Pope Francis says "In today's cultural context...the sense of God's presence is disappearing and faith is weakening" - "Let's not overlook it! Pray for vocations, intensely."
.png)
SPEECH OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS
TO THE PILGRIMAGE OF THE VOCATIONIST FAMILY
Paul VI Hall
Monday, May 22, 2023
________________________________________
Brothers and sisters, good morning and welcome!
I thank you for your visit and I am happy to welcome you one year after the canonization of St Justin Maria Russolillo, apostle of vocations and founder of your Vocationist Family.
For us, celebrating an anniversary like this means not only gratefully remembering God's gifts and the journey accomplished, but also asking ourselves what light we can receive for the present and what legacy we are called to accept for the future from the testimony of St. Justin.
In other words: what message does he leave us to renew our following of the Lord. Each of us must ask ourselves this question inside, question ourselves.
Your call is to offer a «service to all vocations» (S. Russolillo, The Spirit and the Charism of Fr. Justin, Center for vocational studies, 60). This charism springs from the desire of the young Justin who, while still a seminarian, felt strongly in his heart the impulse to take care of vocations, especially those to the ordained priesthood and consecrated life. And there is so much need for this even today: taking care of vocations. And I ask you, please: take care of vocations: sow them, prepare them, make them grow, accompany them.
And how to do? Looking at San Giustino, I would like to show you three paths: prayer, proclamation, mission.
First, prayer. Each one should answer this question within himself, not aloud, but within his heart: do I pray for vocations?
TO THE PILGRIMAGE OF THE VOCATIONIST FAMILY
Paul VI Hall
Monday, May 22, 2023
________________________________________
Brothers and sisters, good morning and welcome!
I thank you for your visit and I am happy to welcome you one year after the canonization of St Justin Maria Russolillo, apostle of vocations and founder of your Vocationist Family.
For us, celebrating an anniversary like this means not only gratefully remembering God's gifts and the journey accomplished, but also asking ourselves what light we can receive for the present and what legacy we are called to accept for the future from the testimony of St. Justin.
In other words: what message does he leave us to renew our following of the Lord. Each of us must ask ourselves this question inside, question ourselves.
Your call is to offer a «service to all vocations» (S. Russolillo, The Spirit and the Charism of Fr. Justin, Center for vocational studies, 60). This charism springs from the desire of the young Justin who, while still a seminarian, felt strongly in his heart the impulse to take care of vocations, especially those to the ordained priesthood and consecrated life. And there is so much need for this even today: taking care of vocations. And I ask you, please: take care of vocations: sow them, prepare them, make them grow, accompany them.
And how to do? Looking at San Giustino, I would like to show you three paths: prayer, proclamation, mission.
First, prayer. Each one should answer this question within himself, not aloud, but within his heart: do I pray for vocations?
Or do I just say an Our Father or a Hail Mary a little rushed? Do I offer an intense prayer for vocations? Prayer is the root of all our activities and of all apostolate. The primacy is not of our works, of our structures and of our organizations, but of prayer. It has primacy. And for this reason the first question is: do I pray for vocations? Because when we enter the spirit of contemplation and adoration, the Lord transforms us and we can be a reflection of the Father's love for those we meet along the way, be new, bright, welcoming, joyful people. When we become like this, we offer the first service to vocations, because those we meet, especially young people, are attracted by our way of being and by the choice of life we have made: they can see the light of God reflected on our faces, his tenderness and his love in our gestures, his joy in the heart of those who have given themselves and given themselves entirely to him. Vocations, especially those of special consecration, are often born in this way, in contact with some priest or some religious who show a beautiful humanity, a peace of heart, an invincible joy, a loving and welcoming trait. And it is prayer that makes us become this way. Let's not overlook it! Pray for vocations, intensely.
In your apostolate, then, the importance of proclamation must not be forgotten. Proclaim the Lord. St. Justin spoke of the "duty of daily preaching and of the perpetual research and culture of vocations" (Rules and Constitutions, I, 75, art. 802), especially recommending the teaching of the catechism. It is an indication that retains its importance and makes your charism topical. In today's cultural context, in fact, while the sense of God's presence is disappearing and faith is weakening, it can happen that people, especially young people, are unable to understand the meaning and direction of their lives, and perhaps are satisfied to live from day to day, or plan it without questioning what their path is, what dream the Lord has for them. And then we see the need to return to evangelization: proclaiming the Word, communicating the contents of the faith in a simple and passionate way, and accompanying people in their discernment. There is a need for this in the Church: that the energies of our apostolate be directed above all to encounter and listening, to accompany in discernment. I recommend this to you: reach everyone with the joy of the Gospel, help people in their spiritual discernment, spend themselves in evangelization!
Finally, I remind you to always cultivate and renew the missionary spirit. The vocationist, says St. Justin, is an apostle, he is a missionary, he is a witness of the Gospel, and «the whole Vocationist Congregation must be eminently missionary» (Rules and Constitutions, I, 89, art. 971). It is a question of putting into circulation, in the life of the Church but also in the various areas of the society in which you operate, all that is useful for communicating the joy of the Gospel, for dialogue with young people, for showing closeness to families, for humanities, especially those that take place in the educational field. This is a mission for which the service of many lay people who share the charism of St. Justin is necessary and precious. But I would add another thing: Justin recommended that every vocational community should become «a cloister for religious; clergy house; vocations cenacle; office of the people; dispensary of light and consolation; heart of the parish and diocesan community» (Opere, I, p. 363). Also in this way the mission is carried forward: becoming capable of welcoming, listening, closeness.
Dear brothers and sisters, I wish you to always be an open space for welcoming people and caring for vocations; a place of prayer and discernment for those who seek; a place of consolation for the wounded; a "workshop of the Spirit" where whoever enters can experience being shaped by the divine craftsman who is the Holy Spirit. And don't be discouraged in hardships and difficulties: the Lord is close to you and St. Justin intercedes for you! Go forward with courage. I bless you from my heart and please pray for me.
Thank you!
In your apostolate, then, the importance of proclamation must not be forgotten. Proclaim the Lord. St. Justin spoke of the "duty of daily preaching and of the perpetual research and culture of vocations" (Rules and Constitutions, I, 75, art. 802), especially recommending the teaching of the catechism. It is an indication that retains its importance and makes your charism topical. In today's cultural context, in fact, while the sense of God's presence is disappearing and faith is weakening, it can happen that people, especially young people, are unable to understand the meaning and direction of their lives, and perhaps are satisfied to live from day to day, or plan it without questioning what their path is, what dream the Lord has for them. And then we see the need to return to evangelization: proclaiming the Word, communicating the contents of the faith in a simple and passionate way, and accompanying people in their discernment. There is a need for this in the Church: that the energies of our apostolate be directed above all to encounter and listening, to accompany in discernment. I recommend this to you: reach everyone with the joy of the Gospel, help people in their spiritual discernment, spend themselves in evangelization!
Finally, I remind you to always cultivate and renew the missionary spirit. The vocationist, says St. Justin, is an apostle, he is a missionary, he is a witness of the Gospel, and «the whole Vocationist Congregation must be eminently missionary» (Rules and Constitutions, I, 89, art. 971). It is a question of putting into circulation, in the life of the Church but also in the various areas of the society in which you operate, all that is useful for communicating the joy of the Gospel, for dialogue with young people, for showing closeness to families, for humanities, especially those that take place in the educational field. This is a mission for which the service of many lay people who share the charism of St. Justin is necessary and precious. But I would add another thing: Justin recommended that every vocational community should become «a cloister for religious; clergy house; vocations cenacle; office of the people; dispensary of light and consolation; heart of the parish and diocesan community» (Opere, I, p. 363). Also in this way the mission is carried forward: becoming capable of welcoming, listening, closeness.
Dear brothers and sisters, I wish you to always be an open space for welcoming people and caring for vocations; a place of prayer and discernment for those who seek; a place of consolation for the wounded; a "workshop of the Spirit" where whoever enters can experience being shaped by the divine craftsman who is the Holy Spirit. And don't be discouraged in hardships and difficulties: the Lord is close to you and St. Justin intercedes for you! Go forward with courage. I bless you from my heart and please pray for me.
Thank you!
Comments