On August 7th, 2022, we had the great opportunity to welcome a new member into the Camden family. On this occasion and with vibrant joy, we welcomed Vincent Asselta as a new seminarian for the Diocese of Camden. Vincent is a smart, humble, and very prayerful man from Vineland that, in a courageous way, let himself be touched and guided by God’s love. With faith and evident happiness, Vincent says he has been serving at his home parish as an altar server for many years, at which experience his priestly vocation started to blossom. Seeing Vincent does not only remind me of the very first day I arrived at the Diocese of Camden in 2018, but Vincent is also a reminder of God’s providence as He always provides for His people.
It is imperative that we all face changes in life. Change itself is an intrinsic part of our existence. Both human beings and nature are subject to change the whole time. A simple way to understand the notion of change is through the idea of growth. We age over time, the sunflower grows to blossom someday and show its radiant beauty, the caterpillar develops to one day become a beautiful butterfly, and so on. In the process of growth, something or someone undergoes some sort of change to reach a more authentic sense of perfection. Such an idea is nicely connected to the reality of a priestly vocation as growth also extends to the spiritual realm. Through the notion of spiritual growth, we come to better understand the unnoticed, yet powerful work of God in the field of our souls.
Interestingly enough, for something to grow, there has to be a beginning, like the strong and beautiful tree that develops from a seed. Nothing in our human existence can develop from nothing, e.g., a mustard tree cannot be created without the seed. Only God has the power to create things from nothing. For a priestly vocation to grow and come to fulfillment, first there must be a seed that takes the form of a spiritual desire. No priestly vocation comes from mere human intention, intervention or emotion. Moreover, no priestly vocation can subsist without God’s divine and creative action.
From this perspective, Vincent’s vocation is a reminder of God’s divine presence in our earthly existence. His vocation is a vivid sign of God’s active work in the world. A priestly vocation is a reminder of God’s awareness of our physical and spiritual needs. From the scriptures we read: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter, 7).
Vincent’s vocation is like the food that the Israelites called manna. “It was white and tasted like wafers made with honey” (Exodus 16:31). The Lord always provides His people with manna from Heaven: “I’m going to send you food from heaven like rain” (Exodus 16:4). I would also contrast Vincent’s priestly vocation with the Desert Cactus that grows in futile, arid, and desertic environments where water becomes scarce. Astonishingly, the Desert Cactus is an ideal place for birds to find refuge and nourishment. Thus, Vincent’s vocation resembles God’s miracle of life taking place in the desert world.
Through the gift of priestly vocations, God waters the field of our souls with the “living water” of His love. Jesus Christ says one more time to us: “but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst” (John 4:14). Despite the aridity and dryness of today’s world, God continues to sustain us through the living waters of priestly vocations. God is never absent from our human reality as He continues to provide for His people. May this be the opportunity to thank God for his care and love. May we also thank God for the gift of Vincent’s vocation as we pray for this new chapter in his life. Let’s continue to pray for an increase of vocations to the priesthood in our Diocese and let’s continue to be instruments of God’s tender love by supporting those men whose hearts contain God’s divine seed of the priestly vocation. Amen!
Deacon Ricardo Lozano Cruz
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