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Pope Benedict XVI- Angelus |
Regina
Caeli
Message
On World Day for Vocations
"At the Service of the Church as Communion"
H.H. Benedict XVI
April 29, 2007
www.zenit.org
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Good Shepherd Sunday, is the
World Day of Prayer for Vocations. All the faithful are exhorted to
pray in a particular way for vocations to the priesthood and the
consecrated life.
This morning in St. Peter's Basilica I had the joy of ordaining 22
new priests. As I greet with affection these newly ordained men and
their families and friends, I invite you to remember in your prayers
those whom the Lord continues to call by name -- as he did one day
with the apostles on the shores of the Sea of Galilee -- that they
may become "fishers of men," that is, his more direct co-workers in
the proclamation of the Gospel and the service of the Kingdom of God
in our time.
Let us pray for the gift of perseverance for all priests: May they
remain faithful to prayer, may they celebrate the holy Mass with
ever renewed devotion, may their lives always be a listening to the
word of God and that day after day they assimilate the same
sentiments and attitudes of Jesus the Good Shepherd.
Let us pray, then, for those who are preparing for the priestly
office and for the instructors in the seminaries of Rome, Italy and
the whole world; let us pray for the families, that they continue to
allow the "seed" of the call to the ministerial priesthood to mature
and blossom.
This year the theme for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations is
"Vocation at the Service of the Church as Communion." The Second
Vatican Council, in presenting the mystery of the Church in our
time, favored the category of "communion." In this perspective the
rich variety of gifts and offices of the people of God is
highlighted. All the baptized are called to contribute to the work
of salvation. In the Church there are, however, some vocations that
are especially dedicated to the service of communion.
The one who is primarily responsible for Catholic communion is the
Pope, Successor of Peter and Bishop of Rome; with him the bishops,
successors of the apostles, are caretakers and teachers of unity.
The bishops are helped by the priests. But consecrated persons and
all the faithful are also at the service of communion. The Eucharist
is at the heart of the Church as communion: From this greatest
sacrament the various vocations draw the spiritual strength to
continually build up the one ecclesial body in charity.
We turn now to Mary, Mother of the Good Shepherd. May she who
readily responded to God's call, saying "behold the handmaid of the
Lord" (Luke 1:38), help us to welcome with joy and availability
Christ's invitation to be his disciples, always animated by the
desire to form "one heart and one soul" (cf. Acts 4:32).
[After praying the Angelus, the Holy Father greeted pilgrims in
eight languages. In English, he said:]
I extend a cordial greeting to the English-speaking pilgrims! Today,
on this "Good Shepherd Sunday", the Church observes the World Day of
Prayer for Vocations. In my message for this occasion, I emphasized
that the call to ordained and consecrated life in the Church is a
call to communion -- a communion rooted in the unity of Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit.
As Jesus tells us in the Gospel, "The Father and I are one" (John
10:30). Today, I invite you to join me in praying that young people
will answer this call to communion and the service of the Church by
responding generously to Christ's call to priesthood and religious
life. May God bless you all!
© Copyright 2007 -- Libreria Editrice Vaticana
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