Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Salto (Agenzia Fides) - The Church in Uruguay is celebrating a Vocational Month 2009 this June, with the theme: “Jesus calls you to be a disciple in community.” On the occasion, Auxiliary Bishop Heriberto A. Bodeant of Salto, President of the Department of Vocations and Ministries, has written a letter to all the faithful explaining the motto that has been chosen.
“Above all, Jesus is the one who calls,” Bishop Heriberto said. “Christ is alive and continues calling.” It is a call that “at times opens the path amidst many obstacles and noises that try to stifle it, until it finally knocks on the door of our heart and awaits a response.” It is a call that is personal and “He doesn't call people at random, or by appearances.” Jesus's call “reveals His relationship with the Father. It invites us to discover that we are sons and daughters of the Father, His favored children. It invites us to discover the Father's Will, which is His Will of Life and Salvation for all humanity, and to place ourselves with Jesus at His service.”
“Jesus calls each one of these men to be his disciples,” the letter says. “The disciples soon discover that Jesus is much more than a teacher, and they are going to be His disciples not because they learn a series of teachings, but because they are going to unite themselves to the person of Jesus, and His mission is to do the Will of the Father.” This call to be a disciple also implies a missionary aspect, as “from the beginning, Jesus' disciple is a missionary.” In this sense, the Bishop recalls that “today, in Latin America, the Church reminds us, through the Aparecida Conference, of this especially urgent call for our time, 'so that our people may have life in Him.'”
The last part of the theme is “in community.” He says: “The Twelve were a fairly varied group of people...A large part of Jesus' teachings to the Twelve have to do with the relationship among them, in fraternity, forgiveness, humility, and service.” “We cannot understand the Church without beginning with the community formed by the disciples of Jesus,” said Bishop Heriberto, as the call is received “in and from the Church, to live in the world, as members of that community.” This call can take on various forms, with different kinds of commitments: the priesthood, the consecrated life, lay men and women called to live as Christians in their family life, work, activity in the world. But “all disciples. All members of the Church. All united in Jesus. All called to be with Him and sent to preach.”
“May this Vocational Month help us as members of the Church to become more aware of our vocation to be Jesus' disciples, 'missionary disciples,' so that each day we can follow Him with the same joy felt by those first ones who 'leaving their nets behind, followed Him.'” (RG) (Agenzia Fides 4/6/2009)
