VATICAN (CWNews.com) – In his annual message for the worldwide day of prayer for vocations, Pope John Paul II stresses that the world needs priestly and religious vocations to help counteract the evils of hatred, violence, and oppression.
The 39th World Day of Prayer for Vocations will be celebrated on April 21, 2001: the fourth Sunday of Easter. The Pope's message–written this summer, but released by the Vatican on November 25–indicates that young people must be encouraged to avoid “a life of mediocrity,” and to aspire to Christian virtues.
“Every vocation in the Church is at the service of holiness,” the Pontiff writes. He says that families must play a crucial role in helping young people discover their calling.
The text of the Pope's message may be found here.
(This article courtesy of Catholic World News. To subscribe or for further information, contact subs@cwnews.com or visit www.cwnews.com.)
