Friday, February 11, 2011

Message of Pope Benedict for 48th World Day of Prayer for Vocations - May 15th, 2011



The Fourth Sunday of Easter, popularly known as Good Shepherd Sunday is also the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. This year it falls on Sunday, May 15th. Traditionally, the Holy Father issues a message to the church and the world for this important day and this year he has chosen the theme of Proposing Vocations in the Local Church.

In a very extensive letter, Pope Benedict stresses the need for every member of the church to feel the need to consciously promote vocations and goes on to say...'It is essential that every local Church become more sensitive and attentive to the pastoral care of vocations, helping children and young people in particular at every level of family, parish and associations – as Jesus did with his disciples - to grow into a genuine and affectionate friendship with the Lord, cultivated through personal and liturgical prayer; to grow in familiarity with the sacred Scriptures and thus to listen attentively and fruitfully to the word of God; to understand that entering into God’s will does not crush or destroy a person, but instead leads to the discovery of the deepest truth about ourselves

This letter deserves to be widely circulated and read widely. It can be read in full here.

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