Dear Brothers and Sisters,
On the occasion of the 50th World Day of Prayer for
Vocations, to be held on 21 April 2013, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, I want to
invite you to reflect on the theme: “Vocations as a sign of hope founded in
faith”, which happily occurs during the Year of Faith,
the year marking the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second
Vatican Council. While the Council was in session, the Servant of God, Paul VI,
instituted this day of worldwide prayer to God the Father, asking him to
continue to send workers for his Church (cf. Mt 9:38).
“The problem of
having a sufficient number of priests”, as the Pope stated at the time, “has an
immediate impact on all of the faithful: not simply because they depend on it
for the religious future of Christian society, but also because this problem is
the precise and inescapable indicator of the vitality of faith and love of
individual parish and diocesan communities, and the evidence of the moral
health of Christian families. Wherever numerous vocations to the priesthood and
consecrated life are to be found, that is where people are living the Gospel
with generosity” (Paul VI, Radio Message, 11 April 1964).
For full text go to Vatican website here: Pope Benedict's message for World Day of Prayer for Vocations 2013
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