Pope John Paul II on Vocations

By Clare MacDonnell
^{HERALD Staff Writer}

Twenty years after his pontificate began, Pope John Paul II can be praised for an increase in vocations inspired by his stability, his accessibility and his personal faith.

In 20 years the pope has written several documents on vocations as a result of the synods he has called on the subject as well as apostolic letters he has issued of his own accord.

These documents include, "Redemptoris Donum," apostolic exhortation, issued in 1984; "Dilecti Amici," apostolic exhortation, 1985; "Mulieris Dignitatem" on the dignity and vocation of women, apostolic letter, 1988; post-synodal apostolic exhortation "Christefideles Laici" on "the vocation and the mission of the lay faithful in the world," 1988; post-synodal apostolic exhortation "Pastores Dabo Vobis" on "the formation of priests in the circumstances of the present day," in 1992; apostolic letter entitled "Ordinatio Sacerdotalis" on "reserving priestly ordination to men alone," in 1994; apostolic letter, "Vita Consecrata" on "the consecrated life and its mission in the Church and in the world," in 1996; and a "Letter to Priests for Holy Thursday," in 1998.

Upon examination of these documents it becomes clear that the pope holds the concept of vocations in the highest esteem as the key to the building of the Church. In each of his writings he promotes the tradition that all Catholics are called to a vocation whether it be religious, consecrated or lay, dispelling the notion that a vocation means one has to be a priest or nun.

As he writes in "Christifidelis Laici:"

"The call is a concern not only of pastors, clergy, and men and women religious. The call is addressed to everyone: lay people as well are personally called by the Lord, from whom they receive a mission on behalf of the Church and the world."
Throughout his pontificate, John Paul has touched upon the importance of every vocation which makes up the Mystical Body in the Church today. In "Consecrata Vita" he writes about various forms of consecrated life that have been and are present in the Church.

"In every age there have been men and women who, obedient to the Father’s call and to the prompting of the Spirit, have chosen this special way of following Christ, in order to devote themselves to him with an "undivided" heart (cf. 1 Cor 7:34). Like the Apostles, they too have left everything behind in order to be with Christ and to put themselves, as he did, at the service of God and their brothers and sisters. In this way, through the many charisms of spiritual and apostolic life bestowed on them by the Holy Spirit, they have helped to make the mystery and mission of the Church shine forth, and in doing so have contributed to the renewal of society.

"The consecrated life inspires and accompanies the spread of evangelization in the different parts of the world, where Institutes from abroad are gratefully welcomed and new ones are being founded, in a great variety of forms and expressions."

The pope has offered his own story of his calling and priesthood in a book entitled Gift and Mystery — on the Fiftieth Anniversary of My Priestly Ordination. It is often easy to forget the image of a young Polish priest who grow up amidst the perils of Communism and war. Many people see a man who seems always to have been pope but there is a priest there as well, one who remembers well the days when he was discerning his vocation and his seminary days.

One Seattle priest was grateful for an insight into the pope’s vocation and his early priesthood.

"The pope’s reflection of 50 years of priesthood is a plea to his brother priests: celebrate the Eucharist with faith, hear confessions, be with young people, encourage married couples and above all, pray," said Father Phillip Bloom. "The pope was ordained a priest the year I was born. When I was ordained he was celebrating his 25th anniversary. I could not help but compare my experience with his. Not to kick myself for accomplishing so little in comparison, but to marvel at precisely what is expressed in the title: Gift and Mystery."

Other means of teaching the Church about vocations, unique to this pope, are his signature World Youth Days. We have repeatedly seen the pope use World Youth Days since the first in Rome in 1985, as a means to reach out to young people, to let them know that he holds them fondly in his heart as the crux of the future of the Church.

He never misses an opportunity to challenge youths to let Christ into their lives. His key phrase in Denver we have all heard many times since that World Youth Day — "Be not afraid," — words that many youths and organizations have used as the impetus for their missions and as the inspiration for many vocations.

At the last World Youth Day in Paris in the summer of 1997 the pope led a prayer vigil for vocations during which he encouraged the youth of the Church to embrace their vocations, whatever they may be.

"I invite you all to pray for those young people who, throughout the world, hear the call of the Lord and for those who may be afraid to answer that call. May they find educators at hand to guide them! May they perceive the grandeur of their vocation: to love Christ above all else as a call to freedom and happiness! Pray so that the Church may help you in your search and in arriving at a correct discernment! Pray so that Christian communities may always know how to pass on the call of the Lord to the younger generations! With me, thank the Lord ‘for the gift of a vocation, for the grace of priesthood, for priestly vocations throughout the world’ (Gift and Mystery). Let us thank him for consecrated persons. Let us thank him for families, parishes and movements, the cradles of vocations."

Hand in hand with his focus on vocations, is what the pope has said about the family. In an apostolic exhortation, "Familiaris Consortio" given in 1981, John Paul wrote about the renewal of the Christian family as the "domestic Church." In this document there is a direct correlation drawn between the family and vocations. According to this pope, the fostering of vocations is dependent upon the sound structure of the family.

"The family must educate the children for life in such a way that each one may fully perform his or her role according to the vocation received from God," reads "Familiaris Consortio." "Indeed, the family that is open to transcendent values, that serves its brothers and sisters with joy, that fulfills its duties with generous fidelity, and is aware of its daily sharing in the mystery of the glorious Cross of Christ, becomes the primary and most excellent seedbed of vocations to a life of consecration to the Kingdom of God."

Copyright ©1998 Arlington Catholic Herald, Inc. All rights reserved.