god's love and vocations
May 1, 2006
GOD CHOSE YOU
Before the creation of the world, before our coming into existence, the heavenly Father chose us personally, calling us to enter into a filial relationship with Him, through Jesus,...under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
"THE MYSTERY OF THE FATHER'S LOVE"
Dying for us, Jesus introduced us into the mystery of the Father's love, a love which completely envelops His Son and which He offers to all of us. In this way, united with Jesus...,we form a sole body, the Church.
GOD'S CALLINGS
We are called to live as brothers and sisters of Jesus, to feel that we are sons and daughters of the same Father. This is a gift that overturns every purely human idea and plan.
GOD'S QUESTION FOR YOU
What should be said... of the temptation, which is very strong nowadays, to feel that we are self-sufficiient to the point that we become closed to God's mysterious plan for each of us? The love of the Father, which is revealed in the person of Christ, puts this question to us?
JESUS' REDEEMING GRACE
In order to respond to the call of God and start on our journey, it is not necessary to be already perfect... Weaknesses and human limitations do not present an obstacle, as long as they help make us more aware of the fact that we are in need of the redeeming grace of Christ.
DIVINE LOVE CHANGES HEARTS
In the mystery of the Church, ...the divine power of love changes the heart of man, making him able to communicate the love of God to his brothers and sisters. Throughout the centuries many men and women, transformed by divine love, have consecrated their lives to the cause of the Kingdom.
PRAYER AND VOCATIONS
We readily recognize the need to pray for vocations to the priesthood and to the consecrated life. It is not surpris ing that, where people pray fervently, vocations flourish.
UNION WITH CHRIST
The holiness of the Church depends essentially on union with Christ and on being open to the mystery of grace .... I invite all te faithful to nurture an intimate relationship with Christ, Teacher and Pastor of His people, by imitating Mary who kept the divine mysteries in her heart and pondered them constantly.
(Source: Message for World Day of Prayer for Vocations, dated March 5, 2006)