Do not be deaf to the call of the Lord

Pope Francis asked the young people to listen to what God asked of them, not to let themselves be carried away by fear and to answer with a "yes" to their vocation: "Do not be deaf to the call of the Lord ".

The Holy Father made this appeal in the message of the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, which will be celebrated on May 12th, the 4th Sunday of Easter, under the title "The courage to risk the promise of God" and The Vatican It's rumored this Saturday, March 9th.

The pontiff addresses himself in a particular way to the young people and says to them: "Do not be overcome by fear, which paralyzes us before the high summits that the Lord proposes to us.Remember always that to those who leave the nets and the boat to follow the Lord, he promises them the joy of a new life, which fills the heart and encourages the journey. "

Francisco explains in his message that "the call of the Lord is not an interference of God in our freedom; it is not a" cage "or a weight that is loaded on us. it is the loving initiative with which God comes to meet us and invites us to enter into a great project to which he wishes us to participate, showing us on the horizon a wider sea and an abundant fishing ".

"The calling is an invitation not to stay on the shore with the networks in hand, but to follow Jesus on the path he has thought for us, for our happiness and for the good of those around us."

As he remarked, "This means that to follow the call of the Lord, we must become involved with our whole being and run the risk of facing an unknown challenge. can keep us attached to our little boat, preventing us from making a final decision, we are asked this audacity that drives us strongly to discover the project that God has for our life ".

In short, "when we stand before the vast ocean of vocation, we can not stay to repair our nets, in the boat that gives us security, but we must trust the promise of the Lord".

The Pope notably spoke of "the call to Christian life, which we all receive with baptism and which reminds us that our life is not the result of chance, but the gift of being beloved children of the Lord, gathered in the great family of the church. "

He acknowledged that "it is not always easy to discern one's vocation and guide one's life in the right way, and for this reason a renewed commitment from the whole Church – priests, religious, pastoral animators, educators – is necessary so that opportunities for listening and discernment are offered to young people, especially young people.

"A ministry of youth and vocations is necessary to help discover the plan of God, especially through prayer, meditation on the Word of God, Eucharistic adoration and spiritual accompaniment", a- he declared.