The fourth Easter Sunday, April 25, also called the Good Shepherd Sunday, is the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. As disciples of Christ, we want to publicly fulfil the Lord’s instruction to “Pray the Lord of the harvest to send labourers into his harvest”. It is a special day to underline the importance of this prayer continually offered throughout the Church. It also expresses our deep conviction that faith and grace go first in all that concerns vocations to the priesthood and the consecrated life. While appreciating all vocations, the Church concentrates its attention this day on vocations to the ordained ministries (priesthood and diaconate), consecrated life in all its forms (male and female religious life, societies of apostolic life, consecrated virginity), secular institutes in their diversity of services and membership, and to the missionary life.
Message of Pope Francis for the 2021 World Day of Vocations, 25 April 2021
Fr. Pawel Drobot C.Ss.R., chair of the General Commission of the Redemptorist Youth and Vocation Ministry, in connection with the Good Shepherd Sunday, addresses the young people and all the Redemptorist family, encouraging us to embrace with renewed hope the gift of a vocation and to join our voices in the common prayer that the Church is offering on this Easter Sunday.
I am the good shepherd – Jesus tells us in the Gospel of Saint John.
Then he reminds us that he also has other sheep – the lost one he wants to call by name to join his fold – because he wants to lead them.
The wounded world in which we live today needs good shepherds.
Our founder St Alphonsus chose the way of the good shepherd when he met poor shepherds in Scala.
The goal of our Redemptorist Youth and Vocation Ministry (RYVM)
is to bring every young boy and girl into a mature relationship with God, the loving Father.
We seek to offer young people the space to belong to a family
and a community open to the action of the Holy Spirit.
We help them to rediscover the mission that God entrusts to every young person,
that is his or her own vocation.
Dear young people – do not be afraid to respond to Jesus’ call to be his disciples – missionaries in the Redemptorist family.
I invite you to pray together:
Father of Mercy,
You call Redemptorists and young people
to meet Your Son and receive the Holy Spirit.
You invite us to share a journey of discipleship
rooted in our baptism.
Help us to walk together in fidelity to you.
Guide us on your journey of communion, love and justice.
Open our ears that we may listen to one another,
to listen to Thee,
and to hear the cry of the most abandoned,
especially the poor.
May Your Son, the Most Holy Redeemer, grant us
that we recognize the saving power
of His life, death and resurrection,
so that, united in mission
with the guidance of our Mother of Perpetual Help,
we can proclaim with joy to our wounded world
the good news of the abundant life that only He can give.
Amen.
