In all the ways he calls us, God shows infinite creativity
30 April 2023 marks the 60th World Day of Prayer for Vocations
In his message for this year’s Day of Prayer for Vocations, Pope Francis shared a personal testimony of the moment when he felt called to dedicate his entire life to serving the Lord. Here is an excerpt from his message.
We were created by love, for love and with love, and we are made for love.
In the course of our lives, this call, which is part of the fibre of our being and the secret of our happiness, comes to us by the work of the Holy Spirit in ever new ways. It enlightens our minds, strengthens our wills, fills us with amazement and sets our hearts afire. At times, the Spirit comes to us in completely unexpected ways. So it was for me when, on 21 September 1953, as I was on my way to an annual school celebration, I was led to stop by a church and go to confession. That day changed my life and left a mark that has endured to the present day. God’s call to the gift of self tends to make itself known gradually: in our encounter with situations of poverty, in moments of prayer, when we see a clear witness to the Gospel, or read something that opens our minds. (...) In all the ways he calls us, God shows infinite creativity.
The Lord’s initiative and his gracious gift call for a response on our part.
In
conclusion, Francis emphasizes the complementary nature of vocations within the
life of the Church.
Within the Church, all of us are servants, in accordance with the variety of our vocations, charisms and ministries. Our common vocation to give ourselves in love develops and finds concrete expression in the life of lay men and women, devoted to raising a family as a small domestic church and working as a leaven of the Gospel to renew the different sectors of society; in the testimony of consecrated women and men who are completely committed to God for the sake of their brothers and sisters as a prophetic sign of the kingdom of God; in ordained ministers - deacons, priests and bishops - placed at the service of preaching, prayer and fostering the communion of the holy People of God. Only in relation with all the others, does any particular vocation in the Church fully disclose its true nature and richness. Viewed in this light, the Church is a vocational “symphony”, with every vocation united yet distinct, in harmony and joined together in “going forth” to radiate throughout the world the new life of the kingdom of God.
Please visit the Society of Jesus’ vocation promotion website and join us in prayer for Jesuit vocations.
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