“God looks on the heart and in Saint Joseph he recognized the heart of a father, able to give and generate life in the midst of daily routines. Vocations have this same goal: to beget and renew lives every day.”
This was the call of His Holiness Pope Francis to all in the priesthood and consecrated life to have these qualities especially during this time of pandemic.
The same mission, according to the Holy Father is given to those who were called to start and support families.
“The Lord desires to shape the hearts of fathers and mothers: hearts that are open, capable of great initiatives, generous in self-giving, compassionate in comforting anxieties and steadfast in strengthening hopes.”
In his message for the 2021 World Day of Vocations with the theme, Saint Joseph: The Dream of Vocation, Pope Francis pointed out three factors for each individual’s vocation: ‘dream, service, and fidelity’ which are the characteristics of St. Joseph.
St. Joseph’s dreams, according to the Pope, led him to his acceptance of God’s plan in which to inspire discerning people, to say “yes” to the Lord.
Service, for St. Joseph, is ‘as a concrete expression of the gift of self’. He shows the willingness to serve which comes from his ‘concern to protect’.
“What a beautiful example of Christian life we give when we refuse to pursue our ambitions or indulge in our illusions, but instead care for what the Lord has entrusted to us through the Church! God then pours out his Spirit and creativity upon us; he works wonders in us, as he did in Joseph.” Said Pope Francis.
“The fidelity is ‘of simplicity, the joy experienced daily by those who care for what truly matters: faithful closeness to God and our neighbour.” Joseph is considered the ‘righteous man’ who knew that success is built on constant fidelity to decisions.
“I pray that you will experience this same joy, dear brothers and sisters who have generously made God the dream of your lives, serving him in your brothers and sisters through a fidelity that is a powerful testimony in an age of ephemeral choices and emotions that bring no lasting joy. May Saint Joseph, protector of vocations, accompany you with his fatherly heart!” he added. (Fatima Llanza/RCAM-AOC)
