The Lord’s merciful
action forgives our sins and opens us to the new life which takes shape in the
call to discipleship and mission. Each vocation in the Church has its origin in
the compassionate gaze of Jesus…The call of God comes to us by means of a mediation
which is communal. God calls us to become a part of the Church and...the
vocational journey is undertaken together with the brothers…whom the Lord has
given to us…The ecclesial dynamism of the call is an antidote to indifference
and to individualism. It establishes the communion in which indifference is
vanquished by love, because it demands that we go beyond ourselves and place
our lives at the service of God’s plan, embracing the historical circumstances
of his holy people.
We came upon these words of our Holy Father Pope Francis from his message for the 53rd World
Day of Prayer for Vocations. And we were reminded once again that our lives as
monks belong to the Church. Though our lives are hidden here in the monastic
enclosure, our focus must always be outward, toward and for all God’s people, in
solidarity with them in their joys and hopes, their
griefs and anxieties. All that is genuinely human raises an echo in our
hearts.
