The Vatican has published Pope Leo XIV’s message for the 63rd World Day of Prayer for Vocations, which will be celebrated on April 26, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, or Good Shepherd Sunday. Source: EWTN News.
Titled “The Interior Discovery of God’s Gift,” the Holy Father in the message reflects on the interior dimension of vocation, understood as “the discovery of God’s free gift that blossoms in the depths of our hearts”.
In his message, the Pope refers to vocation as “a path of beauty” – one along which, if travelled, life becomes “truly beautiful”. He notes, however, that to perceive this beauty, it is necessary to cultivate one’s interior life.
“The distinctive trait of the saint is the luminous spiritual beauty that radiates from his or her life in Christ,” the Pope affirms.
Citing the experience of St Augustine, the Holy Father invites everyone to discover the presence of God in the innermost recesses of the soul by cultivating prayer and silence. Furthermore, he emphasises that the gift of vocation is “never an imposition or a one-size-fits-all model to which one merely conforms; instead, it is an adventure of love and happiness”.
“Only when our surroundings are illumined by living faith, sustained by constant prayer, and enriched by fraternal accompaniment can God’s call blossom and mature, becoming a path of happiness and salvation for individuals and for the world,” he noted.
The Pope also reminds us that God “knows us profoundly” and points out that this knowledge must be mutual: “We are invited to know God through prayer, listening to the word, the sacraments, the life of the Church, and works of charity for our brothers and sisters.”
The Pope recommends dedicating time to Eucharistic adoration and meditating on the word of God in order to come to know the Lord and give oneself fully to one’s vocation – whether it be to marriage, the priesthood, or consecrated or religious life.
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Pope Leo XIV: Every vocation is a ‘path of beauty’ (By Almudena Martínez-Bordiú, EWTN News)
