of it as near impossible to attain; and the celibate priesthood or the consecrated life as almost reckless adventures in the face of human weakness. And all because one part of the equation is never reckoned upon: the grace of God which alone makes our vocations possible.

“At World Youth Day in Madrid Pope Benedict spoke to our Shrewsbury youth together with more than a million young people urging them not become paralysed by a culture of fear, “be neither afraid of the world” he said “nor of the future, nor of your weakness … I urge you to ask God to help you find your vocation …” (Prayer Vigil, Madrid 20th August 2011).”

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