Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - Sunday 29 April, 4th Sunday of Easter, the Church celebrates the 44th World Day of Prayer for Vocations. This year the theme is “The vocation to the service of the Church as communion”. In his message for the occasion the Holy Father underlines that “ an appropriate occasion for highlighting the importance of vocations in the life and mission of the Church, as well as for intensifying our prayer that they may increase in number and quality.”.
Recalling that “God has always chosen some individuals to work with him in a more direct way, in order to accomplish his plan of salvation”, the Pope mentions Abraham, Moses, the prophets. “In the New Testament, Jesus, the promised Messiah, invited each of the Apostles to be with him (cf. Mk 3: 14) and to share his mission. At the Last Supper, while entrusting them with the duty of perpetuating the memorial of his death and resurrection until his glorious return at the end of time, he offered for them to his Father this heart-broken prayer: “I made known to them your name, and I will make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them” (Jn 17: 26). The mission of the Church, therefore, is founded on an intimate and faithful communion with God”.
The Message emphasises that “ The Eucharist is the source of that ecclesial unity for which Jesus prayed on the eve of his passion”, and it is precisely this intense communion favours the growth of generous vocations at the service of the Church: "the heart of the believer, filled with divine love, is moved to dedicate itself wholly to the cause of the Kingdom. In order to foster vocations, therefore, it is important that pastoral activity be attentive to the mystery of the Church as communion; because whoever lives in an ecclesial community that is harmonious, co-responsible and conscientious, certainly learns more easily to discern the call of the Lord”. The Holy Father recalls that the pastoral care for vocations demands “ongoing ‘education’ to listen to the world of God ” and this can happen only in an intimate atmosphere of communion with God. “Now, docile and faithful listening can only take place in a climate of intimate communion with God which is realised principally in prayer. According to the explicit command of the Lord, we must implore the gift of vocations, in the first place by praying untiringly and together to the “Lord of the harvest”»… The Good Shepherd, therefore, invites us to pray to the heavenly Father, to pray united and insistently, that he may send vocations for the service of the Church as communion..”
The Holy Father recalls that Vatican II stressed the importance of “educating future priests to authentic ecclesial communion” and successive documents also confirmed “ It is indispensable that, within the Christian people, every ministry and charisma be directed to full communion; and it is the duty of the Bishop and priests to promote this communion in harmony with every other Church vocation and service.”. Recalling that the Eucharist is the centre of every Christian community, source and summit of the life and mission of the Church, the Message affirms: “ Whoever places himself at the service of the Gospel, if he lives the Eucharist, makes progress in love of God and neighbour and thus contributes to building the Church as communion”. In the encyclical Deus caritas est, Pope Benedict XVI reaffirmed that “ vocations to the priesthood and to other ministries and services flourish within the people of God wherever there are those in whom Christ can be seen through his Word, in the sacraments and especially in the Eucharist”.
In the last part of the Message, the Pontiff turns to the Blessed Virgin Mary asking her to “help the Church be in the world today an icon of the Trinity, an eloquent sign of divine love for all people”, to intercede “so that the Christian people will not lack servants of divine joy: priests who, in communion with their Bishops, announce the Gospel faithfully and celebrate the sacraments, take care of the people of God, and are ready to evangelise all humanity”, and for an increase in the number of consecrated persons who “give witness in a prophetic way to Christ and his liberating message of salvation”. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 24/4/2007, righe 45, parole 647)
