The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest (Mt 9:35-38).
Pope Francis chose these words of Jesus from Matthew to begin his letter on the World Day of Prayer for Vocations on Sunday, May 14. Indeed the harvest appears to be plentiful thanks to Pope Francis, whose words and witness have resulted in many people changing their perception of the Catholic Church.
This new understanding of the Church and discipleship among young people is a God-given opportunity to seek new laborers for the harvest. It is incumbent upon each of us to seize this moment.
First we must, through our personal discipleship as missionary apostles, witness to the world that Christianity is not only proclaiming but also living the teachings of Jesus Christ proclaimed in the Gospel. We must heed the words of the Holy Father in his letter: “I invite you to listen to and follow Jesus and to allow yourselves to be transformed interiorly by his words, which ‘are spirit and life’” (Jn 6:63).
I say this because vocations to the priesthood, the diaconate and religious life do not develop in a vacuum. In the words of Pope Francis, “A vocation is a fruit that ripens in a well cultivated field of mutual love that becomes mutual service, in the context of an authentic ecclesial life. No vocation is born of itself or lives for itself. A vocation flows from the heart of God and blossoms in the good soil of faithful people, in the experience of fraternal love.”
Most importantly, we must invite people to consider lives of service to Christ in his Church. Parents have the first responsibility of lighting the fire of service in their children so that a vocation to the priesthood, diaconate of religious life is a natural rather than an exceptional manner of living out one’s discipleship. Beyond that, it is the responsibility of each person to seek out and invite young people and others to consider a vocation of service to Christ in his Church.
Finally, we follow the direction of Jesus in Matthew to, “pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest’”
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