Første torsdag i måneden: Bønn for kall

Discernment is indispensable when searching for one’s vocation in life.  More often than not our vocation is not obvious or evident at first but rather something we come to understand gradually.  Discernment, in this case, should not be seen as an individual effort at introspection, with the aim of better understanding our interior make-up so as to strengthen us and acquire some balance.  In such instances the person can become stronger, but is still confined to the limited horizon of his or her possibilities and perspectives.  Vocation, however, is a call from above, and discernment in this context principally means opening ourselves to the Other who calls.  Prayerful silence is therefore required in order to hear the voice of God that resounds within our conscience.  God knocks at the door of our hearts, as he did with Mary; he longs to establish friendship with us through prayer, to speak with us through the Sacred Scriptures, to offer us mercy in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and to be one with us in the Eucharist.

It is also important to dialogue with and encounter others, our brothers and sisters in the faith who have more experience, for they help us to see better and to choose wisely from the various possibilities.  When the young Samuel hears the voice of the Lord, he does not recognize it immediately. Three times he runs to Eli, the older priest, who in the end proposes the right response to give to the Lord’s call: “If he calls you, you shall say: ‘Speak Lord, for your servant hears.’” (1 Sam 3:9).  In your doubts know that you can rely on the Church.  I know that there are very good priests, consecrated men and woman and lay faithful, many of whom are also young, who can support you like older brothers and sisters in the faith.  Enlivened by the Holy Spirit, they will help you to make sense of your doubts and understand the plan of your own vocation.  The other is not only a spiritual guide, but also the person who helps us open ourselves to the infinite riches of the life that God has given us.  It is important to create spaces in our cities and communities to grow, to dream and to look at new horizons!  Never lose the enthusiasm of enjoying others’ company and friendship, as well as the pleasure of dreaming together, of walking together.  Authentic Christians are not afraid to open themselves to others and share with them their own important spaces, making them spaces of fraternity.  Dear young people, do not allow the spark of youth to be extinguished in the darkness of a closed room in which the only window to the outside world is a computer and smartphone.  Open wide the doors of your life!  May your time and space be filled with meaningful relationships, real people, with whom to share your authentic and concrete experiences of daily life.

(Fra Pave Frans’ budskap til den 33. verdensungdomsdagen, 25. mars 2018)