Pope on World Day for Vocations:
Lord’s call entails promise and risk
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| Pope at World Youth Day in Panama (ANSA) |
The Vatican on March 9 released the message of Pope Francis
on the theme, “The Courage to take a risk for God’s Promise”.
By Robin Gomes
Pope Francis is urging Catholics to pray that the Lord may
help us discover His plan of love for our lives and grant us the courage to
walk in the path He has chosen for each of us.
He made the call in his message for this year’s World Day of
Prayer for Vocations that will be observed on the 4th Sunday of
Easter, Good Shepherd Sunday, May 12.
The Vatican on Saturday released the message that has as its
theme, “The Courage to take a risk for God’s Promise”.
Promise and risk
The message is a reflection on “how the Lord’s call makes
us bearers of a promise and, at the same time, asks of us
the courage to take a risk, with him and for him”.
Just as Simon, Andrew, James and John had a mixed
fortune in their catch of fish, the Pope said, “much of life is like
that”. Sometimes we enjoy a good catch, sometimes we need the
courage to keep our boat from being tossed by the waves and at times we are
frustrated with empty nets.
It is at this moment that Jesus approaches the fishermen,
breaks through the “paralysis of routine” and promises to make them
fishers of men.
We too were surprised by the promise of a joy that is
capable of bringing fulfilment to our lives, when we met the person to marry or
when we first felt the attraction for consecrated life.
Lord’s call, not an intrusion
Rather than an intrusion in our freedom, a “cage” or a
burden, the Pope said, the Lord’s call is a loving initiative whereby
God encounters us and invites us to be part of a great undertaking. He
opens before our eyes the horizon of a greater sea and an abundant catch.
However, embracing the Lord’s promise, the Pope said,
demands the courage to risk making a decision, of putting ourselves on the line
and facing a great challenge. Leaving behind the security of our little
boat that prevents us from making a definitive choice, he said, we are called
to be bold and decisive in seeking God’s plan for our lives,
trusting in the Lord’s promise.
Call to Christian life
This, the Pope said, is part of the call
to Christian life that we all have received in baptism. It is
born and develops through the liturgy, God’s grace, the sacraments, God’s word,
prayer and fraternal sharing.
The Christian life thus finds expression in our decisions
that give a precise direction to our personal journey and also contribute to
the growth of God’s kingdom in our world. These vocations make us bearers
of a promise of goodness, love and justice, not only for ourselves but also for
our societies and cultures, which need courageous Christians and authentic
witnesses of the kingdom of God.
Do not be deaf to God's call
Speaking about the call to consecrated life and priesthood,
the Pope said it can excite as well as frighten us. Our decision to risk
leaving behind everything to follow the Lord can meet much resistance in
today’s highly secularized contexts. The Holy Father thus
urged young people not to be deaf to the Lord’s call, saying there can be no
greater joy than to risk one’s life for the Lord.
The Pope acknowledged it is not always easy to
discern our vocation and to steer our life in the right direction. Hence
the whole Church - priests, religious, pastoral workers and educators – needs
to provide young people with opportunities for listening and
discernment. Youth ministry and promotion of
vocations along with prayer, meditation on God’s Word, Eucharistic
adoration and spiritual accompaniment, the Pope said, help in discovering God’s
plan.
In conclusion, Pope Francis offered young people the model
of Mary, whose vocation, he said, was both a promise and a risk. Her
mission was not easy, yet through her ‘yes’ she did not allow fear to
prevail.
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