PRAYER AND ACTION

    Reverend Brothers in the episcopate; dearest sons and daughters throughout the world.

VOCATIONS’ VITAL AND FUNDAMENTAL IMPORTANCE

      1. In a spirit full of hope I turn to all of you to invite you to celebrate with renewed faith and unanimous participation the XXI World Day of Prayer for Vocations.
       As a Pastor of the universal Church, I open my heart and express to you again the concern I feel for the effective increase of vocations to the sacred ministry, to the consecrated life in the variety of this forms, and to the missionary of life. This is a problem of vital and fundamental importance for the community of believers and for all humanity. The forthcoming celebration offers to everyone, pastors and faithful, the opportunity to become more aware of the common responsibilities to carry out generously that which the Lord himself has commanded to be done.

THE HEART OF JESUS LAMENTS EVEN TODAY

On the forth Sunday of Easter, between the solemnities of the Resurrection and of Pentecost, the World Day of Prayer always receives new light and new hope from this two great mysteries. On that Sunday, the passage from the Gospel according to John proposes to us the evocative image of the Good Shepherd. “He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.” (Jn. 10:3-4) The Good Shepherd, the Risen Christ, guarantees in a visible manner his perennial presence in renewed humanity by means of those whom throughout history he continually sends to carry out the work of salvation. Today also; he is alive and present in the midst of us, and he makes each of us feel his voice and his love.  
   

Action joined to prayer

    3. Action. Without doubt the insistence on prayer willed by Jesus cannot mean inertia and evasion of our other responsibilities. Rather the contrary! It is the will of the Lord that to prayer, well understood and lived, be joined our work and our collaboration. Jesus himself not only prays and commands to pray, but at the same time calls apostles and disciples, takes care of their formation and invites them to announce the Gospel.

    Vatican Council II recalled that effective collaboration for the increase of vocations is the duty of the whole Christian community (OT, 2). One treats of a converging and diversified pastoral action. Therefore all the baptized, each according to his or her condition, must be committed to render efficacious, with the help of God, the action of the Church in a sector of such importance for its life and its future. Responsible for it in a particular way are bishops, priest, deacons, and consecrated persons, those involved in education, above all, Christian families.

Bishop’s role in vocation promotion

    To you, revered brothers in the episcopate, who, in imitation of the Good Shepherd, guide with love and trepidation the flock that has been entrusted to you, is joined my gratitude and that of the Church for the exemplary efforts which you undertake in your communities to foster all consecrated vocations. Tangible evidence of them is the programs or plans of diocesan action which you have published or which you are preparing or bringing up to date.

    The Lord is giving to the Church a new fruitfulness in the field of vocations. Especially in some countries a prominent increase is being manifested, for which one will never be thankful enough for the goodness of God. These signs of hope will stimulate you to preserve with courage and fervor in such a precious work. Following the lines of action proposed by the conclusive document of the second international congress on the pastoral care of vocations in particular Churches, held in May 1981, mobilize all the efforts of apostolate and involved all spheres with a service ever more methodical, inclusive and extending.

Joyful witness, apostolic action and constant prayer

    My word is addressed now to all of you who collaborate with the Bishops in this delicate mission: priests, deacons, religious men and women, members of secular institutes, animators and those responsible for vocations. I know how great a contribution you make and which you are able to make with your joyful witness and your apostolic action, made valuable by constant prayer. In this circumstance I desire to make a recommendation to you whom I hold particularly a heart: announce with courage Christ who calls; he makes use of us to bring his appeals to his destinations. Announce him with strength above all to the young. In numerous regions a new youth is growing, open to prayer and to quest for God, desirous of participating in the life of the Church and of society. Do not disappoint their expectations. Be then messengers of the will of God and call with courage!

Helping the youth to discover their vocations
   
    To Christian Families, next, I would like to recall the irreplaceable value of their work and of their commitment. Dear spouses and Christian parents, you who have collaborated with God in giving life to new creatures, know how to cooperate with him also in helping your children to discover and realize the mission which Christ entrusts to each one of them. In this lies the Greatest sign of love before them. A vocation is a great gift not only for the one who receives it, but also for the parents.

    In order to carry out such a sublime and demanding task, I exhort to be faithful to the vocation which you yourselves have received in the sacrament of Marriage. In your family greatly foster prayer: you yourselves have need of the light of God to discern his will and to respond to it generously.


Longing to meet the youth

    At last, I turn above all to you, boys and girls, young and not so young, who find yourselves in this decisive moment of your choices. I would like to meet you one by one, call you by your name, talk to you heart to heart of things extremely important not only for your persons, but for the whole of humanity.

    I would like to ask each one of you: what will you do with your life? What are your plans? Have you ever thought committing your existence totally for Christ? Do you think that there can be anything greater than to bring Jesus to people to Jesus?


Prayer as personal and direct involvement

    The World Day is a favorable occasion to pray and reflect on such essential arguments. It is obvious that praying for vocations does not mean being occupied only with the vocations of others.

    Today, dear young people, the voices that try to penetrate your conscience are many. How is the voice which gives the true sense to your life to be distinguished? Jesus makes himself felt in silence and in prayer. In this climate of intimacy with him, each one of you will be able to perceive the invitation, sweet but also firm, of the Good Shepherd, who says to you: “Follow Me!” (cf. Mk. 2:14; Lk. 5:27).

Challenge to many of the young

    Many of you are called to carry out the priesthood of Jesus; many others to giving themselves totally to him living a chaste, poor, obedient life; many to go as missionaries in all continents. Many young people are called to offer their exclusive love to Christ is a history of unique and unrepeatable love.

    If he calls you and draws you to him, be certain that he will not abandon you. We read many times in the Gospel: “Have no fear” (cf. Mt. 14:27; Mk. 6:50); “I will leave you desolate!” (cf. Jn. 14:18). I mean that he knows your difficulties, and he gives to those whom he has called strength and courage to overcome them, Jesus is everything in our life. Therefore trust yourselves to him.


Prayer for vocations
   
    In conclusion of these reflections and exhortations of mine, I invite you, dearest brothers and sisters, to raise in profound communion of intent the following prayer:

    O Jesus, Good Shepherd, accept our praise and our humble thanks for all the vocations which, through your Spirit, you give liberally and continually to your Church. Assist the bishops, priest, missionaries and all consecrated persons; enable them to give the example of truly evangelical life. Make strong and preserving in their intention those who are preparing for the sacred ministry and the consecrated life. Multiply the laborers of the Gospel to announce your name to all peoples. Take care of all the young in our families and our communities; grant them readiness and generosity to follow you. Today too, turn your gaze upon them and call them. Grant to all those called the strength to abandon everything in order to choose only who are love. Forgive the non-responses and infidelities of those whom you have chosen.

    Listen, O Christ, to our invocations through the intercession of Most Holy Mary, your mother and Queen of the apostles. May she who, having believed and replied generously, has been the cause of our joy, accompany with her presence and her example those whom you call to total service in your kingdom. Amen.
   
    While I am confident that the Lord will want to hear the supplications of his Church, I invoke the abundance of divine graces on all of you, revered brothers in the episcopate, on priest, on religious men, on religious women and on all Christian people, in a particular way on those who are preparing for the Holy orders and for the consecrated life and on those who promote with generous commitment the increase of ecclesiastical vocations, and with great heart impart the propitious Apostolic Blessings.

From the Vatican, 11th February, liturgical memorial of the Blessed Mary of Lourdes, in the year 1984, the sixth of the pontificate.